The UConn mean’s and women’s track and field teams host the Northeast Challenge meet at the George J. Sherman Family Sports Complex on April 13, 2019. The women’s team won the title with a score of 198.33 points and the men’s team won 164 points. (Photo by Judah Shingleton/The Daily Campus)
UConn’s track and field team will be heading to Princeton University this weekend to compete in the Larry Ellis Invitationals. With the AAC Championships just two weeks away, the Huskies will look to continue their current hot streak and carry that momentum into the season finale.
Last weekend was the strongest of the season for UConn, as they completely controlled the Northeast Challenge, walking away with six individual titles and winning by over 70 points. The meet was full of personal bests for the Huskies that will surely be the driving force for them as the season nears a close.
This weekend’s meet will start with field events, where UConn has been performing very well as of late. Sophomore Todd Stueber is coming off his first career win in the discus, setting a new personal best throw of 51.74 meters in the process. Classmate Matthew Brady will look to translate his momentum into further success this weekend after he set a new personal-best throw of 17.51 meters in the shot put in last week’s meet. Brady is currently ranked fourth in the American in the event.
Tyler Gleen will be running the 800 meters this weekend after running alternate races for most of the outdoor season thus far. Gleen is having a career year as a sophomore, ranking first in the American and 18th in the NCAA in the event.
Senior and recently-named captain Kyle Brackman will run the 5,000 meters where he currently ranks second in the American. Classmate and fellow captain Kyle Barber will be running in the 3,000 meters with Michael McGonnigle. They rank fourth and 12th, respectively in the American.
Freshman phenom Wellington Ventura is set to run the 400 meters. After tripping over the hurdles in last week’s meet, he will look to right the ship by running in an event he is more comfortable with. Ventura currently ranks 10th in the American in the 400 meters.
Sophomore Safir Scott is first in the AAC in the high jump and coming off his second win of the season after jumping 2.08 meters. Senior captain Ian Bergere is currently fifth in the American in the pole vault and is coming off a career-best height of 4.92 meters in his last meet.
Fellow senior and captain Malik Snead had his best performance of the season in the triple jump last week at 15.66 meters. Snead is tops in the American and ranked 18th in the NCAA in the event.
Events will be held at Weaver Stadium where UConn is set to compete against over 100 collegiate teams. The Huskies will hope to have another strong outing as the AAC Championship approaches.
Conner Gilson is a campus correspondent for The Daily Campus. He can be reached via email at conner.gilson@uconn.edu.
