This weekend, the UConn track and field team will be on home turf to compete in the UConn Dog Fight. It will be a great opportunity for the Huskies to compete against the likes of Yale and Boston University without traveling to a different campus.
Head Coach Beth Alford-Sullivan commented that they were looking “to bust some rust off and compete to the best of our ability during a heavy training load.”
Coming off from a tough training camp in Florida over spring break, the team will have their first opportunity to see their standing against local rivals. On their trip to Florida, Alford-Sullivan noted that “it really helped move the fitness toward a great outdoor season.”
There were some promising results from the Raleigh Relays last week, despite the Huskies fielding a very small squad.
A highlight came from James Maniscalco, who secured his place as the second fastest Husky of all time in the 5,000m. His 13:56.34 clocking was enough to earn him 18th place in a tough field.
There were numerous other UConn athletes that made their way onto the all-time outdoor record list. Kabir Chavan was one of these athletes, whose 30:23.46 personal best in the 10,000m is the sixth fastest of all time.
Chloe Thomas and Samuel Geisler also made their way into the all-time record list, both in the 1500m. Rachael Woodruff’s 10:50.65 personal record in the 3000m steeplechase means that she now rounds off the top 10 performances of all time by a Husky in that event.
The action in Raleigh, North Carolina was primarily from the distance squad. At the Dog Fight, however, there will be a far wider variety of athletes on display.
It will be especially exciting to see the outdoor season openers for athletes like Anish Rajamanickam, who did not compete in Florida. It is Rajamanickam’s first year on the team, and his constant improvement indoors could be an indication of great things to come in this outdoor season.
It will also be the final outdoor season for Wellington Ventura, a stalwart of the UConn track team for the past few years. Ventura ran a 47.32 season opener in the 400m at the UCF Black and Gold Invite in Florida. Perhaps this weekend could be his chance to break the 47-second barrier for the first time this outdoor season.
The Huskies will be in action on the outdoor track in the Sherman Field Complex. It is free to the public, and “every event is an exciting opportunity to see Huskies in action,” Alford-Sullivan said. This is the first of only two home meets at UConn, meaning that there are limited opportunities to see the Huskies in person on campus.
The events will kick off on the track at noon and the meet will conclude at 5 p.m.
Which event(s) will Raja compete in?