By: Kate Wiggins
Canisius’s Indoor Track and Field team has kicked off their season, already having two meets under their belt. The Griffs competed in the Utica Winter Open, hosted by Utica College in Utica, New York, and the Highlander Invitational hosted by Houghton College, in Houghton, N.Y.
In the Utica Winter Open, the Golden Griffs landed eight top-five finishes, setting up their 2022 season with some great numbers. In the 500-, 800- and 1000-meter, and the 4x400-meter and mile races, five women took top-five finishes. Graduate student Leah Wardner crossed the finish line first in the 800-meter race with a finishing time of 2:26.58, which was also her collegiate PR. The 4x400-meter team that included sophomore Kate Gawronski, freshman Chloe Breen, junior Marissa Silba and sophomore Jules Jones took third, finishing with a time of 4:35.89.
On the men's side of the meet, senior Turner Dirrigl took second place in the 1000-meter race, crossing the finish line at 2:35.60. Sophomore Ronan McDonald was just behind, taking fourth place with a time of 2:36.03. In the mile run, junior Andrew Perreault set a new personal best with a finishing time of 4:21.19, taking fifth place. Senior Michael Peppy also set a new personal best time of 4:22.86 to take eighth place.
At the Highlander Invitational, the Griffs looked strong again, taking multiple first-place finishes. For the women, sophomore Stephanie Seyfang completed the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 10.52. Senior Libby Benzer took first place in the one-mile race, with a finishing time of 5:13.61, landing her first win for the season. Silba took a third place finish in the 3000-meter race, crossing the line with a time of 10:55.05; Jones was just behind in fourth place with a time of 11:12.85.
Perreault took home a first-place finish in the men’s one mile with a time of 4:23.25. Sophomore Collin Rice took a fifth-place finish on his one mile debut with a time of 4:37.60. In the 3000-meter race, Peppy finished first with a personal record, landing a time of 8:40.53. Junior Tom Appenheimer came close behind, taking second place with another personal-best time of 8:43.81.
The Griffs will be taking action again at the YSU National Mid-Major Invitational this upcoming weekend hosted by Youngstown State University in Youngstown, Ohio.