CROSS COUNTRY/TRACK & FIELD

(Boston) The Syracuse Chargers Track Club won their first USATF National Club Invitational Distance Medley Relay at the USA Indoor Track & Field Championships February 27 at the Reggie Lewis Center in Boston. The Chargers dominated the event finishing in 10:00.97 - over 14 seconds faster than the second place finisher the Central Park Track Club.

Highlighting the accomplishment was anchor leg Derek Treadwell. He received the baton with an already big 40 meter lead and increased it substantially over the next eight laps.  His first 800 split of 2:03.0 took the possibility of a win out of reach for the competition and the prospect of an impressive split likely. The solitude of the final four laps didn’t slow Treadwell as he traveled the distance in 2:03.8 with each 200 faster than the previous. – 31.8, 31.6, 31.1 and 29.3. “I knew I was in good shape a few weeks ago when I ran 3x1600 with 2:45 rest in 4:28, 4:27 and 4:17. I am really happy with today’s run,” said Treadwell after the awards ceremony. “It’s where I want to be right now.” Treadwell’s split was the fastest 1600m relay split ever for a Chargers athlete.

Matt LoPiccolo, Kris Enwright and Scott Weeks gave Treadwell the comfortable lead he enjoyed. LoPiccolo got things rolling for the Chargers in the 1200 leg. The race went out slowly – almost 17 seconds for the first 100 – before the race really began. His first 400 meters of 61.6 kept all the teams in the race but his second 400 of 59.9 (2:01.5-800) really put the Chargers in front with a lead they would never relinquish. LoPiccolo handed off in 3:05.3 to Enwright who handled the baton for the 2-lapper splitting 52.4. Then Chargers 1000m club record holder, Scott Weeks, split 1:56.4 for the 800 leg before handing off to Treadwell.

“The overall time may not be great but we are really happy with the win and Tread’s time,” was the comment by both LoPiccolo and Weeks after the event. “That’s a solid start to the outdoor season.”

Full results can be found at www.usatf.org.

Syracuse Chargers Track Club Track Stats

USATF Club National Invitational Distance Medley Relay

February 28, 2005 Reggie Lewis Center, Boston, MA

1^st Place 10:00.97

Splits:

LoPiccolo (3:05.3) – 31.4, 30.2 (61.6), 29.6, 30.3 (59.9/2:01.5), 31.6, 32.2 (63.8/3:05.3)

Enwright (52.4) – 24.4, 28.0 (52.4)

Weeks (1:56.4) – 27.2, 28.6 (55.8), 29.6, 31.0 (60.6/1:56.4)

Treadwell (4:06.8) – 28.4, 30.5 (58.9), 31.8, 32.3 (64.1/2:03.0) 31.8, 31.6 (63.4/3:06.4), 31.1, 29.3 (60.4/4:06.8)


Friday, December 17, 2004
    Interview for Syracuse Chargers


Sunday, October 17, 2004
    Saratogian.com Article


Saturday, June 12, 2004
    LoPiccolo and Andrews Set Personal Bests at Big Blue Invitational
        Andrews 110H – 13.71 (Chargers Record)
        LoPiccolo 1500 – 3:43.56

Ron Andrews and Matt LoPiccolo each achieved personal best times at the Big Blue Invitational on the campus of Hillsdale College in Hillsdale, Michigan tonight.

Friday night Ron Andrews won his heat of the 110H in a track record 13.84. In tonight’s final Andrews ran a 13.71 to eclipse his former personal best time of 13.79 and established a new Chargers record in the process. He finished second behind Greg Richardson who ran 13.68. Andrews time will have a chance of getting him into the Olympic Trials. As of May 31 that would be among the 32 fastest times run by American hurdlers this year. However, June performances have not yet been added to the Track and Field News lists. Only the fastest 32 hurdlers in the United States gain entry into the Olympic Trials. “I have been feeling good this season,” said Andrews. “I know I can run faster. Everything’s been going right.”

For the second straight week Matt LoPiccolo ran a personal best in the 1500 meter run placing 7^th in 3:43.56. That mark is almost three seconds faster than last weekend’s mark of 3:46.45 he set in Boston.

The field of sixteen had two rabbits to handle the pacing duties. LoPiccolo found himself in next to last place after the first 400 which he went through in 60 seconds, exactly as he had planned. Over the next 400 meters he passed two competitors going through the 800 in 1:59. By 1200 meters he was in 8^th place and heard the split 2:59. LoPiccolo put the pedal to the metal and the traveled the remaining 300 meters of the Italian carpet in 44 seconds breaking the tape in 3:43.56 – only 56/100 of a second off the Olympic Trials “B” standard of 3:43.00. Paul McMullen won the race in 3:40.92. The first six athletes in the race achieved the “B” standard.

“I felt great tonight and I really wanted the Olympic Trials standard, but I’ll have two more chances at it,” said LoPiccolo. “Next week I’ll run the 800 and the 4x400 at the USATF New England Championships in Boston. After that I have two more chances to qualify – one at the Occidental Last Chance Meet in Los Angeles then at the USATF Club Championships in Indianapolis.”   

“Frankly he is one of the smartest racers I know. He doesn’t go out too fast and he has good instincts. He has a great future ahead of him,” noted Dave Patruno the Competitive Teams Coordinator for the Chargers.

Full results of the Big Blue Invitational can be found at: http://www.nftl.net/events/2004/BigBlue-Day2.htm


Saturday, June 12, 2004
    LoPiccolo 3:46.45 for 1500 meters at BHP III
    Andrews and LoPiccolo at Big Blue Invitational

Matt LoPiccolo sped to the second fastest all-time 1500 meter time for a Chargers athlete at the Boston High Performance III meeting in Waltham, MA on the campus of Bentley College June 5. LoPiccolo’s time of 3:46.45 placed him seventh overall. Irishman Liam Reale won the event in 3:42.33. 

The race was personally satisfying for LoPiccolo. He was out all of the 2003 campaign with an achilles injury. His fall training gave him confidence to try a few indoor races, one where he ran the 1000 in 2:27.72. This outdoor season started with wins at the Albany Spring Classic (1:54.37/800) and the MIT Last Chance Qualifier (3:51.05).  

The race started out as planned with LoPiccolo going out at the back of the 18 person field. His first two 400 meter splits of 61.5 and 61.2 brought him through the 800 meter mark in 2:02.7 and moved him up, but only a few places - then it was time to race. His third trip around the oval lasted only 59.3 seconds bringing him through the 1200 meter mark in 3:02.0. He continued that pace over the final 300 meters (44.5) crossing the white stripe in 3:46.45. His time shattered his former personal best of 3:49.79 from 2002 by over three seconds.

Going into last Saturday’s race LoPiccolo said, “I knew I was in pretty good shape. The week before I ran three sets of 2x500. They were all 74-75 seconds.” I just wanted to make sure I raced smart.” 

Scott Weeks finished 2^nd in the following heat of the 1500 in 3:57.21. For full results go to http://www.bostonhighperformanceseries.com/june5.html.

This weekend LoPiccolo and teammate Ron Andrews will compete at the Big Blue Invitational at Hillsdale College in Hillsdale, MI. The meeting is being touted as a high performance event for athletes to gain Olympic Trials qualifying times. Ron Andrews who has already achieved the Olympic Trials “B” standard of 14.00 in the 110H will attempt to lower his season’s best mark of 13.88 to under 13.75. That time represents what he may need to get into the meet. Only the 32 fastest hurdlers in the country (under 14.0) will gain entry into the meet. For full meet information go to http://www.nftl.net/events/2004/04_big_blue_status.asp?g=1&e=2.