Winter Sports Wrap-up

Feb 26, 2020 10:00 AM

Swimming and indoor track & field were introduced to DII competition and came away with numerous individual accomplishments, and mostly young teams will take experience into next season.

Women’s Track & Field

Highlight: FSU takes ninth at MEC Championships, Sets Record

Recap: The Frostburg State women’s track & field team captured ninth place at the inaugural Mountain East Conference (MEC) Indoor Championships. The Bobcat women, who were without a single returning competitor from the 2018-19 indoor season, set a school record and several personal records at the two-day meet. First-year Makayla Westry broke a school record that stood from 1998 in the women’s weight throw. Her second throw of 14.84 meters broke the record, and her fourth toss of 15.48 meters raised the bar again and landed her in fourth place in the conference standings. First-year Morgan Mathews took home ninth place of 13 competitors in the pentathlon. She totaled a personal best 2,432 points, just 74 points behind Asya Carney of Wheeling for eighth. First-year Alyssa Mullery had arguably the best effort for the women as she captured third in the 60 hurdles (9.17), fifth in the high jump (1.56 meters) and sixth in the triple jump (10.60 meters). She helped sophomore Briana Gibson, Mathews and first-year Isabel Pereira to seventh in the 400-meter relay in 4:50.60.

Next Season: The Bobcat women are without a senior on the roster, and first-year coach Shane Brookshire returns every athlete that competed at the MECs.

Men’s Track & Field

Highlight: Frostburg finished in fourth place at MECs

Recap: The Frostburg State men’s track & field team had plenty of impressive individual performances at the 2020 MEC indoor Championships, while, as a team, the Bobcats took fourth of nine teams and were just behind West Liberty for third place. On the opening night, Frostburg dominated in several events, but the weight throw started the success. Senior John Kerns won the weight throw and earned First Team All-MEC honors at 17.40 meters. Fellow senior Michael Belcher snared second-team honors in the conference with a personal-best throw of 17.24 to finish with a silver medal. First-year Preston Duffield took fifth place in the weight throw with a personal-best 15.16 meters. First-year Nicholas Richardson posted another blistering time in the 60-meter dash as he took fifth with a personal-best and school record time of 6.96 and qualified for the finals. On Saturday in the final, Richardson reset his own record in the 60 at 6.95 and took third place. The men’s foursome of senior Jacob Rickards, first-year Jaydon Morley, Richardson and junior Clayton Washington earned Second Team All-MEC honors after finishing runner-up in the 4x400 at 3:21.82, less than half a second shy of setting the school record. Kerns added third place in the shot put at 15.13 meters and was named the MECs Male Field Athlete of the Year.

Next Season: The Bobcat men will be hit hard with graduations as Kerns, Belcher, Rickards and others are in their final seasons. However, Coach Brookshire has a young nucleus of athletes who are ready to carry Frostburg in DII.

Women’s Swimming

Highlight: Frostburg captured 10th at GMAC/MEC Championships

Recap: The Frostburg State women’s swimming team captured 10th place of 13 teams at the 2020 Great Midwest Athletic and Mountain Conference Swimming Championships in Canton, Ohio, in mid-February. In just MEC standings, the Bobcats took sixth place. A pair of Bobcat relay reams posted the best finishes at the MECs. The 200 medley relay team of first-year Rayna Cicen, sophomore Haley Benedictis, sophomore Aubree Morris and senior Megan Culbertson took home eighth place in 1:58.11, while the 400 medley relay team of Cicen, Culbertson, senior Elizabeth Myers and Benedictis finished in eighth at 4:22.26. Cicen posted the top individual effort with 17th place in the 200 backstroke at 2:20.78. Cicen also led the team with seven wins on the season.

Next Season: The women’s roster is loaded with young talent, and the return of Cicen, Benedictis and Morris will lead the charge.

Men’s Swimming

Highlight: Frostburg captured eighth at GMAC/MEC Championships

Recap: The Frostburg State men’s swimming team capped the season with eighth place at the 2020 Great Midwest Athletic and Mountain East Athletic Conference swimming championships. The Bobcats finished in fifth place in just the MEC standings and had several all-conference performers. Junior Anthony Giuseppetti led the way individually when he finished in fifth in the 200 backstroke and captured First Team All-MEC on the final day of the championships in 1:56.38. The Frederick, Md., native also added Second Team All-MEC honors in the 500 freestyle (4:44.25) and second-team honors in the 200 freestyle (1:43.69). The Bobcats also took home all-conference honors in four relays. FSU was Honorable Mention All-MEC in the 400 freestyle in 3:13.66 thanks to Giuseppetti, sophomore Luke Russell, first-year Quincy Page and junior Brady Peterson. The relay squad of Peterson, Page, Russell and Giuseppetti earned third-team honors in the 200 freestyle in 1:28.14. Giuseppetti, first-year James Harmon, Peterson and Russell were the third team in the 400 medley in 3:35.75. Rounding out the All-MEC hhonors was the 200 medley team of Giuseppetti, Harmon, Page and Russell as the foursome took third team in 1:37.26.

Next Season: The Bobcat men had just one senior and all five all-conference honorees return.