Ranked 7th
In 55 meter dash
Junior sprinter Sean Washington (Woodbridge, VA/St. Stephen's) and senior shot putter
Justin Sievert (Wyoming, MI/ New Paltz (NY), both qualified for the NCAA Division III Track and Field Championship meet, which will be held this weekend at DePauw University. Washington is ranked seventh in the 55 meter dash while Sievert is ranked 12th in the shot put.
Both athletes have had an outstanding season for the Dutchmen. The annual UCAA championship meet saw Sievert win the shot and was voted MVP for field events while Washington won the 55m and was fourth in the 200m to help Union to a third place finish. The New York State Meet, which was held at St. Lawrence on February 28, saw Washington win the 55 meter dash in 6.521 while Sievert successfully defended the shot put title he won last year. This year he captured the title with a throw of 16.28 meters. Their efforts, and the efforts of several others, helped Union place sixth among the 14 participating teams.
Last weekend's ECAC meet at Tufts University saw both men finish second in their respective events. While Washington ran a 6.43 in the finals, his preliminary time of 6.42 broke his own Union record in the
55, which he established earlier this year. Sievert, meanwhile, had a throw of 16.13.
“I'm very excited for both Sean and Justin and for our team,” said head coach
Larry Cottrell. “We had a solid season again this year and to have two of our athletes meet the extremely tough NCAA qualifying standards is a tribute to their hard work.”
Washington, like Sievert, is also a talented football player. At 5'3, 135 pounds, Washington has made his mark on a field that is traditionally reserved for physically bigger men.
“Sean is a great special teams returner and will be a cover guy and punt blocker this fall,” said head football coach
John Audino. “His speed makes him extremely dangerous every time he touches the ball. Sean is a very determined individual despite his size and that makes him a better player. He is a great leader and is well liked and respected among his teammates. The coaching staff plans on utilizing him a lot more, both on offense and on the punt and kickoff teams.”
Sidelined with a broken ankle during his freshman season, Washington made his presence felt during his sophomore campaign. In just 38 carries as a tailback, Washington gained 216 yards and scored four touchdowns with along run of 51 yards. He also caught four passes for 88 yards and two touchdowns with a long catch of 44 yards. In nine kickoff returns, Washington picked up 286 yards, including a 92-yard touchdown run. Called a “big play guy” by Audino, Washington's sophomore season resulted in 580 yards on 51 “touches” with seven touchdowns.
Teams burned by Washington in 2001 had the speedster on their “hit list” in 2002. As a results, Washington's numbers were down and he finished the season with 424 yards on 65 “touches” with no touchdowns.
“Teams were not going to let Sean hurt them as he did in during his sophomore season,”
explained Audino. “This fall it will be our job as a coaching staff to devise plays in which Sean can fully utilize his speed.”
Cottrell also recognizes Washington's contributions to the track team beyond his talent.
“Sean is a great individual who works hard at practice,” said Cottrell, who is in his 14th season at Union. “He worked extremely hard to accomplish his preseason goal of making it to nationals. Beyond that, though, he has an outstanding personality and possess an excellent sense of humor. He is a quite person, but is a very proud young man who rises to the competition. I am very proud to have him on the team.”
On the women's side, junior Lisa Capomaccio (Wakefield, MA/Wakefield) turned in an outstanding season. In last week's ECAC Championships, Capomaccio finished sixth in the 3000 meter with a Union-record time of 10:36.38, which broke her own standard set earlier this season. Lisa finished eighth in the state meet and second in the UCAA championships.
For all the information on this weekend's NCAA Meet, please click
HERE.