By Jack Weiland
They don’t get fazed by numbers, they don’t get fazed by an apparent lack of funding, and, these days, they don’t get fazed by much of anything else.
Why would they?
The Northeastern women’s track team headed to the New Balance Armory Collegiate Invitational in New York Saturday and, despite entering only four athletes in the field of 30 teams, placed fourth with a score of 43 points.
The scariest thought of all, though, is what could’ve been. If Northeastern had run Ahndraea Allen, Jordine Kimbrel and Aquilla Williams-Judge full tilt, combined with the throwing prowess of Zara Northover, they probably could’ve taken the crown.
“It was a great statement, we were asked to come back next year,” said NU coach Sherman Hart. “I haven’t had that many coaches come up to me and talk about my athletes in a long time. All we heard all day was Northeastern, Northeastern, Northeastern.”
Essex County College (96 points), James Madison University (53) and Buffalo (45.5) rounded out the top three teams.
In the 400-meter run, NU junior Ahndraea Allen broke her own record with a time of 53.91, six tenths of a second better than her previous mark — set during last year’s indoor campaign. Before Allen graced Huntington Avenue with her blistering speed, the school record in the event was a now snail-like 56.34.
That, according to Allen and Hart, wasn’t even good enough.
“I expect her to break it probably four or five more times, certainly two more this year,” Hart said. “It has been a tremendous ride for her, and I’m enthused because it’s something new for me, too.”
“I ran a 395,” Allen said jokingly. “I ran a good 395, but slowed down over the last five meters, I didn’t really know where the finish line was.
“I’ll be happy when I get to 52s,” she added nonchalantly. “I didn’t even realize I broke the record, I guess I’m happy.”
That statement reveals much about Allen. The junior sprinter’s first interaction with the 400 was when she set foot at NU.
“It’s almost unheard of, for her to only have run the quarter-mile for a year and a half and to be able to beat many guys in college,” Hart said. “She’s come a long way in a short time, and she’s got a long way in front of her. There’s not a limit to her yet.”
More frightening for America East coaches, though, is the fact the entire Northeastern contingent present at the New Balance Armory will be back next season.
Or, as Hart put it, “this is just part one.”
Kimbrel, a sophomore, finished fourth in the 200 with a time of 24.31 seconds, while fellow sophomore Williams-Judge took second in the 60-meter hurdles in 8.57 seconds, beating the defending America East champion Teresa Covert. Williams-Judge won the long jump and Northover, yet another sophomore, placed first in the shot put, nearly three feet ahead of second place.
Next up for the Huskies is the America East Conference Championship meet, in which NU figures to be a heavy favorite. NU demolished their top conference contenders last month in the Husky Open held at the Reggie Lewis Center.
“We’re so good that I’m nervous,” Hart said of his reigning America East Indoor Champions. “We’re too good and that scares me. If you have a little ways to climb that’s fine, but to be at the top of the mountain looking down, that scares me.”
Allen gave her best shot to sound cautious, but the team’s sky-high confidence couldn’t be slowed.
“I think we’re number one, but you can’t sleep on people,” she said. “Albany might be the only ones [to contend]. Or BU, maybe they’ll battle for second, but I’m not really worried.”
The meet, to be held at Boston University, starts at 10 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
