By Bradley Rosenberg
Northeastern beat twelve other teams Friday with a score of 149 to win the fifth annual Husky Invitational. The event, which took place at the Reggie Lewis Center, was won soundly by NU with 51 points more than second place, UMass-Lowell.
NU coach Sherman Hart was proud of the team’s accomplishment.
“I thought they ran well,” he said. “We had some great performances throughout the day.”
Hart attributes the team’s great performances to them having “the right attitude,” remarking that the team “wants to go out there” and that “it’s a coach’s dream team in terms of attitude.”
“This team is extremely coachable,” said Hart.
Sophomore Idris Payne, who won the 400 and the 200 at the Invitational, believes that the team’s success comes from good coaching.
“The coaches push me hard,” Payne said. “And that shows on the track. Whenever a team trains hard, it shows on the track.”
“They know what to do in order to win a championship,” added Payne.
While Payne says he didn’t feel that well before the event and that his legs “were kinda tight,” he was still able to win the 400 meter run with a meet record of 48.75 seconds. This is the second record that Payne has broken this season, in addition to tying another.
Senior Vince Tortorella was able to break a meet record in the weight throw, one he previously held, with a throw of 67 feet. He beat the next closest competitor by over 12 feet.
“I took first, but I’m not where I want to be,” Tortorella said. “I’ve still got a lot of work ahead as far as improving goes. I think by the end of the season I’ll have reached the level that I’m shooting for … as long as I stayed focused, that is.”
Tortorella also took third in the shot put, an event won by his fellow Husky thrower Derek Anderson. Anderson, meanwhile, took third in the weight throw.
Other top performances came from sophomore Bismark Osei, who got first in the 55 and third in the 200, freshman Aaron Hill, who won the pole vaulting event, and senior Bryan McCants, who came in first in the 55 hurdles and second in the 500.
Junior Brian Bourque, a runner for the 800 event, is glad to see his team perform so well at the Invitational.
“It’s a big meet in general,” Bourque said. “Teams come from all over; it’s nice to see how we compare to other teams in the country.”
Bourque attributes the team’s success in part to the youth of the team, stating the Huskies “have a really good group of freshmen” and that “they’re all running really well, all stepping up for us.”
“Everyone did well today,” Bourque also points out, stating that “the upper classmen are doing as well as they’re supposed to.”
The 800-meter may have has something to do with the occurrence.
“It’s midseason,” says Bourque said. “People are starting to get comfortable with their events. Now people are getting settled into what events their going to do at the championships this year.”
As the next meet is the Greater Boston Championship – an event that will take place on Feb. 18 at MIT – it is certain that now is the perfect time for the team to start “getting comfortable” with their events. Hart, however, has complete confidence in his athletes, and is simply enjoying the victories that they have brought him.
“This is a fun year,” said Hart about his team’s good work. “They’re having fun, and the good thing is that most of them will be back next year.”
“We’ve still got some things to do, though,” added Hart. “I don’t think we’ve hit our peak yet, but we’re not looking to hit our peak until Athletic Eastern Championships. We’re just looking to take it one step at a time.”
