Given that the majority of the snow has finally melted from the ground, Saturday's Snowflake Classic at Tufts University proved to be somewhat of a misnomer. However, with the persistent rain, adverse weather conditions still threatened to pose a challenge to Brandeis' track and field squads.

The Judges overcame the obstacles, though, to turn in fast times at their first outdoor track and field meet of the season.

"It was the first outdoor meet this year, so it was good for the team to get back into the routine of competing after indoor season finished," said Matthew Becker '16, who competed in the men's 800-meter run.

"The rain and cold weather made it difficult to compete at our highest level, but everyone did a great job supporting one another and cheering though the tough weather conditions," he continued

On the men's side, the 800-meter run featured a trio of competitors sporting Brandeis blue-and-white. Becker led the charge for the Judges, taking 15th in the event in two minutes, 3.97 seconds. Mohamed Sidique '15 was 17th, just .09 seconds behind, in 2:04.06. Trevor Tuplin '16 also competed in the event for the Judges, placing 30th and running 2:09.49 for the distance.

In the men's 1500-meter run, two Brandeis competitors turned in nearly identical finishes. Grady Ward '16 completed the distance, dubbed the "metric mile," in 4:11.09, which put him in 20th place. Matt Doran '17 was right behind in 21st, going 4:11.20.

Mark Franklin '17 tied for 11th place in the men's high jump with a leap of 1.73 meters. Meanwhile, Jonathan Gilman '15 took ninth in the javelin, throwing 46.34 meters.

The men's 100, 200 and 400-meter dashes featured a host of competitors, many of whom also competed in other events.

In the 100, Chi Tai '17 took 53rd, running the length of the straightaway in 12.18 seconds. Adam Berger '15 was 75th, completing the distance in 12.90 seconds.

There was a role reversal, though, in the 200. Berger led the way for Brandeis, finishing in 24.12 seconds for 27th place. Meanwhile, Tai took 60th in 25.55. Franklin also competed, placing 73rd in 26.95.

Nick Wactor '17 was Brandeis' top runner in the 400, completing the one-lap race in 52.73 seconds for a 12th place finish. Jeremy Wilson '17 managed 28th, timing in at 54.35. Berger completed his personal trio of events here, completing the distance in 55.71. Brandon Odze '16 also took part, rounding out the field with a time of 1:00.37.

While the women didn't have a full team like their male counterparts-as only four members competed in two events-they managed to put forth some good performances.

Maggie Hensel '16 just missed cracking the five-minute barrier in the 1500, running 5:01.50 for 25th place. Teammate Molly Paris '16 was 50th in the event, completing the distance in 5:28.19.

Alyssa Fenenbock '15 and Selena Livas '16 put forth efforts of 29.60 meters and 19.03 meters in the javelin, which put them in 21st and 40th places, respectively.

Though outdoor track features many of the same events as its indoor counterpart, Becker made it clear that there are a lot more variables in outdoor that can alter pre-competition preparation.

"With outdoor track the weather is random which really can affect you as an athlete whether it's hot or cold," he said. "With indoor track, the conditions are always the same wherever you go, so you know exactly how to prepare for your race and what to prepare in.

"Also, outdoor tracks are twice as long as indoor tracks, which means you have more time on the straights to build up your speed, turns that are not as sharp which allow you to keep your speed."

Following an indoor season in which the Judges hosted the University Athletic Association Indoor Track and Field Championships, Becker believes that the team's experience and desire to improve will result in consistent progress throughout the outdoor season.

"Our team is growing both in size and talent," he said. "With three new and young coaches, we set high expectations for ourselves each and every day.

"The team improves every week and with a lot of new runners being recruited to the team we certainly have a bright future ahead of us."

The Judges will be back at it this Saturday, competing at the American International College Yellow Jacket Invitational, which will be held at the University of Massachusetts, Lowell.
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