Men's track wins seven All-NESCAC honors, Rookie of the Year
April 29, 2008

Murtagh

McNeil

Gauthier

Bennett
HADLEY, Mass. -- The Bates College men's track and field team claimed seven spots among four athletes on the NESCAC All-Conference Men's Track and Field Team, while a Bobcat won Rookie of the Year honors for the second straight year, the New England Small College Athletics Conference announced on Tuesday.

First-year Christopher Murtagh (Rowley, Mass.) was named Rookie of the Year after winning the NESCAC championship in the javelin throw (54.94 meters) and placing eighth in the hammer throw (43.81m) Saturday at Hamilton College. Murtagh also wins All-NESCAC honors for finishing in the top three in an event at the NESCAC Championships.

Murtagh becomes Bates' second straight NESCAC Rookie of the Year, following the lead of 2007 winner and Bates sophomore Rich McNeil (Lawrence, Mass.). McNeil kept himself busy this year, too, winning three all-conference honors by winning the discus throw title (42.75m) in addition to placing second in the hammer (49.79m) and third in the shot put (15.01).

Senior Noah Gauthier (Amherst, N.H.), named NESCAC Field Performer of the Week yesterday for his performance at NESCACs, officially claimed two All-NESCAC awards on Tuesday, for winning the NESCAC title in both the hammer (55.71m) and the shot (15.01m), his second straight conference crown in both events.

Bates junior Jerome Bennett (Chicago, Ill.) won the second All-NESCAC award in his career in the pole vault, where he placed second with a top vault of 4.19 meters).

View the NESCAC Track and Field All-Conference release (PDF)