BOSTON -- Eastern Connecticut State University senior Akaya McElveen (New Haven) and junior Andre Reynolds (Hartford) broke their own program records and junior Dylan Kruppa (Torrington) broke a third one which had lasted for seven years at the New England Open Track & Field Championships this past weekend at the Boston University Track and Tennis Center.
Near right: Andrew Reynolds; far right: Dylan Kruppa
McElveen broke her own record at 500 meters for the second time this year at Boston University, clocking a time of 1:19.49 in Friday's trials to eclipse the record she had set here of 1:20.46 Feb. 7.
Reynolds broke his own record in the 60 hurdles for the third time this year with a time of 8.48 in Friday's trials that qualified him for Saturday's semifinals, where he was timed in 8.65. He had set the previous record of 8.52 Feb. 1 at Springfield College – breaking the record in consecutive weeks.
In the preliminaries of the 500 Friday, Kruppa broke the seven-year-old record by a third of a second with a time of 1:06.25. Kruppa had just missed the record in his last visit to Boston University three weeks ago with a time of 1:06.96.
Senior Lauren Hultzman (Putnam) was the only Eastern competitor to gain All-New England honors when she shared seventh place in the high jump with a height of 5-foot-3 inches Saturday. It was the second All-New England honor in the event in the Open in three years for Hultzman, who was eighth as a sophomore in 2012 with an identical height..
Others competing in Saturday trails competition from Eastern: senior Fredrick Hewett (New London) ran a 49.36 in the 400; junior Luisantonio Rosado (Ponce, PR) was timed in 8.88 in the 60 hurdles; and sophomore John Boisette (East Hartford) 7.18 in the 60. The 4x400 relay placed 19th in a time of 3:23.60. Runners were Hewett, Kruppa, Rosado and junior D'Vonte Chambers (West Haven).
Eastern competes in the ECAC Division III Championships this weekend at the Reggie Lewis Center in Dorchester, MA.
