Andria Scaglione at the crosscountry Metropolitan Championships 2023.
GOJASPERS / COURTESY
By Brooke DellaRocco, News Editor
Manhattan College’s Track and Field team took home a couple of wins at last week’s Metropolitan Championships, now turning their focus to the rest of the season.
Senior Alex Kristeller has recently moved up into seventh place in the NCAA Rankings for weight throw, after throwing 22.19m at the Dr. Sander Invitational, and continues to impress alongside his teammates.
At the Indoor Metropolitan Championships, Kristeller won first place in the weight throw with a throw of 20.48m and grabbed first place in the shotput with 14.55m.
Last week Kristeller was named MAAC Men’s Field Performer of the Week. When asked about these exciting achievements, he only had hope for future improvement.
“The throw that put me seventh in the country didn’t feel that great,” Kristeller said. “I’m hoping to get a little bit of a better mark before the season’s over.”
Graduate student Andria Scaglione similarly had a great performance at the Metropolitan Championships. Snatching first place in the 5,000-meter run, with a time of 17:52.69, she was able to defend her win at last year’s outdoor Metropolitan Championships, with two other MC athletes on the podium alongside her.
“I was able to kind of strategize with my other teammates and we were able to grab 1, 2, 3, [spots],” Scaglione said. “In prior years, usually I’ve been the only one racing it. Working with them and trying to accumulate points that way was really fun to do this year.”
Similarly to Scaglione, Kristeller owes a lot of his success to the coaching methods and techniques shown to him by coach Patrick McGrath.
Director of the Track and Field and Cross Country teams, Kerri Inman, spoke very highly of McGrath’s and Kristeller’s efforts to be at the top of their game.
“Paddy’s not one to miss an opportunity to compete and be at the top level,” Inman said. “He really developed that weight throw for Alex and he’s PR’d significantly in his first year here with us at Manhattan. That’s just a huge credit to Alex and who he is, and a huge credit to Paddy and what he’s able to do.”
Kristeller hopes to focus solely on his athletic performance in preparation for the MAAC Championship on Feb. 24-25. When asked about how he prepares mentally for such a big upcoming competition, he answered without hesitation.
“Lots of chocolate milk and lots of naps,” Kristeller said. “You kind of figure out new things every time you compete; new things that you need to focus on, to bring with you to the next competition. I’m going to figure those things out. Then I should be able to really do well at MAACs along with the rest of the team.”
Following the MAACs the team will immediately be preparing for the outdoor season and the upcoming championship in May.
As the intensity heats up for the athletes, many graduate students, such as Scaglione, are coming to terms with the tail end of their MC Track and Field career.
“I’m just trying to kind of soak everything in and be more present,” Scaglione said. “Honestly, for this season, I’ve kind of just been trying to keep it simple. Take every race as it comes and not really plan too far ahead.”
Inman has a strong relationship with Scaglione, coaching her all five years that she has been at the college.
As track and field launched into the last competitions before the outdoor season, Inman expressed her major excitement for Scaglione’s finish to the year and her gratefulness for being able to be such a present support system.
“It’s fun to run fast and win championships and that’s what we’re here to do,” Inman said. “All the challenges that she’s gone through and that she’s navigated [are] to come out on the other side to enjoy what seems to be a comeback year. She wasn’t guaranteed it, we didn’t know if it was going to happen, but I’m glad she’s getting to enjoy that to a degree. It’s been really rewarding.”