2014 Season Opens with Seven National-Qualifying Performances at Queensborough Relays

Suffolk CC's men's and women's track & field teams opened the 2014 season locally with a promising start at the Queensborough Relays.

In the individual events, sophomore Kenny Ruddick won the 400-meter hurdles in 58.70 seconds, earning a new PB and qualifying for the national meet in May. Rob Calamia ran the 10,000-meter race for the first time and won it, qualifying for the nationals with an impressive time of 35:58.09. On the women's team, Samantha Sledge also qualified for nationals in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 1:14.67.

The men's 4x100 relay team, as well as the women's 4x100, 4x400, and 4x800 relay teams, earned their spot at the national meet this weekend, all hitting the qualifying standards. The men's relay team of Andrew Taitt, Diamonte Corley, Justin Walker and Devante Smith finished 2nd in the 4x100 (43.91), and ran 1:31.95 for 1st place in the 4x200 (an event not contested at the national meet). The ladies' relay quartet of Tori Thompson, Tivoni Taylor, Jontae Smith and Samantha Triani finished second in the 4x100 (52.8), tied for first in the 4x200 (1:51.26) and captured first place in the 4x400 (4:20.77). The women's winning 4x800 (11:25.62) included Danielle Milo, Stacey Sinkoff, Melanie Sterling and Dora Mayen.

The Sharks compete next week at the Wagner Invitational in Staten Island.