The Sacred Heart track & field teams won five individual titles over the weekend at the 2008 New England Championships, with seniors Arman Dixon (Beacon, NY) and Marsha Locke (Danbury) taking home a pair each. For the third-straight year the Pioneer men improved on their best-ever finish at the event this year coming home third overall. The women took fifth overall.

Dixon continued his stellar senior season with New England titles in the 200 meters and long jump. Dixon turned in his fastest time of the season in the event, clicking in at a NCAA Regional qualifying time of 20.86 to dust the field in the 200 and come up with the win. His leap of 23′10″ (7.26m) won him the long jump title as well. Dixon will also compete in the long jump as well as the 400 meters at the NCAA Regional Championships.

Locke successfully defended her New England shot put title by besting the field by over two feet. Her throw of 48′11.75″ (14.93) won the event and met the NCAA Regional qualifying standard. Locke already qualified for the NCAA Regional meet with her winning throw at the NEC Championship. Locke picked up her third career New England title by winning the javelin with a throw of 134′11″ (41.12m). Locke also picked up points by finishing fourth in the discus with a throw of 136′10″ (41.72m).

Sophomore Brittany Dexter (Ballston Lake, NY) defended her New England title in the high jump, clearing the bar at 5′8.75″ (1.75m) to meet the NCAA Regional qualifying standard. Dexter won the event for the second-straight year as well at the NEC Championship meet a week ago with a height of 5′7″.

Senior Scott Giordano (Hamden) picked up points by finishing fourth in the 200 meters with a 21.83 second clocking. Senior Michael Barrett (Islip Terrace, NY) scored with a sixth-place finish in the 100 meter dash finishing in 11.25 seconds. Freshman Peter Conti (Mansfield, MA) picked up points in his first New England meet showing by taking fourth in the 110 meter hurdles. Conti crossed the finish line in 14.93 seconds.

Junior John Kenworthy (Gloversville, NY) finished fifth in the 3000 meter steeplechase, shaving two seconds off his time at last week’s NEC Championships with a 9:27.76 clocking. Sophomore Brett Luongo (North Attleboro, MA) took fifth in the javelin with a throw of 188′10″ (57.55m).

The SHU trio of sophomore Keith Rowe (Taunton, MA), junior Brian Germain (Wallingford) and junior Thomas Hyatt (Hopewell Junction, NY) finished second, third and fourth, respectively, in the decathlon. Rowe racked up 6,134 points to finish 152 points off the top-spot. Rowe won the 100 meter dash (11.46), the 110 meter hurdles (15.45) and the long jump (22′0.75″) in the decathlon. Germain won the discus throw (125′9″) and the javelin (165′8″) while Hyatt took the pole vault (13′9.25″).

Senior Melissa Kostan (Salem, NY) took second in the heptathlon with 4,831 points. She finished second in the 200 meters (25.16), the 100 meter hurdles (15.04) and the long jump (17′7.50″) and third in the high jump (5′5″) and the javelin (98′9″).

Senior Christine Yakubec (Greenwich, NY) took third in the discus with a throw of 140′1″ (42.69m) with fellow senior Sarah Hickman (Amherst, MA) finishing sixth throwing 135′3″ (41.23m). Junior Sarana Hyatt (St. Albans, NY) took sixth in the 400 meter hurdles (1:04.70) and eighth in the long jump (17′7.00″). Senior Lenahndem Tankeng (Yonkers, NY) finished eighth in the hammer throw (154′6″).

The Pioneers will compete at the ECAC and IC4A Championships this weekend at Princeton University.