BOSTON, MASS. 2/25/11 – The Keene State College captured a win in a field event and posted an automatic NCAA Division III Championship qualifying time in a relay in the first day of competition at the New England Track and Field Championships at Boston University on Friday night. 

            Senior Bryan Kolacz (Brentwood, N.H.) won the weight throw event with a mark of 61'-08.25".

            The team of senior Amy Knoblock (Plymouth, Mass.), junior Paige Mills (Keene, N.H.) and sophomores Maggie Fitter (Branford, Conn.) and Janel Haggerty (Guilford, Conn.) placed third in the distance medley relay with a NCAA automatic qualifying time of 11:52.10.

            In other races, junior Andrea Walsh (Bolton, Conn.) clocked an NCAA provisional qualifying time (17:36.43) with her third place finish in the 5,000.  Senior Eric MacKnight (Newtown, Conn.) ran a season best 14:45.00 with his fifth place performance in the men's 5K. 

            In team scoring, the Keene State is in sixth place with 14 points while the Owl women are seventh with 12 points.  UConn leads in both the men's and women's standings after the first day.

            The meet continues on Saturday.