The meet, comprised of the top competitors from Division I, II, and III New England institutions, had 37 teams score, with Springfield finishing in a tie for ninth with 33 points (tying Maine). The 33 points was third best among New England Division III schools. URI won the meet with 122 points.
As he has all season, Headley powered the Pride, capturing first place in the 100 meter dash with a time of 10.97 against the wind.
Freshman Nickel Hay (Norwalk, Conn.) placed sixth in the 400 meters with a time of 49.20 for Springfield.
Springfield's relays had a great meet as well, as the 4x100 relay finished second with a time of 42.24, its best time of the year. That relay was comprised of sophomore Matt Amendola (Milford, Conn.), freshman Jeff Bruno (Stoneham, Mass.), Nickel Hay, and freshman Tom Brognano (Rome, N.Y.). The 4x400 relay finished in eighth place with a time of 3:11.21. That relay, which was seeded 15th, was comprised of Nickel Hay, senior Chris Okerblom (Salisbury, Md.), freshman Chris Quetant (Milford, Conn.), and senior Tim Rehm (Waldwick, N.J.).
In the field events, senior John Lewis (Fitchburg, Mass.) led the way with an All-New England performance in the discus. He finished second in the event with a throw of 46.83 meters (153-8).
Also, in the decathlon, senior Mike Miller (Storrs, Conn.) finished in sixth place with a score of 5,771 points. He had led after the first day of competition, but "no-heighted" in the pole vault.
"Overall, I was extremely pleased with a 9th place team finish," said Head Coach Ken Klatka. "In fact, I believe that is the first time a Springfield men's track team has cracked the Top 10 in this event. We had some outstanding performances."
Ken Klatka, just inducted into the Springfield College Athletic Hall of Fame in October, 2011, enters his 37th season as head coach of the men’s track and field program in 2012-2013. He ranks among the nation’s most successful coaches, with an overall record of 442 wins, 144 losses, and two ties for an impressive .753 winning percentage. Under his direction, Kevin Coyle '12 won the 2011 Division III Indoor Long Jump National Championship.
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