Riverdale, N.Y. (August 28, 2007)- An extremely busy summer for members of the Manhattan College track and field team concluded this past week, as several members of the team competed at national and international championships.
At the Swedish Junior National Championships, held in Uddevalla, Sweden, two Jaspers competed, with one, Malin Marmbrandt, taking home a national title. Marmbrandt, who just entered her sophomore year in Riverdale, took home the title in the triple jump with a leap of 12.36m (40-6.75) to out distance the field by almost a foot (second place was 12.11m ? 39-8.75). She had set herself up for a good competition with a great series of long jumps the previous week at her regional championship in Uppsla, Sweden.
Also competing at the Swedish Junior National Championship was Marmbrandt's classmate and countryman, Tobias Lundgren. The sophomore competed in both the 5000m run and the 1500m run, taking second and fifth places, respectively. He crossed the line in the 5000m run in 15:34.21, narrowly missing out on the national championship, as he finished just .36 behind the winner. In the 1500, he clocked in with a time of 4:10.00.
Meanwhile, in Osaka, Japan, senior Milan Jotanovic and alumna Aliann Pompey represented their home nations at the IAAF World Track and Field Championships. Jotanovic, who earned All-America status after placing third at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, competed for his native Serbia, and placed 30th overall in the shot put with a throw of 18.57m (60-11.25), just one centimeter (.25 inch) behind NCAA Champion Noah Bryant of the United States.
Former NCAA Champion and volunteer assistant coach Aliann Pompey ?99 competed for her native Guyana in the 400m dash, an event she has represented her country in at the last three Olympics Games. Running in the most competitive heat in the opening round, Pompey crossed the line with a time of 51.95 to advance to the semifinals. A combination of fatigue and illness finally caught up to Pompey in the semifinals, as she failed to qualify for the finals, which will be run August 29.
