The first Vandal intramural track meet in more than 15 years took off to a fast start last Sunday. Approximately 100 people showed up at the Dan O’Brien Track and Field Complex despite the cold weather.

“There was still a ton of people for how bad the weather was,” said participant Blaine McConnell.
McConnell, who represented Sigma Chi, was a four-time winner at the meet. He said this was the first time Idaho Intramural director Butch Fealy has hosted an intramural track meet.

“I think the last time it was held was in the early 1990s,” Fealy said.
McConnell is an intramural referee and said his interest in participating started when Fealy told him about the new meet. McConnell was a track and field athlete at Franklin-Pierce High School in Tacoma before coming to Idaho.

The long jump and javelin were his favorite events in high school, and while the meet didn’t offer the javelin last weekend, McConnell blew the competition away in the long jump with a winning leap of 20 feet, 10 inches — three inches farther than second place finisher Nick Camp. McConnell also edged out Camp in the 100-meter dash earlier in the day with a time of 11.32 seconds to
Camp’s 11.4.

McConnell also placed first in the shot put with a throw of 56-6, more than six feet farther than fellow housemate Vinne Hall, which threw 50-2. McConnell was also part of Sigma Chi’s winning 4x100 meter relay team who edged out the Delta Chi’s with a
time of 48.18 to their 48.75.

Al Moreno of Delta Chi was a close competitor to McConnell and Camp all day. He was third in the 100 and in the long jump. He prevailed in the 200-meter dash though, winning with a time of 22.94 to lead Delta Chi.
“It ran like a real track meet,” McConnell said.

Delta Chi won the overall competition with 122 points but Sigma Chi’s 77 points, led by McConnell, was good enough for second place. The Delts rounded out the top three with 62 overall points.

There were far fewer participants on the women’s side but there were still a few who showed up in the cold, rainy weather. Linsey Abo of Gamma Phi Beta won the women’s 100-meter dash with a time of 13.06. She also won the women’s long jump with a leap of 15-7. Kappa Delta, who scored 49 points, won the overall competition for the women and Gamma Phi Beta was second
with 20 points.

“It was a great event,” McConnell said. “It would have been even better if the weather wasn’t as bad.”
Fealy said there were about 150 people who originally signed up for the meet but many scratched reconsidering due to the bad weather and conflicts with Mom’s Weekend. But he still considered the
event a success.

“I was impressed by the attitude of the students that participated and all the students that helped judge and time the events,”
Fealy said.
He said this event was one he will continue to offer for students in the future.
“It is an that event caters to many students whether you run, jump or throw,” Fealy said.

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