From left to right, Brendaon Donahue,
Justin Levine,
Ryan Nealis,
John Rex and
Bart Rust will represent Bates at the 2020 NCAA Division III Indoor Track & Field Championships, March 13-14 in Winston-Salem, N.C. (Photos by Brewster Burns for Bates College)
LEWISTON, Maine -- The Bates men's track and field team will have five student-athletes competing in five events at this week's NCAA Division III Indoor Track & Field Championships, as announced Sunday night by the NCAA. The meet takes place March 13-14 at JDL Fast Track in Winston-Salem, N.C.
The Bobcats will have senior captain Brendan Donahue (Wolfeboro Falls, N.H.) competing in the heptathlon, senior Justin Levine (Boca Raton, Fla.) in the 5,000 meters, junior Ryan Nealis (London, England) in the mile, junior captain John Rex (North Andover, Mass.) in the weight throw and sophomore Bart Rust (Croton on Hudson, N.Y.) in the 3,000 meters.
Rex is the sixth seed among 20 men in the weight throw, trailing five seniors, based on his career-best mark of 19.06 meters, or 62'6.5", thrown at the New England Division III Indoor Championships on Feb. 28.
Donahue is seeded 15th in the heptathlon, from scoring 4,861 points to finish third at the New England Division III Indoor Championships on Feb. 28.
While Donahue and Rex both made their qualifying marks earlier this season, Bates' last three entries all emerged with their performances at the Tufts Final National Qualifying Meet on Saturday:
- Nealis will be the third seed out of 20 men in the mile, after he ran a career-best time of 4:11.99 on Saturday.
- Rust is seeded 18th in the 3,000, based on the 8:30.61 time he produced at Tufts on Saturday.
- Levine will be the 20th seed in the 5,000, after he ran a career-best time of 14:42.51 on Saturday at Tufts.
The men's team's five athletes will be joined by six members of the Bates women's track and field team also headed to NCAAs: junior Amanda Kaufman in the 60-meter hurdles, sophomore Elise Lambert in the 800 meters, junior Vanessa Paolella in the mile, and sophomore Rebecca Willis, Kaufman, and seniors Paige Rabb and Megan Seymour in the 4x400 relay.
Bates Men's & Women's NCAA Schedule:
Friday, March 13
11:00AM -- Men's Heptathlon (Brendan Donahue)
1:00PM -- Men's 3,000M Trial (Bart Rust)
2:00PM -- Men's Mile Trial (Ryan Nealis)
2:20PM -- Women's Mile Trial (Vanessa Paolella)
2:55PM -- Women's 60M Hurdles Trial (Amanda Kaufman)
4:50PM -- Women's 800M Trial (Elise Lambert)
5:35PM -- Men's 5,000M Trial (Justin Levine)
5:45PM -- Men's Weight Throw (John Rex)
6:35PM -- Women's 4x400 Relay Trial (Becca Willis, Amanda Kaufman, Paige Rabb, Megan Seymour)
Saturday, March 14
11:00AM -- Men's Heptathlon (Donahue)
2:30PM -- Men's Mile Final (Nealis)
2:40PM -- Women's Mile Final (Paoella)
3:00PM -- Women's 60 Hurdles Final (Kaufman)
4:00PM -- Women's 800M Final (Lambert)
4:30PM -- Men's 3,000M Final (Levine)
5:15PM -- Women's 4x400 Relay Final (Willis, Kaufman, Rabb, Seymour)
