Mahario Shines for Men’s Track at Suffolk Ice Breaker

Saturday, January 13

The TRACK at New Balance / Boston, MA

9 a.m.

Sacred Heart University Department of Athletics

Suffolk University Ice Breaker Invitational

Mahario Shines for Men’s Track at Suffolk Ice Breaker

1/13/2024 8:12:00 PM | Men's Track and Field

The junior set a new meet and personal record in the 400-meter dash

By: Josh Smith

BOSTON – With a pair of top-three finishes, junior Rafael Mahario led the way for the Sacred Heart University men's track and field team at the 2024 Suffolk Ice Breaker on Saturday at the TRACK at New Balance in Boston.

In total, the Pioneers tallied 17 top 10s across eight events. Among those top 10s, SHU reached four podiums.

Mahario's impressive day was highlighted by a win in the 400-meter dash, where he posted a time of 47.80, both a meet and personal record. He finished just shy of a second quicker than his closest competitor. Mahario's win is his second of the season, as he also took first in the 400m at the Youree Spence-Garcia Invitational. The Meriden, Conn., native reached the podium again with a bronze in the 200 meters with a PR of 21.83. Mahario's times in both events were good enough to qualify for IC4A/ECACs.

In addition to Mahario's success, the Pioneers also dominated the triple jump with four of the top nine placers. First-year Sarunas Montvila led the group in third place with a PR mark of 12.79m. Brian Casey (12.04m), Kelvin Paulino-Acosta (11.98m) and Jordan Greene (11.59m) finished in seventh, eighth and ninth place, respectively. Paulino-Acosta's mark is a new personal record for the sophomore.

SHU's final podium finisher was Daniel Blatman, who took third in the weight throw. The graduate student from Andover, Mass., set a new PR with a toss of 17.44m. Blatman's time was good enough to qualify for the IC4A/ECACs.

Sacred Heart posted a strong team showing in the 800 meters, placing five in the top 10. Patrick Curreri led the group in fifth with a PR of 1:59.14, closely followed by Jordan Leon (1:59.53) in sixth. Brendan Lyles (2:00.34) and Jacob Strain (2:00.94) both set new personal records in eighth and 10th, respectively.

SHU's other top-10 finishers included Nazir Hibbert, Joshua Sanders, Edward Tristine Jr. and Alexander Rotondi. Hibbert (1.90m) and Sanders (1.80m) finished in sixth and 10th in the high jump, with the latter setting a new PR. Tristine Jr. took eighth in the 1,000 meters with a personal-record time of 2:29.73, which was enough to qualify for IC4A/ECACs. Rotondi joined Mahario in the top eight of the 400m with a PR time of 51.64 to finish eighth.

The Pioneers also placed two teams in the top 10 of the mixed 1600m relay. The team of Tori Chorzepa, Rotondi, Madeline Archangelo and Brendan Lyles placed ninth with a time of 3:48.49, while Ava Srinivasan, Jacob Strain, Emily Raymond and Ryan Jaipaul finished 10th in 3:50.45.

The Pioneers will be back on the track on Friday, Jan. 19, to take part in the Southern Connecticut State University William Sutherland III Invite at the James Moore Field House in New Haven.