By Nate Owen

The Huskies won six events and accumulated 116 points, well behind the University of Connecticut, which finished first with a total of 181.83 points.

But NU had its share of notable performers, including sophomore sprinter Alison Warren, who won the 400-meter dash with a time of 55.77 seconds, and junior middle distance runner Erin Ballard, who took first place in the 1,000-meter run with a time of 2:55.57. Right behind her came sophomore Laura McCloskey, who finished in 2:56.05. Sophomore hurdler Tremaine Shaw also had a strong performance, finishing first in the 55-meter hurdles with a time of 8.08 seconds.

For the field events, junior thrower Zara Northover finished on top in the shot put at 52.04 feet and senior Laura Chmielewski took first in the pole vault with a height of 12.95 feet.

Coach Sherman Hart said he “traditionally [doesn’t] like the New England Championship. [For a championship, it’s] missing five or six of the top teams.”

Despite this, Hart said he was looking for a strong showing from his team. Even though the times the team posted in previous meets were good, Hart “didn’t feel good about the team and wasn’t happy with how they [the team] had been competing lately.” The team needed a “pick-me-up” heading into the outdoor season, Hart said.

Hart’s strategy for the New England Championship was to have each athlete “go out and put [their] personal best times out.”

Hart said he was particularly pleased with sophomore thrower Patricia Harrison, who placed third in the shot put with a distance of 44.06 feet. He also mentioned Shaw’s performance in the 55-meter hurdles, saying “it was essential for her to finally be healthy.”

Only the athletes who qualified will compete in the Eastern College Athletic Conference championship, which will be held this weekend at the Reggie Lewis Center. This event features anywhere from 60 to 70 schools and this year Hart will be sending the most athletes ever during his 18-year tenure at Northeastern.

While the Huskies did not take first place in the New England Championship, Hart felt the meet got them on the right track for the outdoor season, which begins the weekend of March 20.

“I truly believe we will be the team to beat [in the outdoor season],” he said. “If we stay healthy, we will be the team to go after. They’re gonna have to come beat us – this will be a tough task. The only thing that could bring us down is injury.”