During the Jan. 10 indoor track meet at Bryant University, two Owls stepped up to become the first track athletes to compete in indoor discus in Keene State history.
Senior Kyle Maruca and sophomore Savannah Soleau took advantage of this rare opportunity with both placing seventh.
“That’s a very difficult meet to pull off and I know that very limited schools have the resources to hold [indoor discus],” Maruca said.
Maruca felt proud knowing that Soleau and him were initiating a new set of records for Keene State.
“In other events we’re chasing records that have already been set and not have a chance to make our point and set a record that hopefully will be followed,” Maruca said.
Maruca found this meet beneficial for preparing for the upcoming outdoor season where he will work towards the goals he has set for himself.
“Because the outdoor season is so short, we have limited opportunity to throw discus for measurement,” Maruca said. “I’m trying to win the shot put conference championship for indoor. The shot put conference championship in outdoor and the discus conference championship in outdoor and also make nationals in the discus and attempt to [make] shotput in nationals.”
Soleau went into the event with anticipation and came out of it feeling accomplished.
“I was a little nervous for how the facility was going to be set up and I was curious how you can use an outdoor disc instead of an indoor disc,” Soleau said. “It was a really neat experience and definitely a once in a lifetime opportunity. Next year I think we’re going to probably bring more people.”
Assistant Coach Bill Edson said this meet was a “Great opportunity for both of them to do that and to get behind the discus this early and start getting in that mindset for that event gives them an advantage as we head into the spring.”
Maruca and Soleau’s strength and hard work were a big part of what made the meet successful overall, not only with discus, but also shot put.
“[Soleau] threw a season’s best down there which now has her ranked number one in the conference for women’s shot put,” Edson said. “Kyle was in seventh and he qualified for finals… He went in as a number two ranked competitor to that event… He went in one of the best, he came out as one of the best and that’s very encouraging.”
Edson said Maruca and Soleau are two prime examples of how strong the Keene State Track and Field program is.
“Our throws program is a strong program within the conference so we’re trying to maintain scoring points for our team coming up out of the throws section,” Edson said. “They’re a very positive group so we’re got that going for us.”
Nicole Dumont can be contacted at
ndumont@kscequinox.com
