MEDFORD, Mass. - Justin Thuotte (Lebanon, Conn.) competed in the heptathlon and Colleen Curran (Woburn, Mass.) participated in the indoor pentathlon Friday and Saturday, Feb. 2-3, at the Tufts Cupid Challenge at the Gantcher Family Sports and Convocation Center.
Thuotte opened the heptathlon Friday evening by finishing second among the 18 participants in the 60 meter dash with a personal-best time of 7.31 seconds, 2/10ths of a second quicker than his previous top time. He then posted the fourth-best mark in the long jump at 6.31 meters (20' 8.5") on his second attempt.
He established another personal best in the shot put with a throw of 10.08 meters (33' 1") on his third and final attempt. Thuotte concluded the first session by clearing 1.78 meters (5' 10") in the high jump, a season-best mark that allowed him to remain in second place after four events with 2,530 points.
Saturday, Thuotte posted another personal best time in the 60 meter hurdles at 9.83 seconds, 0.71 seconds quicker than his previous top effort. Unfortunately, he did not clear a height in the pole vault, moving him down the overall standings, before concluding the event with a personal-best time of 3:16.97 in the 1000 meter run to end up in 10th place in the entire heptathlon with 3,611 points, just 20 points off his school-record total established last year.
Curran began the pentathlon with a personal-best time of 10.16 seconds in the 60 meter hurdles, 0.45 seconds faster than her previous top effort. She then cleared 1.26 meters (4' 1.5") in the high jump and, on her first attempt, posted a mark of 7.13 meters (23' 4.75") in the shot put, the first time in her collegiate career she competed in either event.
On her third and final attempt in the long jump, Curran leapt 4.02 meters (13' 2.25"). She concluded the evening by finishing fifth among the 14 competitors in the 800 meter run with a time of 2:51.15, ending the indoor pentathlon in 13th place with 2,158 points.
The Regis College track and field team will continue its preparation for the 2024 Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Indoor Track and Field Championships, taking place Sunday, Feb. 18 at Boston University.