MIDDLETOWN, CONN. – The Manhattanville College track and field teams began their outdoor season on Saturday at the J. Elmer Swanson Invite hosted by Wesleyan University. Despite inclement weather conditions, the Valiants had 15 student-athletes compete across 15 events opening up the season with new marks and a pair of personal bests. 
 
For the men, making his collegiate debut for track and field would be Curtis Staie (Adams, N.Y./South Jefferson) competing alongside Courtney Brown (Clarendon, Jamaica/Mount Vernon) in the 200-meter. Brown and Staie finished in 22^nd and 28^th respectively, with times of 25.42 and 25.90. 
 
Shai Graham (Bronx, N.Y./Bronx Theatre High School) would be the lone Valiant running in the 400-meter, finishing 15^th overall clocking in at 57.03.
 
Joey Demilio led the way in the 800-meter with a time of 2:14.34 to place 24^th while Jaivan Burgos (Bronx, N.Y./NYC iSchool) followed behind placing 29^th with a time of 2:22.38.  
 
In the 1500-meter, it would be a pair of personal bests for DeMilio and Daniel Baldessarre (Highland Mills, N.Y./Monroe Woodbury).  DeMilion finished 35^th with a PR of 4:24.00 which would be good for seventh all-time in the program record book. Baldessarre PR'ed with a time of 4:57.51 for 56^th place overall. 
 
Baldessarre later competed in the 3000-meter, alongside teammate Darlig Delgado (Bay Shore, N.Y./Bay Shore Senior). The duo finished 15^th and 16^th, respectively, posting times of 10:45.43 and 11:05.46. 
 
Tavaughn Stewart (Bronx, N.Y./Denzel Washington School of the Arts) was back in action, competing in the discus and making his debut for hammer throw. In hammer, he finished 13^th overall with a distance of 32.17m. He had an 19^th place finish with a mark of 16.02m in discus alongside Matt Boggi (New Rochelle, N.Y./New Rochelle) who would finish 11^th overall with a distance of 25.61m. Boggi also competed in the shotput, throwing 10.62m for a 14^th place finish. 
 
Zach Garrant (Poughkeepsie, NY/Spackenkill High School) competed in the high jump for the Valiants, posting a height of 1.65m and a fifth-place finish. 
 
Men's action concluded with the 4x400 relay as the squad of Brown, Burgos, DeMilio, and Garrant took fifth overall logging a time of 3:46.34. 
 
On the women's side, Jen Schmidt (Williston Park, N.Y./Herricks) led the effort running in a pair of dashes. She would begin her day competing in the 100-meter, clocking in at 14.26, placing 13^th overall. She would also be the lone representative for the Valiants in the 200-meter, finishing 17^th overall with a time of 30.70. 
 
Orquidea Briceno (Brooklyn, N.Y./Fort Hamilton) competed in a pair of distance events, running the 800-meter for a 16^th place finish with a time of 2:57.77. In the 1500-meter, she posted a time of 5:47.85 to take 25^th place overall.
 
A trio of throwers would take on the shotput as rookie Gabrielle Billetz (Clarksburg, Mass./Hoosac Valley) would lead the charge with a seventh-place finish and a distance of 10.49m. Billetz was joined by Fiona Yostpille (West Babylon, N.Y./West Babylon Senior) who finished with a mark of 9.23m in 18^th place while Florence Harrison (Melbourne, Australia/Balwyn High School) rounded out the group in 26^th place with a 6.79m distance. 
 
The Valiants will head to New Jersey next weekend to compete in the Ramapo Season Opener on Friday, Mar. 29 and Saturday, Mar. 30. 
 
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