Dukes Track Into Second Meet

February 5, 2007 in Uncategorized

By Desiree Lara

The Dukes Track Club accomplished some of their personal bests at the Frank Holden Invitational at Ursinus College on February 3, 2007, their second indoor track and field meet of the year. Those members returning to participate in running or throwing events included shot putters Clentsall Logan, Todd Birdsall, and Elora Malat, and runners Dan Griner, Jason Valentine, Pierre Chainz-Rico, David Stone, Charles Homeyer, and Desiree Lara. Freshman Elbert Johnson participated in his first running event of the season in the 4 x 800 meter relay. Cross country and track and field coach Jim Marketto lead the Dukes pack to the Pennsylvania invitational that spanned for more than six hours and involved more than twenty four-year college teams, including Rutgers, Rowan, Valley Forge, Temple, Howard, Gettysburg, La Salle, and Dickinson.
No event went unnoticed, as the Dukes were able to break the CCC school record with their 4 x 800 meter relay race with an accomplished 9:32.2, thanks to long distance runners Pierre Chainz-Rico, Charles Homeyer, Elbert Johnson, and David Stone. Other personal bests included Todd Birdsall’s 30-7.5 shot put, Elora Malat’s 17-2.25 shot put, Jason Valentine’s 7.39-second 55-meter dash, and Desiree Lara’s 6:14.07 mile run. Although every member of the Dukes track and field club did not accomplish their personal bests, it was clear that every runner and shot putter was focused and eager at his attempts. Coach Marketto was fairly pleased with everyone’s turnout.
“It went as good as I thought. I wasn’t disappointed in anybody. It was a meet where our unsung heroes came through,” said Marketto.
Marketto continues to acquire faith in the club’s athletes, and is hoping that they will continue to improve as the outdoor session of track quickly approaches. These indoor meets (which also included the Kutztown Invitational in early January) are tools to help better the talents of each athlete and prepare them for what’s to come in spring.
“That’s the reason we go to these meets, to slowly improve our times,” said Marketto. “Runners have their own strategies [and] evaluate themselves. The key is not to be predictable. You learn from it, and that’s very critical.”

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  • One Book One College

    By Jen Resnick Since 2004 there has been a One Book One College program here at CCC. The Students and staff are requested to read a book, which is chosen for that academic year. The book brings students, staff and even community members closer together by discussion. The CCC staff members are responsible for choosing the book. Professor Catherine Kewish chose this year’s one-book one-college novel. She chose Snow Falling On Cedars, by David Guterson. “The number one reason that this book was picked, [was] because it lent itself to so many different classes and different academic areas. It could easily be discussed, paper assignments, research papers and things like that and it also lent itself to multi-culturism diversity, which really are key words in the classes today,” stated professor Kewish. Snow Falling On Cedars had great reviews and is known as a “must read” novel. This gripping and impeccably written masterpiece is based on Japanese tradition. There will be a day of Japanese tradition held here at CCC in the Conference Center Banquet Room on Wednesday, March 21, 2007. Professor Kewish is very excited about this upcoming event. “This book gave us the opportunity to work with Japanese culture and we will have a whole afternoon of Japanese culture, tradition, Japanese dancers, maybe the Japanese drummers if they could get here, [and] things like Japanese calligraphy, origami, flower arranging, a Japanese tea ceremony. It’s going to be gorgeous!” said Kewish. This event is opened to the community. CCC has offered a once in a lifetime opportunity to meet the author of this riveting novel. David Guterson, will be here on campus on Wednesday, April 4, 2007. Guterson will be at The Fine and Performing Arts Center in the theatre at 7pm. In the past the other “must read” books included, The Color Of Water and My Sister’s Keeper. You can find any of these books here at CCC’s library, CCC’s bookstore, and online.