Delaware's John Viotto Places 33rd in Shot Put at First Day of NCAA Track & Field East Regionals
May 26, 2011
File Photo Courtesy of UD Photo Services
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- University of Delaware track and field standouts John Viotto (at right) and Vicky Caruso each posted top 40 finishes on the first day of the NCAA Men’s and Women’s Outdoor Track & Field East Regionals at Indiana University’s Robert C. Haugh Track & Field Complex Thursday afternoon.
Viotto, a senior from Dayton, N.J. (South Brunswick High School), placed 33rd in the preliminaries of the men’s shot put while Caruso, a sophomore from Stockholm, N.J. (Walkill Valley HS), finished 40th overall in the preliminaries of the women’s 400 meter dash.
Both Viotto and Caruso concluded their 2011 seasons as neither advanced. Delaware will conclude competition Friday with junior Jim Schwendtner (Ballston Lake, N.Y./Shenendehowa HS) competing in the men’s hammer throw beginning at 11 a.m.
Viotto, the reigning Colonial Athletic Association shot put and discus champion who entered the meet ranked 35th, threw the shot 53-feet, 2 3/4-inches on Thursday to place 33rd overall out of 46 competitors. He holds the UD record in the shot put of 56-3 1/4 and his throw Thursday would rank as the third best in UD history. He finished his career at Delaware with 14 career outdoor meet titles.
Auburn freshman Stephen Saenz had the best toss in the preliminaries with a distance of 65-0 1/2 as he was one of 12 throws to advance to the NCAA Championships next week at Drake University.
Robert Golabek from Buffalo, Michael Putman of Florida State, Joe Kovacs of Penn State, and Blake Eaton of Penn State rounded out the top five finishers. Viotto placed above throwers from schools such as Michigan State, Michigan, Georgia, Penn State, and North Carolina.
Caruso also closed out an outstanding sophomore season as she finished the 400 meter race Thursday with a time of 56.75 to place sixth in her heat and 40th overall among 47 competitors. Florida’s Ebony Eutsey had the best time in the preliminaries with a time of 52.64 followed by Jody-Ann Muir of Mississippi State and Jenna Martin of Kentucky. Caruso’s UD record time of 53.87 would have placed her fifth in the preliminaries.
Caruso, who has won 23 career meet outdoor titles in just two seasons, was the ECAC 400 meter champion and the CAA 400 meter and 4 x 400 meter relay champion earlier this month.
The top finishers will continue on to the NCAA Division I Championships on June 8-11 at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa.
