Efobi and Snyder shine in TCNJ meet
By Logan VanDine
JUST down the road in Ewing, New Jersey, Rider track and field had a strong showing in the TCNJ Invite, headlined by first-place finishes for both the men and women on April 8.
‘We had a good day’
On the women’s side, one of the best showings was sophomore Chika Efobi in the shot put. Looking to get the win for the Broncs, Efobi was able to do just that and win that category with an impressive throw of 13.53 meters.
Efobi continued to have a great outdoor season, taking home first place during the Rider 5 Way on March 26 and second place at the Big 5 Individual on April 1. The Broncs were also able to place second and third overall in the shot put with freshman Maura Baker finishing second with a score of 13.32 meters and junior Samantha Kamara winning third with a score of 12.50 meters.
“We had a good day in many areas. Efobi continued her strong season with a win in the shot put throwing 13.53 meters. She’s very consistent right now and it is exciting to see,” Head Coach Bob Hamer said.
Efobi talked about her performance in the shot put and how she relied on her faith to get her a first-place victory.
“This season I’ve locked in with a God-centered competitive mentality. I have no stress when I remember that I’m doing this for someone whose expectations and standards don’t change,” she said. “This past weekend in particular was an example of my team’s friendly competition. Competing and training alongside someone like [Baker] does not allow you to become complacent so I knew that if I wanted this victory I’d have to reach a new peak.”
‘He is looking better each week’
The men were just as good, specifically in the 800-meter relay. Looking to build on an already great outdoor season, junior Tamrat Snyder had an excellent race in the 800-meter relay, finishing first overall with a time of 1:53.44. It was the first time Snyder competed in the category since winning the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Indoor Title back in February where he finished with a time of 1:49.71.
“Snyder ran a strong race to win the 800 meters. He is looking better each week and he is closer to his desired fitness level,” Hamer said.
Snyder, who was coming back from an injury that kept him out for a substantial amount of time, was happy with his efforts but knew he could have competed better.
“I wasn’t unhappy with the performance but it also wasn’t my best. This was a good race for me and I can certainly build off this,” Snyder said.
In other distance relays, senior Nick Strain ran a good race in the 1500 meters with a time of 4:00.23 and a third-place finish, and in pole vaulting, junior Javier Santiago ended up in second place with a distance of 4.30 meters.
The Broncs now prepare for two more meets with the Princeton University Larry Ellis Invitational and the Bison Outdoor Classic, set to take place on April 15 and 16.
