By Olivia Koravos
Fitchburg State Hosts 2019 MASCAC/New England Alliance Championship
On Saturday, Apr. 27, 2019, Fitchburg State University hosted the MASCAC/New England
Alliance Championship at the Elliot Field Athletic Complex at 10a.m. Both the men’s and
women’s track and field team scored 4th place overall. For those who may not know, MASCAC stands for the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference. Six collegiate teams participated in the competition this day.
Jamie Aubuchon is the Women’s Head Coach and has been working with FSU since 1998. When asked about how this team has improved over the season, Aubuchon commented on how it was a steady one despite roadblocks out of their control. This spring was not kind to the team, and negatively affected the amount of PR’s they would have ideally wanted to hold. The cold temperatures and strong winds stood in the way of that objective.
In regards to the championship meet in itself, Aubuchon commented on how his team placed as well as the changes that have occurred over the years with this specific event. “Our 4th place finish was expected, but not remarkable. Qualifying for the late season championships is very important to reaching new PR’s as the weather finally starts to turn warmer,” Aubuchon stated. “The New England Alliance Conference has added several teams the last few years, making the field of teams very crowded and putting pressure on the smaller teams to quality- they accept a very limited number of athletes.”
According to Aubuchon, next season the Alliance will be splitting up, meaning Fitchburg will have only compete for the MASCAC championship. “We are all looking forward to going back to MASCAC only as more athletes should be able to complete and reach their goals,” Aubuchon added. With just two seniors graduating and a recruiting season ahead that looks bright, the women’s team are excited for the prospect of next year.