Senior Rudy Atang threw 15.64m to establish a personal record and Notre Dame mark in the shot put.

Field House Records Fall At Alex Wilson Invitational

March 5, 2011

Complete Results of the Alex Wilson Invitational Get Acrobat Reader

NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The University of Notre Dame’s Alex Wilson Invitational saw four Loftus Field House records fall throughout the course of the two-day event.

This was a last chance meet for competitors to qualify for the 2011 NCAA Indoor Championships.

On Friday evening (March 4), pole vaulter Mark Hollis (unattached) established a new mark in the pole vault Friday with a vault of 5.63 meters.

The following day saw three other Loftus Field House marks fall as former Irish standout Molly Huddle from Elmira, N.Y., ran an 8:57.30 in the 3,000-meter timed final. Minnesota’s Harun Abda set a new standard in the 800-meter Alex Wilson Invitational run as he crossed the finish line in 1:47.95. The third new mark of the day, and fourth of the two-day invitational, was set by 2009 Notre Dame graduate Mary Saxer from Lancaster, Pa., in the pole vault as she won the event in a new record of 4.26 meters.

Senior Rudy Atang set a new Irish women’s shot put record as she finished third in the event overall with a throw of 15.64. This marked the second time this season that she had established a school record in her speciality event. On Jan. 28, 2011 at the Indiana Relays, the senior threw 15.10m for a then personal best and Notre Dame record before besting her own mark for a new standard in the record books on Saturday.

Huddle returned to the Meyo Track to compete in the women’s 3,000-meter run. The 2006 graduate led the pack through the entire race and finished with in 8:57.30 for a Field House record. Huddle improved upon Indiana University’s Collette Liss’ 8:58.47 record, which was set in 2000.

Additionally, Saxer pole vaulted her way to the Field House record as she cleared 4.26m in the pole vault. The previous record was held by Brianna Neumann (2010) of Purdue, who vaulted 4.21m.

The Irish return to action when the men’s distance medley relay team will compete at the 2011 Indoor National Championships in College Station, Texas. The two-day championship will be held on Friday, March 11 and Saturday, March 12.

Notre Dame Women’s Results:

Triple Jump: Jasmine Williams finished in third place (11.81m).

Shot Put: Rudy Atang was a third-place finisher (15.64m), followed by Madeline Casanova in sixth place (13.38m) and Emily Kujawski in seventh (12.03m).

3,000-meter run: Notre Dame graduate Molly Huddle finished first in a Loftus Field House record of 8:57.30.

Pole Vault: Chrissy Finkel finished in 12th place, vaulting 3.76m. Notre Dame graduate Mary Saxer won the event with a vault of 4.26m.

60-meter hurdles prelims: Nevada Sorenson finished in seventh place in 8.72.

400-meter dash: Michelle Brown finished in fifth place in 55.03.

800-meter run: Abby Higgins finished 19th in 2:11.57, followed by Allison Schroeder in 26th place (2:13.86), McKinzie Schulz in 29th place (2:14.72), and Kelly Langhans in 30th (2:14.73).

Mile Run: Kelly Curran finished in 15th place with a time of 4:50.77, followed by Meg Ryan in 18th place (4:51.91), Alexa Aragon in 19th (4:52.67), Rebecca Tracy in 20th (4:52.92), and Molly Hirt in 27th (5:03.89).

5,000-meter run: Rachel Velarde was the 13th-place finisher (17:23.86).

Weight Throw: Madeline Casanova finished in sixth place (16.72m), Vivien Devaney followed and finished seventh place (14.35).

Men’s Results:

Triple Jump: Logan Renwick finished in third place (14.80m).

Shot Put: Denes Veres finished fifth (17.58m), followed by Andrew Hills in seventh place (16.51m), John Belcher in eighth place (16.10m), Anthony Thomas in 10th place (14.85m), and Andrew Brock in 11th (14.21m).

3,000-meter run: Kelly Lynch finished in 10th place in 8:13.97.

High Jump: Doug Onuscheck was the fifth-place finisher (2.01m).

60-meter hurdles prelims: Jarrod Buchanon finished seventh in 8.49, followed by Alex Bavis in eighth place (9.27) and Dean Odegard in ninth place (9.61).

60-meter dash prelims: Sean Lindbloom finished fifth in 7.49, followed by Alex Bavis in sixth place (7.49) and Dean Odegard in seventh (7.64).

400-meter dash: Edward Hitchler finished in 10th place in 48.10.

Alex Wilson 800-meter run: Mitch Lorenz took 19th place in 1:51.53, followed by Zac Suriano in 25th place (1:52.71).

Mile Run: J.P. Malette finished in fifth place with a time of 4:00.31 and was followed by Spencer Carter (17th place in 4:09.47) and Jordan Carlson (25th place in 4:13.92).

5,000-meter run: Dan Jackson finished ninth in 14:28.69, followed by Joe Miller in 10th place (14:52.70). Walter Schafer finished eleventh in 15:09.48.

Distance Medley Relay: Notre Dame finished in third place in 9:31.99.

-ND-