Former Notre Dame Runner, Molly Huddle

Irish Go For Gold At BIG EAST Outdoor Track & Field Championships

May 3, 2007

STORRS, Conn. – Depth should hardly be an issue as the Notre Dame men’s and women’s track & field teams head to Storrs, Conn., this weekend for the 2007 BIG EAST Conference Outdoor Championships, to be held at the George J. Sherman Family-Sports Complex on the University of Connecticut campus. The Irish will send a total of 54 athletes (32 men, 22 women) to the conference meet, with several athletes having qualified in more than one event, and Notre Dame in position to field multiple point-scorers in nearly every discipline.

The Irish men are the defending BIG EAST outdoor champions, having claimed the ’06 crown with a come-from-behind 132-125 victory over Louisville. Notre Dame has been the standard-bearer in BIG EAST men’s track & field since joining the conference in 1995-96, winning four outdoor titles (including three in the past four years) and placing among the top three at the BIG EAST outdoor meet 10 times in their previous 11 visits (only a sixth-place finish in 2001 mars that ledger). In addition, the Irish have claimed three BIG EAST indoor crowns (including this year’s title back in February) and have never failed to finish outside the top three at that meet. However, a victory this weekend would give Notre Dame matching indoor and outdoor championships in the same season for only the second time (the other coming in 2003, the last time a BIG EAST school pulled off that feat).

Meanwhile, the fate of the Notre Dame women at the BIG EAST Outdoor Championship has taken on the look of Sisyphus, the king in Greek mythology who was sentenced to constantly roll a boulder up a hill, only to have it tumble to the bottom just before he reached the summit. The Irish women have finished second at the BIG EAST outdoor meet four times in the past five years, including each of the last two seasons, but have yet to come away with the conference hardware. Last year’s competition may have been the most agonizing to date for Notre Dame, with the Irish ending up as the bridesmaid to Pittsburgh by a mere 9.5 points. Notre Dame has won a pair of BIG EAST indoor titles (2002 and 2006) and was the runner-up at this year’s conference indoor meet, finishing second to Georgetown by a 112-102 score.

The 2007 BIG EAST Outdoor Championships get underway Friday at noon (ET) with the opening events in the women’s heptathlon and men’s decathlon. Saturday `s action starts at 9 a.m. (ET) with the remainder of the multi-events competitions, while the first field events (men’s shot put and women’s long jump) are slated to go off at noon (ET). Sprint and middle distance trials will be held on the track during the afternoon (women’s 1,500-meter run kicks off at 1:30 p.m. ET), with men’s and women’s finals in the 3,000-meter steeplechase and 10,000-meter run penciled in for a 5:10 p.m. (ET) start. The balance of the meet will take place on Sunday, with finals in all remaining events, starting on the infield with the women’s javelin at 9 a.m. (ET) and on the track with the women’s 4×100-meter relay at 11 a.m. (ET). The final event (men’s 4×400-meter relay) is scheduled for 2:35 p.m. (ET), with the awards ceremony to follow shortly thereafter.

A complete listing of heat sheets, schedule of events and live results (courtesy of Scullion’s Timing) will be available through a special championships page at the official BIG EAST web site.

Louisville figures to once again provide the biggest competition for Notre Dame in the men’s competition this weekend. The Cardinals currently are ranked 15th in the latest Trackwire and U.S. Track & Field/Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) polls, and have finished second behind the Irish in the past two BIG EAST meets (’06 outdoor; ’07 indoor). Rutgers, Georgetown and 2006 BIG EAST indoor champion Connecticut also will battle for top honors this weekend.

As for the BIG EAST women’s title, Pittsburgh is seeking to become only the third school ever to win three consecutive outdoor crowns, and the first since Miami (Fla.) won four in a row from 2001-04. Notre Dame and the reigning BIG EAST indoor champion, Georgetown, will aim to knock the Panthers from their perch in 2007.

CHAMPIONSHIP PREVIEW
Here is an event-by-event preview for both the men’s and women’s teams entering this weekend’s championship, by order of event (includes only those events where Notre Dame athletes are participating — all times Eastern and subject to change):

Women’s Javelin: Trials and Final: Saturday, 9 a.m.
Freshman Elise Knutzen appears to be peaking at the right time, with a season-best throw of 41.37 meters (135-9) at last week’s Hillsdale Gina Relays. That puts her seventh on the BIG EAST descending order list and in position to score some valuable field-event points for the Irish.

Men’s Shot Put: Trials and Final: Saturday, noon
Junior Mike Schubert will carry the load for Notre Dame in this event after arguably the strongest season of his college career. Schubert’s best qualifying toss came indoors at the Blue & Gold Invitational back in December, when he posted a mark of 16.31 meters (53-6.25) that is currently sixth in the conference. His career-best toss during the outdoor season was 16.13 meters (52-11) at Purdue’s Mike Poehlein Invitational on March 31.

Women’s Long Jump: Trials and Final: Saturday, noon
Sophomore Mary Saxer punched her ticket for the BIG EAST outdoor meet with a personal-best leap of 5.68 meters (18-7.75) at the Arizona State Clif Bar Invitational on March 24. A two-time all-BIG EAST selection in the indoor pole vault (2006, 2007), Saxer will look to earn points in both events this weekend.

Women’s 1,500 meters: Prelims: Saturday, 1:30 p.m./Finals: Sunday, 11:30 a.m.
Notre Dame has qualified several athletes in this event, but due to injuries, the Irish participant pool will be somewhat limited. Freshman Lindsey Ferguson leads the way after a season-best 4:30.59 at the Central Collegiate Championships two weeks ago, but she also is slated to run in the 3,000-meter steeplechase later on Saturday and may not run in the 1,500 meters. Senior Katie DeRusso logged a converted indoor mile time of 4:35.66 at the Alex Wilson Invitational on March 3, while classmate Brianne Schmidt clocked in at 4:36.06 during the Stanford Invitational on March 31.

Men’s 1,500 meters: Prelims: Saturday, 1:45 p.m./Finals: Sunday, 11:35 a.m.
The Irish have traditionally been strong in the distance events and this year should prove no exception, with as many as seven runners eligible to compete in the 1,500 meters. Junior Jake Watson, who earned All-America honors in the indoor mile earlier this year, presently is third on the BIG EAST descending order list after qualifying for the NCAA Mideast Regional with a time of 3:43.59 at the Oregon Invitational on April 21. Senior Thomas Chamney ran the league’s No. 7 time in the event (3:44.38) in Oregon, but could elect to skip this race to prepare for his specialty, the 800-meter run (where he is a three-time All-American). Senior Kurt Benninger is the defending league champion at 1,500 meters, but has been limited by injuries this year, qualifying in the 12th position with a 3:47.07 time in Oregon. Sophomore teammate Patrick Smyth is right behind him with a 3:47.15 qualifier from the Oregon meet, but he may also bypass the 1,500 in favor of the 5,000 meters, where he is second in the conference and has posted a regional qualifying mark.

Women’s Shot Put: Trials and Final: Saturday, 2 p.m.
Sophomore Anna Weber could contend for a spot on the podium in this event, currently ranking fourth in the conference with a career-best throw of 14.20 meters (46-7.25) at the Central Collegiate Championships — that mark also is fifth-best in school history. Freshman Jaclyn Espinoza has qualified in this event as well (13.52m/44-4.25 at the Coastal Carolina Shamrock Invitational), but her strength lies in the discus, where she is the BIG EAST pacesetter and a Mideast Regional qualifier.

Women’s 100-meter hurdles: Prelims: Saturday, 2 p.m./Finals: Sunday, 11:45 a.m.
Prior to an injury suffered at the Central Collegiate Championships two weeks ago, junior Domenique Manning was high on the BIG EAST charts with the third-fastest qualifying time (a personal-best 13.93 seconds at the Azusa Pacific Invitational on April 13). However, she will be sidelined this weekend, knocking out the only Irish qualifier in this event.

Men’s 110-meter hurdles: Prelims: Saturday, 2:15 p.m./Finals: Sunday, 11:55 a.m.
Junior Jose Genao qualified for the BIG EAST meet with a season-best mark of 14.91 seconds during the preliminaries at the Central Collegiate Championships. His career-best time of 14.83 came at the 2005 BIG EAST Championships, when he placed 10th.

Men’s Long Jump: Trials and Final: Saturday, 2:30 p.m.
Senior Christopher Jacques won the 2005 BIG EAST indoor title in this event, and has qualified sixth in this year’s outdoor competition after a mark of 7.44 meters (24-5) indoors at the Meyo Invitational on Feb. 3. His top outdoor performance of the season was a leap of 7.00 meters (22-11.75) at the Arizona State Clif Bar Invitational, while his career-best broad jump took place at last year’s BIG EAST Championships when he flew 7.22 meters (23-8.25) and finished sixth. Freshman Eric Quick also has qualified in this event, posting a season-best mark of 6.97 meters (22-10.5) at the Central Collegiate Championships.

Women’s Pole Vault: Trials and Final: Saturday, 2:30 p.m.
The BIG EAST runner-up during each of the past two indoor meets, sophomore Mary Saxer will look to reach the top of the podium at the BIG EAST outdoor meet after posting the conference’s best qualifying mark this year (3.86m/12-8 at the BIG EAST Indoor Championships on Feb. 18). The co-holder of the school’s outdoor record (3.90m/12-9.5), Saxer finished fourth at last year’s conference outdoor meet at 3.80 meters (12-5.5), the same height she cleared at the Michigan State Spartan Invitational on April 14 to lock up a bid to the NCAA Mideast Regional.

Men’s Discus Throw: Trials and Final: Saturday, 2:30 p.m.
Senior Garet Koxlien and freshman Brandon Drenon could slip into the scoring column for Notre Dame in this event. Koxlien, a 2006 all-conference honoree in the hammer throw, is currently eighth in the league with a season-best heave of 51.03 meters (167-5) at the Azusa Pacific Invitational. Meanwhile, Drenon’s top mark of 48.98 meters (160-8) from the Mike Poehlein Invitational puts him in ninth position heading into the weekend.

Women’s 400 meters: Prelims: Saturday, 2:30 p.m./Finals: Sunday, 12:05 p.m.
A fixture at this distance for Notre Dame during the past three seasons, senior Okechi Ogbuokiri holds the third-fastest qualifying time in the BIG EAST this year, earning a berth in the Mideast Regional after clocking in at 54.19 seconds during the Mount SAC Relays on April 15. Ogbuokiri has scored points for the Irish in this race the past two years (second in 2005, third in 2006) and will seek to become the first Notre Dame outdoor 400-meter winner since Liz Grow won back-to-back titles in 2001 and 2002.

Men’s 400 meters: Prelims: Saturday, 2:45 p.m./Finals: Sunday, 12:10 p.m.
Fifth-year senior Ryan Postel is a two-time podium visitor in this event, winning the title in 2004 and placing second in 2006. He has the No. 4 time in the conference this season at 47.20 seconds (Arizona State Clif Bar Invitational), qualifying for the Mideast Regional at this distance for the second consecutive year. Senior Jordan Powell is seeded seventh this season with a career-best time of 47.72 seconds at the Coastal Carolina Shamrock Invitational on March 17.

Women’s 100 meters: Prelims: Saturday, 3 p.m./Finals: Sunday, 12:15 p.m.
One of the top sprinters in Notre Dame history, senior Maryann Erigha should be a prime contender at both 100 and 200 meters this weekend. A 12-time all-BIG EAST pick (five outdoors) and the school-record holder at 100 meters (11.28 in 2005), Erigha has reached the podium twice in this race, taking home the 2005 title and finishing third last year. She’s ranked third in the BIG EAST this season and headed to the NCAA Mideast Regional for the third consecutive year following a run of 11.63 seconds at the Mount SAC Relays on April 15. Junior Brienne Davis may also factor into the points race at 100 meters, currently standing 10th in the conference with a career-best time of 11.99 seconds at the Long Beach Invitational on April 14.

Women’s 800 meters: Prelims: Saturday, 3:30 p.m./Finals: Sunday, 12:25 p.m.
Senior Brianne Schmidt could pick up points for Notre Dame, having tied for the eighth-fastest time in the conference this year (2:10.78 at the Mount SAC Relays — also 10th-quickest in school history). Junior Crysta Swayzer, who took third in the 500 meters at this year’s BIG EAST indoor meet, has qualified 13th in the 800 meters with a personal-best time of 2:12.46 at the Central Collegiate Championships. Notre Dame has scored points in this event only once before, when Berit Junker finished second in 1996.

Men’s 800 meters: Prelims: Saturday, 3:50 p.m./Finals: Sunday, 12:30 p.m.
Three-time All-American Thomas Chamney will look to earn one of the few titles that has eluded him during a storied career at Notre Dame, when he leads the field in this weekend’s 800 meters. Chamney’s indoor time of 1:47.82 at the Meyo Invitational is the fastest in the BIG EAST outdoor field, with the senior Irish national’s best outdoor time this year coming at the prestigious Drake Relays (1:48.56), where he qualified for the NCAA Mideast Regional. Chamney took second in the ’06 BIG EAST outdoor meet, but has won the conference’s indoor 800-meter title each of the past two years. Junior John Cavanaugh also has qualified for regionals with a personal-best time of 1:50.26 at the Stanford Invitational, good for fourth in the field, while junior Adam Currie qualified third on the basis of his Meyo Invitational time of 1:49.95 during the indoor season.

Women’s 400-meter hurdles: Prelims: Saturday, 4:10 p.m./Finals: Sunday, 12:40 p.m.
Sophomore Nicole Yergler is the lone Irish qualifier in this event, having clocked a season-best 1:03.96 at Purdue’s Mike Poehlein Invitational on March 31. She currently stands 20th in this season’s BIG EAST outdoor field, but should she score points for Notre Dame, she would be the first to do so in this event since Nadia Schmiedt finished second for the third time in four years in 1999.

Men’s 400-meter hurdles: Prelims: Saturday, 4:25 p.m./Finals: Sunday, 12:50 p.m.
Notre Dame rolls out one of its brighter young stars when freshman Balazs Molnar sets sail in search of the first Irish title in this event (Napoleon Suarez was second in 2004 and third in 2003). Molnar currently holds the fastest time in the BIG EAST and second-quickest in school history with a blazing 51.50-second run at the Mount SAC Relays. He also has qualified for the NCAA Mideast Regional, where he is the fastest freshman in the field (and fifth overall). Junior Austin Wechter also has earned a spot in the regional with the fifth-quickest time in the BIG EAST to date, going off in 52.34 seconds at the Drake Relays last weekend.

Men’s High Jump: Trials and Final: Saturday, 4:30 p.m.
The Irish will have a couple of opportunities to score points in this event, with sophomore Blair Majcina presently sitting in a third-place tie on the BIG EAST descending order list at 2.10 meters (6-10.75) from his leap at the Mount SAC Relays. Majcina took third in the 2006 BIG EAST indoor high jump and has qualified for this year’s NCAA Mideast Regional. Senior Christopher Jacques could be heard from as well, with his top clearance of 2.06 meters (6-9) from the BIG EAST Indoor Championships currently putting him tied for the seventh seed in the outdoor field. No Irish leaper has won the outdoor high jump, with Quill Redwine coming closest after a runner-up finish in 2001.

Women’s Discus Throw: Trials and Final: Saturday, 4:30 p.m.
Another of Notre Dame’s young guns takes center stage when freshman Jaclyn Espinoza steps into the throwing circle at this weekend’s BIG EAST meet. Espinoza is the top seed and a Mideast Regional qualifier after a season-best throw of 49.76 meters (163-3) that also is third-best in school history and second among rookies in the region. The Irish have not had a great deal of success in this event, with Meghan Horn the last to reach the podium following a third-place showing in 2005.

Women’s 200 meters: Prelims: Saturday, 4:40 p.m./Finals: Sunday, 1 p.m.
Senior Maryann Erigha will look to add some more BIG EAST hardware to her mantle, carrying the top time in the field into this weekend’s meet (23.67 at the Mount SAC Relays). Erigha finished second in this race (both indoors and outdoors) in 2005, before winning the indoor title in 2006. She is a four-time Mideast Regional qualifier at this distance, with this year’s time currently 15th in the region. Freshman Joanna Schultz (24.51), junior Brienne Davis (24.57) and senior Okechi Ogbuokiri (24.60) also will be competing and could edge into the scoring column.

Men’s 200 meters: Prelims: Saturday, 4:55 p.m./Finals: Sunday, 1:05 p.m.
Senior Ryan Postel has a share of the fifth-fastest time in the field (21.49 seconds at the Arizona State Clif Bar Invitational), but a hamstring injury could limit his ability to compete in both this race and the 400-meter dash earlier in the day. Senior Jordan Powell ran a personal-best time of 21.98 seconds at that same ASU meet and also will compete in this event during the weekend.

Women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase: Finals: Saturday, 5:10 p.m.
Freshman Lindsey Ferguson has made significant progress in this event during the year, peaking with a time of 10:45.41 at the Stanford Invitational that was good enough to put her in the NCAA Mideast Regional field. She also has the sixth-quickest time in the BIG EAST field this weekend, and could be the first Irish runner ever to sneak onto the podium in this event. Senior Katie DeRusso ran a season-best 10:58.53 at Stanford and also may score points for Notre Dame.

Men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase: Finals: Saturday, 5:25 p.m.
Traditionally one of the stronger events for the Irish, senior Todd Ptacek will carry the banner this year, with his personal-best time of 8:49.55 at the Oregon Invitational ranking second in the BIG EAST and handing him a third consecutive trip to the NCAA Mideast Regional. Ptacek has reached the BIG EAST podium in this event each of the past two years, taking second last season after a third-place outing in 2005. Notre Dame has won this event five times in the past 11 years, with Luke Watson (2000, 2003) and Ryan Johnson (2004, 2005) each winning twice.

Women’s 10,000 meters: Finals: Saturday, 5:45 p.m.
Fifth-year senior Molly Huddle is the defending champion in this event, having run at this distance for the first time in her career at last year’s BIG EAST meet and coming away with a meet-record time of 32:37.87 (more than a half-minute faster than the old mark). She has not declared whether she will return to compete at this distance again in 2007, and may choose to forgo this race in favor of defending her 5,000-meter crown on Sunday.

Men’s 10,000 meters: Finals: Saturday, 6:25 p.m.
Notre Dame has been particularly strong in this event through the years, with five titles (three by Ryan Shay from 2000-02) and six runner-up finishes to its credit. Freshman Jake Walker was the fastest Irish runner this season, covering the circuit in 30:33.90 at Stanford to rank seventh in the BIG EAST field. Junior Mike Popejoy (30:39.07 at Stanford) is seeded 10th this weekend, thus putting him in position to score points for Notre Dame as well.

Women’s Triple Jump: Trials and Final: Sunday, 11 a.m.
Senior Cassie Gullickson should be a viable point scorer for the Irish in this event, coming off a runner-up showing at this year’s BIG EAST indoor meet. She’s currently seeded fourth for this weekend’s competition after a top qualifying mark of 12.34 meters (40-6) indoors at the Alex Wilson Invitational. Her best outdoor mark of the year was 11.63 meters (38-2) at the Arizona State Clif Bar Invitational.

Men’s Pole Vault: Trials and Final: Sunday, 11 a.m.
Notre Dame has a young, but talented crew of pole vaulters set to compete this weekend. Freshman Matt Schipper was the BIG EAST runner-up at this year’s indoor meet, and is tied with senior teammate Dave Viken for the sixth-best clearance in this weekend’s field — both men reached 4.85 meters (15-11) at last weekend’s Hillsdale Gina Relays. Freshman Jim Merchun is seeded 11th in the field after a 4.65-meter height (15-3) at the BIG EAST Indoor Championships, where he finished fourth. Mike Brown was the last Irish vaulter to win the conference outdoor title, taking home the crown for a second time in 1999.

Women’s Hammer Throw: Trials and Final: Sunday, 11 a.m.
This will be another event that will feature some youthful Irish talent. Sophomore Anna Weber has qualified for the NCAA Mideast Regional and has the fourth-longest throw in the BIG EAST field after going a career-best 54.31 meters (178-2) at the Hillsdale Gina Relays last weekend.

Men’s Hammer Throw: Trials and Final: Sunday, 1 p.m.
Junior Kyle Annen has developed into a strong contender in this event, qualifying for the NCAA Mideast Regional each of his three seasons, and peaking with a school-record toss of 61.46 meters (201-8) en route to a second-place finish at last year’s BIG EAST Championships. This year, his best mark is 57.79 meters (189-7) at the Mount SAC Relays, good for fifth-longest in the BIG EAST field. Senior Garet Koxlien, who took third in this event last year, is seeded 10th this time around with a season-best throw of 54.99 meters (180-5) at the Coastal Carolina Shamrock Invitational. Chip Roberts is the lone Notre Dame victor in this event, doing so in 2005.

Men’s Triple Jump: Trials and Final: Sunday, 1 p.m.
Freshman Eric Quick wasted little time in getting a place on the BIG EAST podium, finishing second in this event at this year’s conference indoor meet with a top leap of 14.86 meters (48-9) that also stands seventh in this year’s outdoor field. He is aiming to become Notre Dame’s first winner in this event since Godwin Mbagwu in 2003.

Women’s High Jump: Trials and Final: Sunday, 1 p.m.
Notre Dame has point-scoring possibilities in this event, with senior Cassie Gullickson currently seeded third after clearing 1.76 meters (5-9.25) at the Notre Dame Indoor Opener back in January. Sophomore Lauren Biscardi is tied for the 10th-best height in this weekend’s field, having reached 1.70 meters (5-7) at the Arizona State Clif Bar Invitational. Notre Dame leapers have reached the podium nine times in this event, including four titles (most recently by Emily Loomis in 2003).

Women’s 5,000 meters: Finals: Sunday, 1:10 p.m.
Nine-time All-America senior Molly Huddle has to be considered the overwhelming favorite in this event, having won it each of the three prior times she has competed at the BIG EAST outdoor meet (2003, 2004, 2006). Also a three-time NCAA Mideast Regional champion and the Most Outstanding Track Performer at last year’s BIG EAST outdoor meet, Huddle registered a season-best time of 15:32.83 at the Mount SAC Relays (just 0.28 seconds off her own school record). That stands as the fastest time in the BIG EAST and the Mideast Region this year (both by margins of more than 20 seconds), not to mention the third-quickest time in the country this season. It also surpasses the “A” qualifying standard for the USA Outdoor Championships in Indianapolis (scheduled for late June). Senior Amy Kohlmeier logged a regional-qualifying time of 16:51.26 at the Stanford Invitational (good for seventh-best in the conference this season), and was a third-place finisher at last year’s BIG EAST outdoor meet, but she is sidelined with an injury and will not travel this weekend.

Men’s 5,000 meters: Finals: Sunday, 1:30 p.m.
Sophomore Patrick Smyth will be a solid contender in this event, having already qualified for the NCAA Mideast Regional with a time of 13:48.53 at the Stanford Invitational. That time is second-fastest in the BIG EAST field, and gives Smyth the opportunity to continue a trend that has seen Irish runners win this event five times previously (Luke Watson doubled up in 2002 and 2003). Smyth was a 2006 cross country All-American and a runner-up in the 5,000 meters at this year’s BIG EAST indoor meet.

Relays: Begin at 11 a.m. on Sunday
The relays have been critical to Notre Dame’s team championships of late, and this year should prove to be no exception. The women’s 4×100-meter relay reached the podium six consecutive years from 2000-05 before finishing fourth last year. However, the Irish sprinters should be back in contention this season, having qualified for the NCAA Mideast Regional with the second-quickest time in the BIG EAST field in 2007 (45.46 at the Arizona State Clif Bar Invitational). Davis, Ogbuokiri, Erigha and Schultz will form the foundation of that unit, with Swayzer serving as the alternate. The Irish men have not fielded a 4×100 team this year, but plan to do at the BIG EAST meet — Powell, Postel, Molnar and junior Bob Kueny are favorites to run in this event.

However, the men’s 4×800 team (which has won the past two BIG EAST indoor crowns) will be exceptionally strong, with Currie, freshman Cameron Eckert, Cavanaugh and Chamney making up the team after a BIG EAST-best time of 7:22.42 at the Drake Relays (also second-quickest in school history). The women’s 4×800 relay could also score points, with their time of 9:08.96 at the BIG EAST indoor meet good enough to put them in this weekend’s field. Ferguson, Schmidt, DeRusso and junior Rebecca Antas will likely comprise this weekend’s quartet, with junior Katie Jannazo or sophomore Heidi Rocha filling the alternate role.

The 4×400 teams should be contenders for the event titles in both the men’s and women’s races. On the men’s side, Notre Dame’s indoor time of 3:08.38 at the Alex Wilson Invitational is good enough for the top seed in this weekend’s field, although the Irish also qualified for the Mideast Regional with an outdoor season-best time of 3:09.38 at the Arizona State Clif Bar Invitational. Powell, Wechter, Molnar and Postel are slated to tote the baton for Notre Dame, although sophomore Billy Buzaid could get the call if Postel’s injury flares up. As for the women, they hold the second-fastest time in the BIG EAST field and have qualified for the Mideast Regional (3:41.12 at the ASU meet) behind the powerful foursome of Schultz, Swayzer, Ogbuokiri and Erigha, with Davis waiting in the wings as a potential substitute.

— ND —