Feb. 17, 2006
AKRON, Ohio – With a combined 56 athletes in tow, the Notre Dame men’s and women’s track & field teams make their way to Akron, Ohio, this weekend for the BIG EAST Conference Indoor Championships, to be held at the University of Akron’s Athletics Field House. The Irish men are the defending conference champions, having claimed their second title in 2005 with a 182-168.5 victory over Rutgers. Meanwhile, the Notre Dame women aim to get back on the top step of the podium for the first time since 2002 following three consecutive runner-up finishes (Pittsburgh ousted the Irish, 161.5-140 a year ago).
Competition gets underway Saturday at 11 a.m. (ET) with the opening events in the men’s heptathlon, and will continue through the afternoon before culminating with the men’s distance medley relay at 5:40 p.m. (ET). Sunday’s action begins at 8:30 a.m. (ET) with the final three events in the men’s heptathlon, with the finals in nearly all running events taking place during the day before the meet-ending men’s 4×400-meter relay at 2:45 p.m. (ET) and the ensuing awards ceremony. A complete listing of heat sheets, schedule of events and live results (courtesy of Delta Timing) is available on the official BIG EAST web site (www.bigeast.org), and a live stats link also has been posted on the official Notre Dame athletics web site (www.und.com).
This year marks the start of a new era in BIG EAST Conference athletics, with the addition of five new schools — Cincinnati, DePaul, Louisville, Marquette and South Florida. That quintet adds depth to an already strong track & field conference, and could mean points will be at a premium in some events. It also may translate to additional parity at the BIG EAST meet, with no clear favorites in the team competition on either the men’s or women’s side. Rutgers and Pittsburgh will look to challenge both Notre Dame squads again this season, along with Georgetown and Villanova. Among the league newcomers, Louisville could be poised for contend for top honors as well.
SCOUTING THE IRISH MEN
Tied for 22nd in the latest Trackwire.com poll, Notre Dame has 30 competitors making the trip to Akron this weekend, and the Irish will call upon their strength in the distance events to create the foundation for a potential third BIG EAST indoor title in four years. Notre Dame has four of the top nine seeds in the 800-meter run, led by junior Thomas Chamney (Tipperary, Ireland/St. Columba’s), who is third in the field after racing to a personal-best and NCAA provisional time of 1:48.62 (13th-fastest in the nation this year) at the Meyo Invitational. Sophomore Adam Currie (Verdun, Quebec/Richelieu Valley) has qualified seventh in the 1,000 meters (team-best 2:25.38) and could battle for all-BIG EAST accolades.
Junior All-American Kurt Benninger (Chepstow, Ontario/Walkerton D.S.S.) once again will be the standard bearer in the longer distances. The defending BIG EAST champion in both the mile and 3,000-meter run, Benninger already has automatically qualified for the NCAA Championships in both events, going 3:58.77 in the mile (third-fastest in the country) and a school-record 7:52.28 for 3,000 meters (also third nationally in 2006). In his first two years at Notre Dame, Benninger has earned all-BIG EAST honors five times (three indoor, two outdoor), and has gone on to garner a pair of All-America citations (2005 – mile/distance medley relay).
Senior Tim Moore (Novi, Mich./Novi) will be a top-five seed in both the 3,000 meters (8:11.54) and 5,000 meters (team-best 14:05.17), with the latter time also meeting the NCAA provisional qualifying standard. Moore was the 2003 BIG EAST champion in the 5,000 and finished third last year, while earning BIG EAST points in the 3,000 twice before (third in 2003; second in 2005). Senior Vinny Ambrico (Altamonte Springs, Fla./Choate Rosemary Hall Academy) and freshman Patrick Smyth (Salt Lake City, Utah/Judge Memorial) also may be heard from in the 3,000 meters.
Leading the way in the sprints for Notre Dame will be senior Ryan Postel (Lexington, Ky./Lexington Catholic), who has the league’s third-fastest time this year at 400 meters (47.56), aiming to win an event he claimed at the BIG EAST outdoor meet in 2004. Sophomore Austin Wechter (Shelby, Ohio/Shelby) will look to contribute points in the 500 meters (1:04.38), where he is seeded 10th in the field.
In the field events, Notre Dame’s best chances to score may come in the vertical jumps. Freshman Blair Majcina (Mokena, Ill./Lincoln-Way East) and junior Christopher Jacques (Old Brookville, N.Y./Chaminade) are among the top seven seeds in the high jump, with Majcina clearing 6′ 9″ (2.06 meters) and Jacques right behind at 6′ 7.5″ (2.02m). Jacques also is the defending BIG EAST indoor champion in the long jump and has qualified for that event once again this year at 22′ 4.5″ (6.82m). Meanwhile, junior Dave Viken (Arlington Heights, Ill./Rolling Meadows) is seeded fourth in the pole vault and appears to be peaking at the right time, posting a season-best clearance of 15′ 5″ (4.70m), just off his personal best, at last week’s Windsor Team Challenge. The Irish throwing contingent could make some noise as well, led by junior Garet Koxlien (Galesville, Wis./Galesville-Ettrick-Trempealeau), whose personal-best mark of 57′ 6.5″ (17.54m) in the weight throw is two feet further than his former PR set at last year’s BIG EAST meet.
SCOUTING THE IRISH WOMEN
Notre Dame has a contingent of 26 competitors suiting up in Akron this weekend, with solid performers in just about every event. The Irish sprint corps will be paced by junior Maryann Erigha (Stone Mountain, Ga./Chamblee), who has the top times in the BIG EAST in both the 60 meters (school-record 7.42) and 200 meters (23.74) and is the only conference sprinter to have provisionally qualified for the NCAA Championships in both events. Erigha took runner-up honors in each race last year, although both runners who defeated her in 2005 (St. John’s Kerrian Stewart at 60 meters; Pittsburgh’s Kimberly Lyles at 200 meters) have since graduated.
Fellow junior Okechi Ogbuokiri (Willingboro, N.J./Willingboro) is the defending BIG EAST indoor champion in the 400-meter dash, and currently holds the second-fastest time in the conference this year at 54.00 seconds, good enough to earn a provisional berth in the NCAA field. Ogbuokiri has been one of the more consistent scorers for the Irish at the BIG EAST meet during her first two seasons, collecting a combined six all-BIG EAST plaques (including a school-record four on the indoor circuit).
In the distance events, Notre Dame has a nice blend of veterans and young guns this year. Sophomore Jacqueline Carter (Boise, Idaho/Bishop Kelly) is arguably the most improved Irish runner to this point, ranking sixth in the BIG EAST at 800 meters (2:11.75). Freshman Ramsey Kavan (Yankton, S.D./Yankton) has the fastest time by a BIG EAST rookie in the mile this year (4:45.27), which is fifth overall in the conference field and provisionally qualified her for the NCAAs. Senior All-American Stephanie Madia (Wexford, Pa./North Allegheny) also will compete in the mile (4:53.06) and 3,000 meters (9:27.47), following runner-up placements in both events at last year’s BIG EAST indoor meet. Madia also earned an NCAA provisional qualifying spot in the 3,000 after finishing 12th in that race at the NCAA Championships a year ago.
On the field, Notre Dame has depth in most events. The high jump trio of seniors Stacey Cowan (Ferndale, Wash./Ferndale) and Emily Loomis (Fort Wayne, Ind./Bishop Luers), along with freshman Lauren Biscardi (Wading River, N.Y./Shoreham Wading River) should net significant point gains for the Irish this year. Cowan, a 2004 All-American and two-time BIG EAST runner-up in the event, and Loomis, the 2003 BIG EAST outdoor high jump champion, both have cleared 5′ 8.75″ (1.75m) this season — sharing top honors in the conference to date — while Biscardi isn’t far back at 5′ 8″ (1.73m) in her initial campaign.
A similar power trinity could pay off for Notre Dame in the pole vault. Freshman Mary Saxer (Lancaster, N.Y./Lancaster Central) has the top height in the BIG EAST and 13th-best in the nation, having cleared a school-record 13′ 3.25″ (4.05m) at last month’s Notre Dame Invitational. Senior Laura Huarte (Shingle Springs, Calif./St. Francis), the 2004 BIG EAST outdoor pole vault champion, and freshman Kate Mattoon (San Diego, Calif./Rancho Bernardo) also rank among the top eight in the BIG EAST field with matching season-best heights of 11′ 11.5″ (3.65m).
One wild card for Notre Dame could be the performance of the Irish pentathletes, led by freshman Alyissa Hasan (Williamsville, N.Y./Williamsville South), who rang up a school-record 3,655 points, third-best in the BIG EAST this year, at the Notre Dame Invitational. Cowan also is a strong multi-event talent, having previously held the school record in the pentathlon with 3,554 points in a third-place finish at last year’s BIG EAST meet. Her top mark this year has been a season-high 3,499 points (eighth in the league) at the Notre Dame Invitational.
IRISH AT THE BIG EAST INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS
The Notre Dame men have never failed to reach the podium at the BIG EAST indoor meet, placing among the top three in each of their 10 seasons as a conference member. The Irish have two BIG EAST indoor titles to their credit, winning in 2003 and 2005, along with five runner-up finishes (1997-2000, 2004). The Notre Dame men also boast 29 individual BIG EAST champions in the past decade, including returning winners Kurt Benninger (2005 – mile/3,000 meters), Christopher Jacques (2005 – long jump) and Tim Moore (2003 – 5,000 meters). The Irish coaches have twice been honored as the Outstanding Coaching Staff of the Year (2003, 2005), and last year, Selim Nurudeen became the second Notre Dame individual to be tabbed as the BIG EAST Outstanding Track Performer, following Jason Rexing’s honor in 1998.
The Notre Dame women have emerged as a regular contender at the BIG EAST Indoor Championships in recent years, advancing to the podium in each of the past four seasons, winning the conference title in 2002. Each of the past three years, the Irish have finished second at the league’s indoor meet, trailing Miami in 2003 and 2004 before Pittsburgh claimed top honors a season ago. The Notre Dame women have picked up eight individual BIG EAST titles in the past decade, including one by last year’s 400-meter champion Okechi Ogbuokiri. The Irish coaches also garnered the Outstanding Coaching Staff of the Year citation after guiding Notre Dame to the league title in 2002.
— ND —