May 2, 2009
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – The Irish men’s and women’s track and field teams are both in second place after the second day of competition at the BIG EAST Championships.
Three Irish student-athletes won individual titles on day two. Mary Saxer broke the BIG EAST Championship record with a 4.20m (13-9 1/4) vault to win the women’s pole vault title. Patrick Smyth won the men’s 10,000 meters with a time of 30:41.89 and Jaclyn Espinoza recorded a mark of 50.80m (166-08) to win the women’s discus throw.
Louisville leads the men’s teams with 104 points, followed by Connecticut and Notre Dame in second with 37.
The Louisville women also sit atop the leaderboard with 79 points, followed by Notre Dame in second with 54 and Cincinnati in third with 34 points.
Men’s 100 Meters (Preliminary): Miklos Szebeny advanced to the finals with a fifth-place preliminary finish and time of 10.66. Tyrell Atkins finished 14th in 10.92.
Men’s 200 Meters (Preliminary): Miklos Szebeny finished fifth with a time of 21.51 to advance to the finals.
Men’s 400 Meters (Preliminary): Billy Buzaid advanced to the final with a sixth-place finish and a time of 48.18. Alex Korenstra finished 11th in 48.64, Edward Hitchler finished 12th in 48.65 and Jordan Rincon was 13th in 48.71.
Men’s 800 Meters (Preliminary): Jack Howard finished eighth with a time of 1:50.19 to advance to the finals. Blake Choplin finished 13th in 1:50.93, Randall Babb finished 17th with a time of 1:51.81, Kevin Labus was 21st in 1:52.22 and Cameron Eckert finished 30th with a time of 1:53.82.
Men’s 10,000 Meters: Patrick Smyth earned all-BIG EAST honors with a first-place finish and a time of 30:41.89. Jake Walker finished fourth in 30:46.05 and Dan Jackson crossed the line in 30:52.85 to finish sixth.
Men’s 400-Meter Hurdles (Preliminary): Balazs Molnar advanced to the finals with a second-place time of 52.09. Matthew Brown finished 11th in 53.50.
Men’s 3000-Meter Steeplechase: Joe Miller finished 16th with a time of 9:18.94, followed by Kelly Lynch in 17th at 9:36.93.
Men’s High Jump: Blair Majcina finished eighth with a jump of 2.04m (6-8 1/4), while Doug Onuscheck was 12th with a mark of 1.99m (6-6 1/4).
Men’s Long Jump: Eric Quick finished sixth with a mark of 7.12m (23-4 1/2).
Men’s Shot Put: John Belcher finished fifth with a mark of 16.87m (55-4 1/4), followed by Denes Veres in seventh at 16.20m (53-1 3/4), Andrew Hills in eighth at 16.05m (52-8) and Greg Davis in 17th at 13.78m (45-2 1/2).
Men’s Discus Throw: John Belcher finished 11th with a toss of 46.38m (152-02).
Men’s Decathlon: Justin Schneider earned all-BIG EAST honors with a second-place finish with 6,842 points.
Women’s 200 Meters (Preliminary): Natalie Geiger finished 17th with a time of 24.95.
Women’s 400 Meters (Preliminary): Joanna Schultz qualified for the finals with a second-place time of 54.24. Natalie Geiger finished 14th in 56.41.
Women’s 800 Meters (Preliminary): Kelly Langhans finished fourth in 2:09.75 to advance to the finals. Natalie Johnson finished 10th in 2:10.58, followed by Abby Higgins in 11th at 2:10.66.
Women’s 1500 Meters (Preliminary): Marissa Treece advanced to the finals with an eighth-place time of 4:32.05. Molly Hirt finished 15th in 4:41.98.
Women’s 10,000 Meters: Beth Tacl finished fifth in 36:04.89 and Erica Watson clocked in at 36:10.07 to finish seventh.
Women’s 100-Meter Hurdles (Preliminary): Kali Watkins qualified for the finals with an eighth-place finish and a time of 14.10.
Women’s 400-Meter Hurdles (Preliminary): Joanna Schultz finished fourth in 1:00.41 to advance to the finals. Nicole Yergler finished 20th with a time of 1:05.38.
Women’s 3000-Meter Steeplechase: Lindsey Ferguson earned all-BIG EAST honors with a third-place finish and a time of 10:26.10. Becca Bauman finished 19th in 11:15.80 and Stephanie Socias finished 21st with a tiem of 11:23.00.
Women’s Pole Vault: Mary Saxer earned all-league honors and clinched the individual title with a BIG EAST record-breaking mark of 4.20m (13-9 1/4). Jessica Sullivan finished eighth with a mark of 3.65m (11-11 3/4).
Women’s Shot Put: Anna Weber finished fourth with a mark of 14.82m (48-7 1/2), followed by Jaclyn Espinoza in seventh at 14.12m (46-4) and Rudy Atang in 11th with a mark of 13.24m (43-5 1/4).
Women’s Discus Throw: Jaclyn Espinoza earned all-BIG EAST and an individual title with a mark of 50.80m (166-08). Anna Weber finished sixth with a toss of 46.56m (152-09).
Women’s Javelin Throw: Elise Knutzen finished sixth with a throw of 43.49m (142-08).
Women’s Heptathlon: Maddie Buttinger earned all-BIG EAST honors with a second-place performance, totaling 5,155 points.
The Irish will wrap up competition Sunday at the BIG EAST Championships.
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