Feb. 15, 2007
AKRON, Ohio – On the backs of a combined 53 athletes, the Notre Dame men’s and women’s track & field teams will navigate the snowy Midwestern roads 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 women are the defending conference champions, having claimed their second title in 2006 with a come-from-behind 109.5-86 victory over Georgetown. Meanwhile, the Notre Dame men are looking to get back to the top step of the podium for the third time in five seasons after an injury-depleted squad finished third behind Connecticut and Rutgers last year.
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 Finish Timing) is available on a special BIG EAST Championship page at the official BIG EAST web site.
As the BIG EAST Conference enters its second season with an expanded membership, the parity remains evident with nearly half the schools competing this weekend having a legitimate chance to leave town with the hardware. On the women’s side, Villanova (ranked 17th in the USTFCCCA poll and 21st by Trackwire) has to be considered one of the leading contenders, although Notre Dame, Connecticut, Georgetown and Providence also could be heard from. As for the men’s competition, Louisville (14th by USTFCCA/ninth by Trackwire) will be searching for its first BIG EAST title, while fighting off challenges from Notre Dame, Pittsburgh (No. 18 Trackwire), Providence (No. 20 Trackwire) and Connecticut.
SCOUTING THE IRISH MEN
Notre Dame has 31 competitors making the trip to Akron this weekend, with the Irish looking for their biggest contributions in the middle distance events as they go after a third BIG EAST indoor title in five years.
Notre Dame has three of the top four seeds in the 800-meter run, led by senior Thomas Chamney (Tipperary, Ireland/St. Columba’s), who leads the field after racing to a personal-best and NCAA provisional time of 1:47.82 (second-fastest in the nation this year and No. 2 in school history) at the Meyo Invitational. Chamney also is the top BIG EAST qualifier at 1,000 meters, covering that distance in 2:23.74 at the season-opening Blue & Gold Invitational. Junior Adam Currie (Verdun, Quebec/Richelieu Valley) is the No. 2 qualifier in the 800 meters (personal-best 1:49.95), while classmate John Cavanaugh (Granger, Ind./South Bend St. Joseph’s) recorded the fourth-fastest time in the event by a BIG EAST runner this year, going the distance in 1:50.69. Those three men, along with junior Brett Adams (Davenport, Iowa/Assumption), also teamed up to win the BIG EAST 4×800-meter relay title last year and will look to reprise that performance in ’07.
Senior Ryan Postel (Lexington, Ky./Lexington Catholic) is a double qualifier in the sprints at 200 and 400 meters, owning the conference’s fastest time in the latter event (47.47). Postel is among a group of four Irish sprinters who have posted one of the top eight times in the 400-meter dash this year. Senior Jordan Powell (Springfield, Ill./Calvary Academy) is fourth with a 48.01 time, while freshman Balazs Molnar (Dunaujvaros, Hungary/Szechenyi Istvan) is tied for fifth with a 48.13 time at the same meet. Junior Austin Wechter (Shelby, Ohio/Shelby) rounds out the quartet in eighth position following his 48.31 clocking. The latter three men also have qualified among the top eight in the 500 meters, with Molnar’s time of 1:02.61 placing second in the field and second-quickest in school history, while Powell (1:03.28) and Wechter (1:03.32) are seventh and eighth, respectively. All four sprinters also will look to contribute on the Irish 4×400-meter relay squad that currently hold the fastest time in the conference this season (3:11.47).
Junior Jake Watson (Stillwater, Minn./Stillwater Area) will contend for top honors in the mile, having qualified provisionally for the NCAA Championships with a time of 4:00.71 (ninth in the nation) in the famed Meyo Mile two weeks ago. Chamney’s time of 4:02.63 at the Notre Dame Invitational is fifth-fastest in the field, although it is not certain yet which events (800m, 1000m, mile) the Irish veteran will run at the BIG EAST meet. Meanwhile, sophomore Patrick Smyth (Salt Lake City, Utah/Judge Memorial) will carry Notre Dame’s best hopes in the 5,000 meters, owning the conference’s third-fastest time (and among the top 20 nationally) at 13:58.10.
In the field events, Notre Dame’s best chances to score may come in the vertical jumps. Sophomore Blair Majcina (Mokena, Ill./Lincoln-Way East) and senior Christopher Jacques (Old Brookville, N.Y./Chaminade) are among the top eight seeds in the high jump, with Majcina clearing 6-7 (2.01 meters) and Jacques right behind at 6-6.25 (1.99m). Jacques also will likely score points the long jump, having qualified third for that event at a personal-best 24-5 (7.44m). Meanwhile, the Irish throwing contingent could make some noise as well, led by senior Garet Koxlien (Galesville, Wis./Galesville-Ettrick-Trempealeau), who is sixth in this year’s weight throw field after a season-best mark of 56-8 (17.27m), and junior Mike Schubert (Naperville, Ill./Benet Academy), who is seeded sixth in the shot put with a top toss of 53-6.25 (16.31m).
SCOUTING THE IRISH WOMEN
Notre Dame has a group of 22 competitors suiting up in Akron this weekend, with good balance across all areas, but not much in the way of depth. Once again, the Irish sprint corps will be paced by senior Maryann Erigha (Stone Mountain, Ga./Chamblee), who is a top-three seed in both the 60 meters (second – 7.49) and the 200 meters (third – 24.19) as she seeks to defend her conference title in the latter event. Classmate Okechi Ogbuokiri (Willingboro, N.J./Willingboro) was the 2005 BIG EAST indoor champion in the 400-meter dash, and currently holds the seventh-fastest time in the conference this year at 55.67 seconds. She also is third in the 500 meters at 1:13.63, right behind junior teammate Crysta Swayzer (Houston, Texas/Westbury Senior), who clocked in at 1:13.51. Between them, Erigha and Ogbuokiri have amassed 10 all-BIG EAST honors on the indoor circuit, tying for the most in Notre Dame women’s track & field history.
In the distance events, senior Amy Kohlmeier (Sarnia, Ontario/St. Patrick’s) is enjoying her finest season with the Irish, as her 5,000-meter time of 16:36.34 is not only a personal best, but good enough to be fourth in the conference and make her a provisional qualifier for the NCAA Championships. Kohlmeier may score additional points for Notre Dame in the mile or the 3,000 meters, as could freshman Lindsey Ferguson (Greenfield Center, N.Y./Saratoga Springs). The wild card of the Irish distance crew is senior All-American Molly Huddle (Elmira, N.Y./Notre Dame), who is just now recovering from a preseason injury that has sidelined her thus far in the 2007 indoor season. When healthy, Huddle is among the elite distance runners in the country and her presence could mean a significant point shift in Notre Dame’s favor on the team leaderboard.
On the field, Notre Dame will be paced by senior Cassie Gullickson (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla./Brentwood (Tenn.)), who is a top-four seed in both the high jump (second – 5-9.25) and triple jump (fourth – 39-9.75) at this weekend’s BIG EAST Championships. Sophomore pole vaulters Mary Saxer (Lancaster, N.Y./Lancaster Central) and Kate Mattoon (San Diego, Calif./Rancho Bernardo) also rank among the top eight in the BIG EAST field with matching season-best heights of 12-5.5 (3.80m). Another Irish sophomore, Anna Weber (Indianapolis, Ind./Roncalli), will carry the torch in the throws as a top-eight seed in the shot put (fifth – 45-5.75) and weight throw (seventh – 55-2.75).
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 11 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 30 individual BIG EAST champions in the past 11 years, including returning winners Thomas Chamney (2006 – 800 meters) and Christopher Jacques (2005 – long jump), as well as injured All-American Kurt Benninger (2005 – mile/3,000 meters). In addition, all four members of the defending BIG EAST champion 4×800-meter relay unit are back, as well as three of four members from last year’s BIG EAST champion distance medley relay crew. The Irish coaches have twice been honored as the Outstanding Coaching Staff of the Year (2003, 2005), and in 2005, 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 five seasons, winning the conference title in 2002 and 2006. Last year’s championship broke a string of three consecutive second-place finishes at the BIG EAST indoor meet for the Irish, who trailed Miami in ’03 and ’04, and Pittsburgh in ’05. The Notre Dame women have picked up nine individual BIG EAST titles in the past 11 years, including returning winners Maryann Erigha (2006 – 200 meters) and Okechi Ogbuokiri (2005 – 400 meters). The Irish coaches also have garnered the Outstanding Coaching Staff of the Year citation twice after guiding Notre Dame to league crowns in 2002 and 2006.
— ND —