Feb. 11, 2006
WINDSOR, Ontario – Notre Dame athletes combined for four victories, including two by junior sprinter Maryann Erigha (Stone Mountain, Ga./Chamblee HS), to highlight a strong effort at the 17th annual Windsor Team Challenge, held Saturday afternoon at the St. Denis Centre in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. It was the final tune-up meet for the Irish, who now turn their attention to the BIG EAST Indoor Championships next weekend in Akron, Ohio.
Erigha led 1-2 finishes for Notre Dame in both the 60-meter and 300-meter dashes. In the 60 meters, she posted the top qualifying time and top mark in the finals, winning the event in 7.59 seconds. Sophomore Brienne Davis (Grand Prairie, Texas/South Grand Prairie HS) was second with a time of 7.77 seconds. Erigha also claimed the 300 meters in 39.00 seconds, outpacing junior teammate Okechi Ogbuokiri (Willingboro, N.J./Willingboro HS), who clocked a runner-up time of 40.35 seconds.
The Irish also took the top two spots in the women’s 60-meter hurdles. Sophomore Domenique Manning (Riverside, Calif./John W. North HS) posted the fastest time by a Notre Dame sprinter in the event this season with a winning mark of 8.89 seconds. Freshman Alyissa Hasan (Williamsville, N.Y./Williamsville South HS) continued to build her credentials as one of the most versatile Irish female athletes, coming in second at 8.99 seconds, although her faster qualifying time of 8.92 seconds tied her season best.
Senior Ryan Postel (Lexington, Ky./Lexington Catholic HS) chalked up the fourth individual victory for Notre Dame on Saturday, charging to the 300-meter crown in 35.10 seconds. Junior Jordan Powell (Springfield, Ill./Calvary Academy) took fourth place in the event with a time of 35.82 seconds.
The Irish also registered second/third finishes in two events. Sophomore Elizabeth Philipp (Kingwood, Texas/Kingwood HS) was second in the 1,000-meter run (2:59.63), edging out classmate Mary Debevec (Media, Pa./Cardinal O’Hara HS), with both Notre Dame runners posting season-best times in the race. Meanwhile, in the men’s pole vault, junior Dave Viken (Mt. Prospect, Ill./Rolling Meadows HS) narrowly missed his personal record, clearing a season-best 4.70 meters to place second (his PR is 4.71 meters from the 2005 Central Michigan Opener). Junior Justin Oppel (Amarillo, Texas/Amarillo HS) added his name to the lengthy list of BIG EAST qualifiers, surging over the bar at the third-place height of 4.50 meters (14-9) to book his spot at the conference meet for the second consecutive season — he tied for third at the same height a year ago.
Rounding out the top-three finishers for Notre Dame at Saturday’s meet were sophomore Jose Genao (Port Jefferson Station, N.Y./Comsewogue HS), who finished second in the 60-meter hurdles (8.43 seconds), and sophomore Austin Wechter (Shelby, Ohio/Shelby HS), who came home third in the 600-meter run (1:22.68).
Notre Dame returns to the track Feb. 18-19 for the BIG EAST Indoor Championships, which will be contested at the Akron Athletics Field House in Akron, Ohio. The Irish men’s team is the defending conference champion, having edged Rutgers by 13.5 points in 2005. The Notre Dame women were the BIG EAST runners-up a year ago, finishing 21.5 points behind Pittsburgh.
— ND —