Jan. 28, 2002
The University of Notre Dame men’s distance medley relay team qualified for the 2002 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championship with a blistering 9:42.00 time at the adidas Boston Indoor Games in Boston, Mass., over the weekend. The team of Kevin Somok, James Bracken, Eric Morrison and Luke Watson will have a spot in the NCAA Championship in Fayetteville, Ark., (March 8-9) after running more than a second under the qualifying time.
Watson helped push the Irish to their outstanding time with a 3:58.74 split in the anchor leg (1,600 meters) of the race.
The Notre Dame men’s program has sent three DMR teams to the NCAA Championship in the last six years. Derek Seiling, Danny Payton, Jeff Hojnacki and Jason Rexing finished eighth in 1997 and the team of Chris Cochran, Tim Kober, Phil Mishka and Watson earned All-America honors in 2000 with a sixth-place finish.
Fans of the Irish track and field teams will get a chance to see both the men and women in action this weekend at the Meyo Invitational, on campus in the Loftus Sports Complex. The Meyo Invitational is one of the best indoor events in the Midwest this season and admission is free. The events begin at 6 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 1, and continue Saturday, Feb. 2, at 10 a.m.