Feb. 7, 2001
Complete Release in PDF Format, including schedule with results and top times/marks list.
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WHO: Notre Dame men’s track and field team
WHAT: University of Windsor Team Challenge
WHERE: Windsor, Ontario
WHEN: Saturday, Feb. 10, 2001
Irish prepare for BIG EAST championship with a meet in Canada:
The University of Notre Dame men’s track and field team travels to Ontario, Canada, this weekend to compete in the University of Windsor Team Challenge (Saturday, Feb. 10, 9 a.m.). The Irish were originally scheduled to attend the Cannon IV Classic in Indianapolis, Ind., this weekend, but chose the one-day meet schedule in Windsor. The University of Windsor boasts the same track on which the 2001 BIG EAST Indoor Championship (in Syracuse, NY, Feb. 17-18) will be run, giving the Irish a preview of the Carrier Dome conditions.
The men’s team will be represented in the meet this weekend by James Bracken, Nathan Cahill, Travis Davey, Derek Dyer, Tom Gilbert, Josh Heck, Godwin Mbagwu, Sean McManus, John Scolaro, Nick Setta, Brian Thornburg, Craig Novosel-Johnson and Terry Wray. With the BIG EAST meet just two weeks away, this will be the last opportunity for the competitors to qualify or improve their marks and times for seed positions at the conference championship. The Notre Dame men’s team finished second at the 2000 BIG EAST Indoor Championship with 125 points.
Recap of the Meyo Invitational:
The 14th annual Meyo Invitational lived up to its billing as one of the premier indoor track and field events of the season. When the meet wrapped up, 36 NCAA consideration times and marks were achieved by the competitors.
The highlight of the men’s competition was the 5,000 meters, run Friday, Feb. 2. In what will go down as one of the fastest 5,000 meter races of the season, senior All-American Ryan Shay (Central Lake, Mich.) shattered the school record, cruising across the finish line in 13:52.66. Shay’s time is a personal best, a school record and ranks as second in the nation.
Kyle Baker of the Indiana Invaders running club won the race in a Meyo Track record time of 13:51.62. Five of the competitors ran NCAA automatic qualifying times in the race, while four additional runners posted NCAA consideration times.
The 5,000 meter race was Shay’s first long distance competition since the Irish senior finished 10th in the 10,000 meters at last year’s U.S. Olympic Team Trials. Shay did not compete during the 2000 cross country season, but will return for a fifth year of eligibility next year.
Senior sprinter Terry Wray (Brandon, Miss.) won the Meyo Invitational 500 meters in 1:04.22, followed by teammates Nick Setta (Lockport, Ill.) and Mike Mansour (Creston, Iowa) in third and fourth place, respectively.
The 1,000 meters was on the meet agenda for the first time this season at the Meyo Invitational and junior Tom Lennon (Hohokus, NJ) took advantage. Lennon finished third in 2:28.80, qualifying for the BIG EAST championship meet in the process.
In the field events, freshman Godwin Mbagwu (Petersburg, Va.) continued his impressive rookie campaign, placing second in the long jump competition and first in the triple jump (14.88m). Mbagwu boasts a season-best mark of 15.36m in the triple jump.
In the pole vault competition, junior Josh Heck (Mishawaka, Ind.) cleared 16-2 3/4, placing him fifth in the finals of the invitational. Both Heck and sophomore Nathan Cahill (East Lansing, Mich.) have qualified for the BIG EAST championship meet.
Sophomore Tom Gilbert (Rock Falls, Ill.) has been a steady performer for the Irish this season, but was stricken by flu symptoms throughout the week leading up to the Meyo Invitational. Gilbert was able to recover in time to finish second in the long jump (6.99m), but did not compete in the 200 meters. Gilbert’s season-best 200 time of 21.74 would have been good enough to tie for first place in the Meyo Invitational competition. He has already qualified for a spot in the BIG EAST meet in the 60 meters, 200 meters and the long jump.
The Irish also had to deal with a limited roster for the Meyo Invitational last weekend. High jump specialist Quill Redwine (San Antonio, Texas) and mile runner Pat Conway (Springfield, Va.) both sat out the invitational to recover from minor injuries. Both should be back in time for the BIG EAST championship.