Feb. 5, 2005
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Another memorable men’s mile was the highlight of the day as the 18th Annual Meyo Indoor Invitational concluded activity Saturday afternoon at the Loftus Sports Center on the University of Notre Dame campus. Four competitors – twin brothers representing Indiana University, one former Notre Dame star and a current Irish distance star – led a fast field in the annual Meyo Mile.
All four runners bettered the four-minute mark led by Indiana’s Sean Jefferson, who edged his identical twin brother John to win the event with a time of three minutes, 56.44 seconds. John Jefferson of IU was second in 3:57.85 with former Notre Dame star Luke Watson (representing adidas) finishing third in 3:58.59 and Notre Dame sophomore Kurt Benninger placing a close fourth in 3:58.75. The finish by the Jefferson twins is believed to mark the first time in collegiate history that two brothers have both run sub-4:00 miles in the same race. Benninger and the Jefferson twins all notched automatic qualifying times for the upcoming NCAA Indoor Championships while posting three of the four fastest times by collegiate milers this season, based on times leading into Saturday’s action. Benninger also set a new personal best, just 0.92 off the Irish school record of 3:57.83 set by Watson in 2003.
Notre Dame produced 18 qualifiers for the upcoming BIG EAST championships (11 women, seven men) and five NCAA qualifying performances (two women, three men).
Summaries of Saturday’s events at the 18th Annual Meyo Invitational:
60-METER DASH
WOMEN: Amandi Rhett of Holyfield International won the event in 7.41, edging Georgia Tech’s Andriane Lapsley (7.48) and Notre Dame’s Maryann Erigha, whose 7.48 clocking was just off her BIG EAST-leading ’05 best of 7.47 set in the Central Michigan Opener in January. MEN: Central Michigan’s Johnie Drake won the 60-meter dash in 6.56, an automatic NCAA qualifying time. He beat out teammate Pierre Vinson (6.74) and Alabama’s Chauncey Harris (6.77). Notre Dame freshman Terrail Lambert posted a 6.90 in the trials, but did not run in the final. Lambert’s time is the third-best by an Irish sprinter this season in the event and qualifies him for a spot in the BIG EAST Championships, along with Selim Nurudeen and Dwight Ellick (neither of whom ran the 60 this weekend).
60-METER HURDLES
WOMEN: The day began with a strong showing by Georgia Tech in the women’s 60-meter hurdles. The Yellow Jackets took the top three spots led by Dana Rogers who won the event in 8.29, ahead of teammates Shantia Moss (8.32) and Fatmata Fofanah (8.43). All three Tech sprinters set NCAA provisional qualifying times. Notre Dame’s Domenique Manning was seventh in 8.74, qualifying for the BIG EAST meet.
MEN: A strong field led by Notre Dame’s Selim Nurudeen and Mississippi’s Antwon Hicks didn’t disappoint with an outstanding final that produced six NCAA qualifying marks (five provisional, one automatic). Hicks ran 7.69 to win the final ahead of Montrell Person (unattached) in 7.81 and Nurudeen’s 7.80. Nurudeen’s time is the fasted in the BIG EAST this season and among the fastest by a collegian in ’05. Meanwhile, Hicks maintained his status as the NCAA’s leader in the event, though falling .04 off his ’05 seasonal best (7.65) set earlier this season.
200 METERS
WOMEN: Notre Dame sophomore Maryanne Erigha improved her BIG EAST-leading time with a victory in the 200 over a solid field, a time that ranks among the top 10 by a collegian this season. Erigha broke the tape in 23.85 seconds, an improvement of 0.24 over her previous ’05 best (24.09), a provisional NCAA qualifying mark and a personal best. She edged Georgia Tech’s Stacey Clausing (24.14) and Holyfield International’s Amandi Rhett (24.22). Brienne Davis of Notre Dame was seventh in 24.73, qualifying for the BIG EAST meet.
MEN: David Neville of Indiana bested a strong field in the men’s 200, winning in a provisional qualifying time of 21.18. Chauncey Harris of Alabama was second in 21.30 with Notre Dame’s Selim Nurudeen third in 21.33. Nurudeen’s performance ranks third on the BIG EAST list this season and a personal best in the event for the Friendswood, TX product.
400 METERS
WOMEN: The top three finishers in the women’s quarter posted NCAA provisional qualifying times as Georgia Tech’s Ashlee Kidd won the event in 53.76 (seventh-best by a collegian in ’05), edging the Notre Dame duo of sophomore Okechi Ogbuokiri (54.29) and senior Tiffany Gunn (54.29), both setting personal bests in the event and setting a new ’05 best by a BIG EAST quarter-miler to lead all qualifiers for the conference meet.
MEN: A strong performance by Northern Iowa’s Dirk Homewood highlighted the men’s 400. His winning time of 46.55 is a provisional qualifier and the third-best by a collegian this season. Homewood bested Central Michigan’s Soji Jibowu (47.02) and Kentucky’s Justin Harrison (47.21).
800 METERS
WOMEN: The top six finishers bettered the NCAA provisional qualifying standard led by Missouri’s Ashley Patten in 2:06.54. That time ranks second among collegians this season. She edged Illinois’ Carlene Robinson (2:06.69), who posted the nation’s third-fastest time in the event in ’05. Michigan’s Nicole Edwards (2:07.48) and Theresa Feldkamp (2:08.19) joined Paula McLaughlin of York (2:08.47 and Beth Heimann of Kentucky (2:08.59) in notching times that bested the provisional standard.
MEN: Michigan’s Nathan Brannen edged Alabama’s Peter Etoot to take the men’s 800. Brannen’s time of 1:49.07 is an NCAA provisional qualifier and the second best by a collegian this season while Etoot also set a provisional mark in 1:49.37. Notre Dame’s Adam Currie was 11th in 1:51.20, qualifying for the BIG EAST championships.
WOMEN’S MILE
Michigan’s Lindsey Gallo ran the nation’s fastest time by a collegiate miler on the way to a new Meyo Invitational record, posting an automatic NCAA qualifying time of 4:37.97 to better the next-fastest time this year by more than four seconds. The next five finishers all bettered the NCAA provisional standard.
3,000 METERS
WOMEN: Liss Collette, running unattached, won the women’s 3,000 in a time of 9:19.78. She finished well ahead of Cassie Hunt of Illinois (9:27.68). Eleven collegiate runners posted NCAA provisional qualifying times including Notre Dame’s Sunni Olding, who finished eighth in 9:32.33, the third-best time in the BIG EAST this season and a qualifier for the conference meet in her debut in the event. Other Notre Dame finishers included Stephanie Madia (9:39.70), Amy Kohlmeier (9:54.58) and Elizabeth Webster (9:58.47). Madia, Kohlmeier and Webster all qualify for the BIG EAST championships with those performances.
MEN: Nick Willis of Michigan ran the fastest time by a collegian this season, finishing in 7:48.65. That NCAA automatic qualifier bested Indiana’s Stephen Haas (7:51.00 – also an auto NCAA qualifier), Wisconsin’s Matt Tegenkamp (7:51.75) and Chris Solinsky of Wisconsin (7:53.14).
4×400 RELAY
WOMEN: Western Michigan won in 3:40.24, beating Mississippi (3:42.37) and Notre Dame (3:42.67). Notre Dame’s time leads the BIG EAST this season.
MEN: Northern Iowa (3:08.09) and Indiana (3:09.59) dueled to the tape, both finishing with NCAA automatic qualifying times. Notre Dame was eighth in a field of 16 finishing in 3:14.61, a time that is the second-best in the BIG EAST this season.
SHOT PUT
MEN: In the shot put, Indiana’s Ryan Ketchum won the men’s event with a toss of 17.56 meters (57 feet, 7 1/2 inches).
WOMEN: In the women’s shot put, Janae Strickland (competing unattached) won the event with throw of 15.65 (51-4 1/4). Courtney Bauer of Wisconsin 14.27 (46-10). Meghan Horn of Notre Dame placed 13.97 (45-10), a seasonal best that slightly improves her BIG EAST Conference qualifying standing.
HIGH JUMP
WOMEN: Late Friday night in the women’s high jump, Georgia Tech’s Chaunte Howard took first with a clearance of 1.84 meters (6-0 1/2) ahead of Notre Dame junior Stacey Cowan who cleared 1.70 (5-7). Howard and Cowan both rank among the nation’s top 10 collegiate high jumpers with Howard’s 1.86 clearance earlier this season ranking second nationally and Cowan’s best of 1.80 ranking ninth overall heading into this weekend’s action. Also for Notre Dame, senior Emily Loomis cleared 1.70 to place sixth via misses.
MEN: Steve Wulf’s winning height of 2.25 meters (7-4 1/2) is among the best in the world thus far this season. Matt Dillon of Toronto and Alabama’s Gabe Warren both cleared 2.17 (7-1 1/2). Notre Dame’s Chris Staron was ninth with a leap of 2.01 (6-7), a mark that is the third-best in the BIG EAST this season, qualifying him for the conference championships.
MEN’S LONG JUMP
Friday’s other late event was the men’s long jump in which Mississippi’s Shantel Glass defeated a field of 24 other competitors with a best leap of 7.60 (24-11 1/4). Christopher Jacques, a sophomore for Notre Dame, placed ninth with a leap of 6.98 (22-10 3/4). With that leap, Jacques posted the BIG EAST’s second-best long jump of ’05 and qualifies for the conference meet.
TRIPLE JUMP
WOMEN: Georgia Tech’s Brandy Depland won with a distance of 12.94 (42-5 1/2), tying for ninth nationally by a collegian in ’05. Taren James of Michigan State matche Depland’s mark at 12.94 with Depland winning on fewer fouls. Both are provisional NCAA qualifiers, tying the nation’s ninth-best collegiate leap this season. Notre Dame’s Petra Dankova was fifth with a leap of 12.20 (40-0 1/2), third in the BIG EAST this season and a conference meet qualifier.
MEN: Aarik Wilson of Indiana leaped 16.19 (53-1 1/2) to win the men’s triple jump and set a new Meyo Invitational Record. Wilson’s winning leap broke the old mark of 16.04 set by Rice’s Drexel Owusu in 2000 and is an NCAA provisional qualifier. Brandon Atkinson of Mississippi (15.98) and Clemson’s Jason Bell (15.67) also set provisional marks.
WOMEN’S POLE VAULT
Jacey Hughes of Louisville cleared 3.95 meters (12 feet, 11 1/2 inches). Michigan State’s Mickie Rzepka (3.80) was second and Mississippi’s Brandie Plyler (3.65) was third.
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