Dec. 6, 2013
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The University of Notre Dame men’s and women’s track and field teams started the 2013-14 season with a bang Friday night at the Loftus Sports Center as the Irish won 25 of 33 events at the season-opening Blue & Gold Invitational.
“I was most impressed with the 400 meter runners in both genders,” says head coach Joe Piane. “Margaret Bamgbose ran exceptionally well, Michelle Brown ran very well, and then Pat Feeney and Chris Giesting were phenomenal. We probably had as many as 30 kids qualify for the ACC meet. That’s an awfully good start and this is just the beginning of December.”
Four members of the Irish squads also traveled to Kent, Ohio today for the Golden Gala Multis. Junior Carly Loeffel started the season off strong as she took home first place out of seven competitors in the women’s indoor pentathlon. Junior Meghan Moore claimed second place in the event as well. Senior Ted Glasnow finished in second in the men’s heptathlon, and sophomore Brent Swanberg claimed eighth.
WOMEN’S EVENTS
60m Hurdles: Kaila Barber claimed this event definitively with a time of 8.42, more than half a second ahead of the second-place finisher. Madlen Karnatz came in third with a time of 8.98 and Laura Wendelberger finished eighth in a field of 12 runners.
1,000m: Notre Dame took three of the top four places in this event, with Kaileen Healy claiming first with a time of 2:58.76 and Karen Lesiewicz coming in second at 2:59.19. Catherine Lombardo earned her fourth of eight finish with a time of 3:02.79.
60m: Kaila Barber came in second for Notre Dame with a time of 7.62 with Aijah Urssery following just behind in third place with a time of 7.77.
200m: Aijah Urssery finished in fourth place with a time of 25.13 for the Irish and Madlen Karnatz claimed eighth place in 26.08.
400m: Notre Dame athletes took the top two spots in the event, with Margaret Bamgbose finishing first in 54.32 and Michelle Brown coming in second with a time of 55.07. Amber Lalla claimed fifth in 57.77 and Mikaila Chamblee came in seventh with a time of 59.20.
500m: Megan Yanik claimed first for the Irish with a time of 1:13.84. Michaelle Rotondo also came in third in the event at 1:15.74.
800m: Jamie Marvil took home first for the Irish with a time of 2:18.29. Shaley Albaugh (2:18.91) and Kelsey Amarosa (2:19.50) also claimed third and fourth place in the event.
Mile: The Notre Dame runners swept the top three in this event. McKinzie Schulz (4:58.45) came in first, Kathryn Moran (5:06.15) took second and Megan Kilbride placed third (5:21.12).
3,000m: Former Irish All-American and volunteer assistant coach Rebecca Tracy (9:30.61) came away with the top finish in this event while Notre Dame’s Taylor Driscoll finished in third with a time of 10:13.79.
4x400m Relay: The Notre Dame “A” team claimed first while the “B” team brought home third place in this event. Megan Yanik, Michelle Brown, Jade Barber and Margaret Bamgbose finished in first with a time of 3:44.74. Michelle Rotondo, Kaila Barber, Amber Lalla and Mikaila Chamblee brought home third place with a time of 3:58.89.
High Jump: Fiona Paladino brought home second place for the Irish with a distance of 1.62m. Laura Wendelberger finished fifth with a distance of 1.52m.
Pole Vault: Notre Dame took four of the top five spots in this event, including sweeping the top three. Kelly Burke (3.60m) took home first, Libby Schichtel (3.45m) placed second and Allie Sullivan (3.45m) took third. Sam Smith brought home fifth place with a distance of 3.15m.
Weight Throw: Vivien Devaney took home first place for Notre Dame with a distance of 12.40m. Lena Madison also came in third with a throw of 17.09m.
Shot Put: Emily Morris won this event for the Irish with a throw of 15.26m. Indie Jackson (13.31m) came in second and Lena Madison (13.11m) finished third, sweeping the top three spots of the event for Notre Dame.
Long Jump: Jessie Christian claimed second in the event with a distance of 5.84m and Emily Carson (5.35m) took home fifth.
Triple Jump: Notre Dame took the first two spots as Mary Esther Gourdin finished in first with a leap of 11.61m and Jessie Christian claimed second with a distance of 11.38m.
MEN’S EVENTS
60m Hurdles: Notre Dame’s two runners claimed first and second place in this event. Jarrod Buchanon came in first with a time of 8.17 and Bryce Wood was right behind him at 8.22.
1,000m: Jacob Dumford claimed first for the Irish with a time of 2:26.95 with his teammate Chris Marco following him into second place just a moment later at 2:26.98.
60m: Keith Mesidor claimed first overall for Notre Dame with a time of 6.90 in a field of 18 runners. Nick Dunn (7.15), Logan Renwick (7.16), Bryce Wood (7.17) and Carson Barnes (7.32) also swept the sixth through ninth places in the event.
200m: Keith Mesidor took home first for the Irish with a time of 21:88. Harvey Smith followed closely behind into second place at 21.91, and Alex Groesch (22.11) claimed fourth place in the event. Jarrod Buchanon (22:77) took seventh and Nick Dunn (22.79) took eighth.
400m: Patrick Feeney claimed first for the Irish with a time of 46.97 with Chris Giesting coming in just behind him into second at 47.00. John Rutkowski (48.45) and Alex Groesch (48.65) rounded out the top five with fourth and fifth place finishes for the Irish.
500m: Aaron Dunn claimed first place for the Irish with a time of 1:05.92 and Ben Harvel came in second just behind him with a time of 1:06.04. Oye Eyeguokan (1:06.98) also finished in fourth.
800m: Patrick O’Connell claimed first place for the Irish with a time of 1:54.37. Grant Koch (1:56.26) and Jack Favorite (1:57.40) brought home third and fourth in the event.
Mile: Christopher Quinn won this event for the Irish with a time of 4:22.05. Tim Ball also finished in fourth with a time of 4:25.11.
3,000m: John Riely (9:04.08) and Kevin Durham (9:17.91) took home first and second for the Irish in this event.
5,000m: Patrick Lesiewicz finished in first for the Irish with a time of 1515.61. Scott Milling followed closely behind in second with a time of 15:16.36.
4x400m Relay: The Notre Dame “A” and “B” teams claimed first and second place in this event. Alex Groesch, Patrick Feeney, Harvey Smith and Chris Giesting finished in first with a time of 3:12.47. John Rutowski, Aaron Dunn, Jarrod Buchanon and Conner Stapleton brought home secondplace with a time of 3:16.86.
Long Jump: Notre Dame swept the top three spots in this event. Keith Mesidor finished in first with a distance of 7.37m. Logan Renwick came in second at 7.05m, and Carson Barnes rounded out the top three with a distance of 6.76m. George Georgaklis also placed sixth in the event at 6.27m.
Pole Vault: Nathan Richartz (4.60) took second while David Schipper (4.60) claimed third.
Weight Throw: Jordan Stumph claimed first place for Notre Dame with a throw of 17.89m. Dominick Padovano (16.41m) also came in third place in the event.
Shot Put: Andrew Brock came in fourth for the Irish with a throw of 14.86m.
Triple Jump: Logan Renwick brought home first place with a distance of 14.39m and George Georgaklis took third with a distance of 12.95m.
–Lauren Chval, Media Relations Assistant
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