May 27, 2004
The University of Notre Dame men’s and women’s track and field teams will send their top competitors to the 2004 NCAA Mideast Regional Meet this weekend in Baton Rouge, La.
The 2004 season marks the second year in which individuals are required to qualify for a regional meet and compete among the best in that meet to move on to the NCAA Championship. This season’s national championship meet will be held June 9-12 in Austin, Texas.
Notre Dame will send 19 individual competitors and one relay to this weekend’s regional meet. The Irish have improved their individual numbers from a year ago, when Notre Dame sent 17 competitors and two relays to the regional meet in Columbus, Ohio.
Out of the 17 competitors and two relays in last season’s regional, six individuals and two relays advanced to the NCAA Championship. Sophomores Molly Huddle and Stacey Cowan, along with junior Tiffany Gunn are among those competing this weekend for the Irish who appeared in last season’s NCAA outdoor championship meet.
Here is a breakdown of Notre Dame’s competitors in this weekend’s NCAA Mideast Regional:
WOMEN:
Freshman Maryann Erigha:
Erigha entered the outdoor season late in the schedule, but has made an immediate impression since hitting the track full time at the Purdue Invitational. She qualified for the BIG EAST Championship in the 200 and 400 meters at the Purdue Invite and scored at the BIG EAST outdoor meet in both events. She concentrated on the 200 meters at the Georgia Tech Invitational two weeks ago and ran a season-best 23.89, putting her 12th in the elite field.
The 23.89 effort is a personal-best for Erigha, who is rated 16th in the Mideast Regional field. The preliminaries of the women’s 200 meters are set for 7:30 p.m. on Friday, May 28. The finals take place Saturday, May 29, at 6:45 p.m.
Junior Kerry Meagher:
Meagher ran a spectacular 4:16.88 in the 1,500 meters at the Georgia Tech Invitational, finishing second in the field and posting the fourth-fastest 1,500-meter time in school history. Easily a personal best for Meagher, who has enjoyed a stellar cross country, indoor and outdoor season this year, the 4:16.88 time puts her third in the Mideast Regional field and a strong contender to move on to her third national championship meet of the 2003-04 school year (she has already appeared in the cross country and indoor meets).
Meagher earned her first All-America honor of her career during the indoor season, finishing seventh at the national championship meet in the mile (4:40.67). She also earned all-BIG EAST honors in the DMR (second) and outdoor 1,500 meters (third).
Meagher finished 11th in the 1,500 meters at last season’s Mideast Regional. She will run in the preliminaries at 4:30 on Friday, with the finals set at 5:15 on Saturday.
Sophomore Molly Huddle:
Less than two years into her collegiate career, Huddle has already established herself as one of the top distance runners in the nation. She claimed the Mideast Regional 5,000-meter title during her rookie season and is a heavy favorite to repeat as champion this weekend. Her 15:32.55 season-best effort is first in the regional field and 30 seconds faster than her nearest competitor.
Huddle won the 5,000 meters at last season’s regional in 16:12.81. During the 2004 season, she has already set school records in the indoor 5,000 meters (15:57.22 – claiming the BIG EAST Championship), broke her own record in the indoor 3,000 meters (9:13.67, earning All-America honors at the NCAA indoor meet), and the 15:32.55 in the 5,000 meters this indoor season breaks her own school record set last season.
The Elmira, N.Y., native is well on her way to becoming one of the most decorated female athletes in Notre Dame history. Huddle has claimed All-America honors six times in her career already (cross country, 2002 & 2003, indoor 3,000 meters, 2003 & 2004, indoor 5,000 meters, 2004, outdoor 5,000 meters, 2003) and will be a strong contender for All-America honors in the 5,000 meters this season.
In addition, Huddle won the U.S. Junior 3,000-meter championship last summer in record fashion 9:19.52, setting a meet record and finishing 25 seconds ahead of her nearest competitor.
Sophomore Stephanie Madia:
Madia missed the 2004 indoor season due to injury, but has improved each race during the outdoor campaign and hopes to improve her solid finish to last season’s outdoor schedule. As a freshman, Madia qualified for the Mideast Regional 1,500 meters, finishing 10th overall in 4:30.94. This season the Wexford, Pa., native has moved up to the 5,000 meters, running 16:34.48 at the Mt. SAC Relays
That time is rated sixth in the Mideast Regional field and Madia will have the added benefit of running with teammate Molly Huddle in the 5,000 meters this weekend. Madia finished third in the 5,000 meters at this year’s BIG EAST outdoor meet (16:37.35).
Madia and Huddle will enter the 5,000 meters at 8:00 p.m. on Friday night.
Junior Tiffany Gunn:
Gunn appeared in the 2003 Mideast Regional in the 400 meters and will take part in the 400-meter hurdles this season. She qualified for the regional meet at the Georgia Tech Invitational two weeks ago, running 1:00.21 – a time rated 18th in the field. Gunn finished fourth in her heat in the 400 meters at the regional meet last season.
The 400-meter hurdles begin with the preliminaries at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. The finals are scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Saturday.
Sophomore Stacey Cowan:
Cowan broke out for her first All-America honor at the NCAA indoor championship this year, finishing 10th overall by clearing 1.77m. She finished in the top three in the high jump in both BIG EAST meets this year and recently cleared a season-best 1.78m at the Georgia Tech Invitational.
Cowan competed in last season’s Mideast Regional, clearing 1.71m to tie for third place. She was invited to the NCAA Championship (the first of her career) where she finished in a tie for 14th (1.75m).
A multiple event performer for the Irish, Cowan is among the best athletes on the track and field team. Her indoor and outdoor clearances in 2004 are both personal bests and she hopes to become just the second Irish female high jumper to appear in both and indoor and outdoor NCAA Championship (Jennifer Engelhardt).
Senior Jennifer Kearney:
Kearney has finished with a flourish in her final season with the Irish, finishing fourth in the high jump at the BIG EAST outdoor meet by clearing a personal-best 1.73m. That mark ranks 20th in the NCAA Mideast Regional field.
Kearney has finished no lower than fourth in the five high jump competitions she has entered this outdoor season. The high jump for women is scheduled for 12 noon on Saturday.
Sophomore Petra Dankova:
Dankova posted a personal-best and school-record 12.65m effort at the BIG EAST outdoor meet, which placed her fifth in the championship and qualified her for the NCAA Mideast Regional. Her measurement is ranked 12th in the field.
Dankova has won three triple jump competitions during the ’04 outdoor season (Tom Botts Invitational, Indy Relays, Purdue Invitational) and finished 23rd at the Georgia Tech Invitational.
Dankova owns the school record for the indoor triple jump (12.67m) – a measurement she posted in her first career meet for the Irish. She moved on to finish third at the BIG EAST indoor meet as a rookie, earning all-conference honors. The women’s triple jump is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. on Saturday.
Junior Kate Duman:
Duman has held the school record since her first few javelin throws when she arrived on campus in 2002. She has extended that record this season with a 43.07m toss at the Tom Botts Invitational. In addition to her victory in the Tom Botts, Duman also won the javelin at the Indy Relays.
Her 43.07m toss is ranked 18th entering this weekend’s competition. The women’s javelin begins Saturday at 3:00 p.m.
MEN:
Freshman Kurt Benninger:
Benninger has enjoyed a solid first season with the Irish and seems to be in top form entering this weekend’s Mideast Regional meet. He ran 3:51.95 in the 1,500 meters at the Georiga Tech Invitational – a time which places him among the contenders at the meet this weekend (rated seventh in the field).
Benninger finished as the runner up in the indoor mile at the BIG EAST meet, then finished second in the 1,500 meters at the outdoor meet. He also earned all-BIG EAST honors in the 4×800-meter relay.
He will be joined in the 1,500-meter competition by teammates Eric Morrison and Kevin Somok, who, along with Vinnie Ambrico, won the 4×1,600-meter relay at the Drake Relays this season.
Senior Kevin Somok:
Somok experienced an unusual weekend for the Georgia Tech Invitational, running in the 1,500 meters, posting a personal-best 3:42.26 as the eighth-rated qualifier in the Mideast Regional, then jumping on a plane and making it back for Notre Dame’s graduation ceremonies the next day.
Somok competed in the 1,500 meters at last season’s Mideast Regional, finishing seventh in heat one (3:52.03). He just missed out on individual all-BIG EAST honors at this year’s indoor meet, finishing fourth in the 1,000 meters (2:25.78). He finished sixth in the 1,500 meters at this year’s BIG EAST outdoor meet and earned all-conference honors on the 4×800-meter relay team (second, 7:28.48).
Junior Eric Morrison:
Morrison qualified for the 1,500 meter at the ’03 Mideast Regional, moving on to the finals and finishing ninth overall in 3:53.07. He ran 3:48.65 in the preliminaries.
Morrison has enjoyed a fine junior season with Notre Dame in 2004. He joined Benninger, Somok and Vinnie Ambrico in winning the 4×1,600-meter relay at the Drake Relays, earned all-BIG EAST honors in the indoor mile (third, 4:09.16) and claimed all-conference honors on the 4×4800-meter relay team.
Benninger, Somok and Morrison will enter the 1,500-meter preliminaries at 4:45 p.m. on Friday, followed by the finals on Saturday 5:22 p.m.
Junior Ryan Johnson:
Johnson will compete in his first NCAA-level event this weekend, running the 3,000-meter steeplechase. The 2004 BIG EAST Champion in the event, Johnson is rated 26th in the season with a 9:08.64 season-best time.
Johnson also won the steeplechase at the Tom Botts Invitational, finished third at the Purdue Invitational and 11th at Georgia Tech two weeks ago.
The men’s steeplechase begins at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday.
Sophomore Ryan Postel:
Postel has stepped up his sprint efforts to a new level this season, posting several personal-best times and winning the BIG EAST Championship in the 400 meters. Postel’s 46.63 effort in the 400 meters during the BIG EAST outdoor preliminaries are a personal-best for the Lexington, Ky., native and rank him 11th in the Mideast Regional field.
In addition to his championship in the 400 meters, Postel earned all-BIG EAST honors in the indoor 400 meters (second), indoor 4×400-meter relay (second), outdoor 4×100-meter relay (second) and outdoor 4×400-meter relay (second).
Postel will join Selim Nurudeen, Trevor McClain-Duer and Jordan Powell in the 4×400-meter relay this weekend.
Sophomore Thomas Chamney:
Chamney is entering this weekend’s 800-meter competition coming off two of the top efforts in his career. The Clonmel, Ireland, native ran a 1:50.24 in the preliminaries of the 800 meters at the BIG EAST outdoor meet, eventually finishing seventh in the finals. Two weeks ago at the Georgia Tech Invitational, Chamney took 13th in the 800 meters by crossing the finish line in 1:50.85.
Chamney’s personal-best is a 1:49.55 effort at last year’s Tom Botts Invitational and he is currently ranked 27th in the Mideast Regional 800-meter field. He participated in last season’s regional meet, running 1:51.19 to finish fourth in his heat. Chamney also represented Ireland in the European Junior Championships last summer, finishing 13th in the 800 meters.
Junior Selim Nurudeen:
Nurudeen has enjoyed his most successful season with the Irish in 2004, taking another step forward in his ever-improving career. A four-time BIG EAST Champion (including three-straight 110-meter hurdle titles), Nurudeen appeared at his first NCAA Championship this year at the national indoor meet (finishing 15th in the 60-meter hurdles).
Across the board, Nurudeen has posted personal-best times this season. One of the best all-around athletes on the team, Nurudeen finished third overall at the Georgia Tech Invitational two weeks ago with a time of 13.84 (running 13.76 in the preliminaries). He is rated eighth in the field on the Mideast Regional list.
Nurudeen posted arguably the best track performance at this year’s outdoor meet, winning the 110-meter hurdles, finishing second in the 200 meters (21.48), helping the 4×100-meter relay team finish second (41.20) and the 4×400-meter team finish second as well in 3:10.52. All told, Nurudeen earned all-conference honors six times during the 2004 season.
The 110-meter hurdles begin with the preliminaries at 5:15 p.m. on Friday, followed by the finals on Saturday at 5:37 p.m.
Junior Trevor McClain-Duer and freshman Jordan Powell:
McClain-Duer and Powell will join Selim Nurudeen and Ryan Postel in the 4×400-meter relay, hoping to become the first Irish men’s sprint relay team to qualify for an NCAA Championship meet. Notre Dame has sent women’s sprint relays to the NCAA Championship (along with 4×800-meter relay and DMR teams), but never a men’s 4×100 or 4×400 team.
The group representing Notre Dame this weekend finished second at the BIG EAST outdoor championship in 3:10.52 – the fourth-fastest time in school history and best in 19 years (3:08.11 in 1985, 3:10.4 twice in 1982).
The team is ranked 10th in this weekend’s field.
Senior Godwin Mbagwu:
Mbagwu was named the 2004 BIG EAST Outdoor Most Outstanding Field Performer after winning his first BIG EAST long jump title and finishing second in the triple jump. He won the long jump with a 7.68m measurement.
This weekend, Mbagwu is concentrating on the triple jump – an event in which he won a BIG EAST title at the 2003 outdoor meet and finished second in the ’04 meet. He won the triple jump at the Spring Opener and Tom Botts Invitational this year and is ranked 20th in the Mideast Regional field this weekend.
The men’s triple jump competition is set for 6:00 p.m. on Saturday.
Sophomore Derek Goguen:
Goguen is just the second Irish javelin specialist to post a measurement over 60.00m (with the new implement) – joining ’92 graduate Ryan Mihalko. Goguen’s 61.80m toss at the Georgia Tech Invitational is the 10th-best in school history (202-9) and ranks him 16th in the Mideast Regional field.
Goguen won the javelin competition at the Baldy Castillo and Purdue Invitational this season and finished seventh in the BIG EAST outdoor meet. The men’s javelin begins at 12 noon on Saturday.
Results of this weekend’s meet will be compiled and posted on www.und.com at the completion of each day’s schedule. Results can also be viewed at: http://www.lsusports.net/ad/sportlink.cfm?pagecode=tf-04regional.