February 20, 2005

Syracuse, NY - The Notre Dame men's squad and the Pittsburgh women's team captured the team titles at the 2005 BIG EAST Indoor Track and Field Championships held Saturday-Sunday at the Carrier Dome on the campus of Syracuse University. The Georgetown women took third place at the league championships, while the GU men claimed fourth place.

With 182 points, the Irish claimed their second men's title in three years. Notre Dame also won the men's team title in 2003. The Panthers collected 161.50 points to secure their third title overall. Pittsburgh also captured the women's team title in 1989 and 1999.

The Notre Dame women took second place with 140 points, while Georgetown garnered third place with 90 points. Rounding out the top five on the women's side were Villanova (84 pts.) and West Virginia (57.5 pts.) With 168.5 points, Rutgers earned the runner-up spot on the men's side, while Pittsburgh placed third with 98 points. Georgetown secured fourth with 77 points, and Villanova was fifth with 75.

In the women's distance medley relay, Georgetown, Notre Dame and Villanova fought to the finish line for the win. Villanova crossed the finish line first, but was disqualified for passing a baton out of the zone, allowing second-place Georgetown to defend its 2004 distance medley relay title in a time of 11:30.94. Notre Dame then claimed second place (11:32.29) with Boston College taking third (12:08.07). Sabine Knothe, Jayne Penn, Kelley Otstott, and Maggie Infeld ran legs on the winning relay.

Georgetown also earned the top spot in the women's 4 x 400-meter relay. Kandance Ferguson, Nicole Torpey, Alex Baptiste, and Ashley Hubbard combined turn in the winning time of 3:47.37. Pittsburgh was second in 3:47.52 and Notre Dame third in 3:47.99. All three teams qualified for ECACs.

The Hoyas picked up runner-up honors in the 4 x 800-meter relay. Villanova bested Georgetown. 8:53.34 to 8:59.24. West Virginia was a distant third in 9:06.37. Running legs on the GU 4 x 800 were Nana Hanson-Hall, Knothe, Otstott and Infeld. Georgetown earned an opportunity to compete in the ECACs with the 8:59.24 mark.

Senior Leilani Green set a new Georgetown record in the pole vault competition for the third time this season. Green cleared 12' 3-1/2" to earn runner-up honors in the event, and qualify for ECACs. Marissa Dudek of Pittburgh was the pole vault winner in 12' 7-1/2".

Ferguson and Torpey crossed the finishline of the 400-meter dash in second and third place. Okechi Ogbuokiri of Notre Dame was first in 55.99; Ferguson was second in 55.78; and Torpey third in 57.27. All three women qualified for ECACs.

Nicole Lee had a terrific weekend. She posted an NCAA provisional qualifying time of 16:32.93 in the 5000m run to take fourth place. Lee also added five points with a fourth-place finish in the 3000-meter run (9:38.69), in addition to qualifying for ECACs. Pittsburgh's Maureen McCandless won both the 5000 (16:09.34) and the 3000 (9:23.32). Knothe added a third-place finish to the Hoya totals.

Hall and Knothe donated six points apiece to the GU cause. Hall clocked 2:11.57 in the 800-meter run to finish third and qualify for ECACs. Jennifer Kemp of West Virginia won the 800 in 2:10.26, while Colleen Taylor was second in 2:10.91. Knothe posted an ECAC-qualifying 2:53,63 for third place in the 1000-meters, while Otstott ran to a sixth-place finish in 2:55.43. Otstott also qualified for ECACs.

Ashley Mondie scored four points for the Hoyas with a fifth-place showing in the triple jump. Mondie's mark was an ECAC qualifying 38' 10-1/2". The winning mark of 42' 5-1/2" belonged to Sheron Mark of Syracuse.

Hubbard and Hanson-Hall ran fifth-sixth in the 500-meter run. Hubbard recorded 1:15.17, while Hanson Hall registered 1:15.95, both ECAC qualifying marks. Notre Dame's Tiffany Gunn won the event in 1:13.44.

Colleen Kelly was fifth in the mile run. Kelly's time was 4:58.51, which also qualified her for ECAC competition. Marina Duncan of Villanova turned in the winning time of 4:50.17.

Georgetown claimed the top two spots in the men's 5,000-meter race with junior Rod Koborsi claiming the individual title in a time of 14:20.22 followed by Hoya teammate junior Fleet Hower in 14:23.99. Notre Dame junior Tim Moore (14:27.25) finished third. Both men qualified for IC4As.

In addition to the top finishes in the 5000, Korborsi and Hower also took third and fifth in the 3000m. Koborsi's time was 8:17.08 for third, and Hower's 8:21.57 for fifth. Kurt Benninger of Notre Dame was first in 8:15.22. All three men qualified for the IC4A Indoor Championships.

Chris Bonner and Tommy Manning had a solid weekend for the GU men. Bonner turned in mark of 48.45 to earn second place and qualify for the IC4As. Seton Hall's Quentin Bowens won the 400 in 47.90. Manning ran to a third-place finish in the 1000-meter run in 2:25.97. Teammate Neil Grossup was fifth in the 1000 in 2:27.03. Like Bonner, Manning and Grossup qualified for IC4As.

Rasheed Thompson scored three points for the Hoyas by finishing sixth in the mile run. Thompson time was an IC4A-qualifying 4:14.23. Kurt Benninger of ND was the mile in 4:12.14.

Stanley Lagrenade and Nat Glackin ran five-six in the 800-meter run. Lagrenade was the first Hoya across the finishline with a time of 1:52.54, while Glackin clocked 1:52.63 in the event. Valer Petrulevich won the race in 1:51.61.

The GU men's top finish in the relay events came in the 4 x 800. Alex Guney, Glackin, Grossup and Manning combined to run 7:38.38 for the third spot. Villanova won the 4 x 400 in 7:37.84, while Notre Dame was second in 7:38.09.

Georgetown earned a fourth-place finish in the distance medley relay. Grossup, Jenkins, Glackin and Manning all ran legs on the squad that posted a 10:04.12. Notre Dame was the winner in 10:00.17; Villanova was second in 10:00.31; and Boston College third in 10:01.43.

Rutgers won the 4 x 400-meter relay, with Villanova in second in 3:17.49. Georgetown was fifth in 3:23.72. Jenkins, Bonner, Michael Billington, and Winston Weatherspoon made up the team.

BIG EAST Indoor Track & Field Championship Results:

2. Notre Dame, 140 points

3. Georgetown, 90 points

4. Villanova, 84 points

5. West Virginia, 57.50 points

6. Boston College, 53 points

7. Rutgers, 50 points

8. Syracuse, 45.50 points

9. St. John?s, 37 points

10. Connecticut, 34.50 points

11. Seton Hall, 17 points

12. Providence 8 points

MEN
1. Notre Dame, 182 points

2. Rutgers, 168.50 points

3. Pittsburgh, 98 points

4. Georgetown, 77 points

5. Villanova, 75 points

6. Syracuse, 53 points

7. Seton Hall, 38.50 points

8. Providence, 38 points

9. Connecticut, 23.50 points

10. Boston College, 19.50 points