Feb. 3, 2009

WASHINGTON, D.C. - On Saturday afternoon, Hoya track & field graduate student Liam Boylan-Pett (Bath, Mich./Columbia) ran a sub-four minute mile (3:59.40) on the final day of the Penn State National Invitational. Taking first place in the event, Boylan-Pett's performance felt oh so familiar to the GU track & field community.

For the second year in a row, a Georgetown middle-distance athlete broke the four-minute mark - it was nearly one year ago to the day that Georgetown's Andrew Bumbalough (Brentwood, Tenn./Brentwood Academy) broke the four-minute mark (3:58.46) in the mile at the Giegengack Invitational in New Haven, Conn.

Boylan-Pett, a graduate student who ran at Columbia, has been making his mark on the GU track & field record books in the short time he has been representing the Blue & Gray. His time is fifth on Georgetown's all-time list for the indoor mile.

His time joins a short list of Hoyas to break the four-minute mark in the mile:
Andrew Bumbalough (indoor - 2008)
John Gregorek (indoor - 1982, outdoor - 1981, 1982)
Steve Holman (outdoor - 1992)
Mark Sivieri (indoor - 1994)
Michael Stahr (indoor - 1986; outdoor - twice in 1986)
John Trautmann (indoor - 1991)

Earlier this indoor season Boylan-Pett, running unattached, was the first of a trio of former and current Hoyas to cross the finish line in the 1000m at the Father Diamond Invitational. Running against former Hoya and five-time All-American Matt Debole and current senior Sandy Roberts (Raleigh, N.C./Broughton), Boylan-Pett finished the event with a time of 2:24.28.