WASHINGTON – With familiar faces, the Hoyas couldn't help but feel some deja vu as the Hoyas claimed the men's steeplechase and women's 5,000-meter titles on the second day of the 2023 BIG EAST Outdoor Championships, presented by JEEP.
Parker Stokes completed the three-peat, winning his third-consecutive conference steeple title while
Chloe Scrimgeour closed over the final 800 meters to win the women's 5,000m.
Combined with Thursday's finals, the Hoya men are currently in fifth of eight squads with 24 points while the women are sixth in the nine-team field with 24 points. The three-day meet is being held at Jumbo Elliott Track at Villanova Stadium on the University's campus in Pennsylvania.
ON THE RECORD
"Overall we are very pleased with where we stand coming out of the second day at these Championships. We're poised to score in the majority of the events we competed in during the prelims. Our strong finishes in the men's 3,000m steeplechase chase along with our women in the 5,000m should provide great momentum heading into Saturday. We're looking forward to Saturday's finals with opportunities for our men and women to score in the sprints and jumps as well as the mid distance events." - Director of Track & Field / Cross Country
Alton McKenzie
"Parker executed the race plan well. I'm pleased with his effort. I also thought Jantz ran a really good race to finish fourth. This is Parker's third-straight title and hopefully he can add another one next year. This should set both Parker and Jantz up well for the Regional meet in two weeks.: - Assistant Coach
Brandon Bonsey
"Scrimgeour and Donahue ran a great team race with one or the other leading all but 600m. The competition was top class, so for them to go 1-2 is just a fantastic result and boost to the team; they found another level of closing speed that we haven't seen from them before." - Assistant Coach
Mitchell Baker
HOYA HIGHLIGHTS
- Stokes won his third-straight BIG EAST title in the men's steeplechase as he clocked 8:42.40 to handily win the race. It is a new facility record at Jumbo Elliott Track. Stokes becomes just the second ever in league history to win three-consecutive men's steeple titles. With teammate Jantz Tostenson finishing fourth (8:52.91), the Georgetown men added 15 points from the event.
- Scrimgeour helped the Blue & Gray defend its women's 5,000-meter title with a time of 15:50.62 as the Hoyas went 1-2 with 2022 champion Maggie Donahue crossing the line at 15:51.72. The GU women picked up 20 points in the event as Pippa Nuttall finished seventh to pick up two points.
- On Thursday night, Rusty Kujdych clocked 29:51.19 in the 10,000-meter run to place sixth and pick up points for the men. Running in the middle of the field, he moved up from ninth place in the closing laps.
- In the men's long jump, Christopher Pitt's season-best 7.04m on his fourth attempt was good enough for fourth place while teammate Noah Toole took eighth with a mark of 6.49m.
- Chloe Williams took fifth in the women's long jump with a mark of 5.75m on her final attempt.
- The Georgetown women qualified 10 athletes to five event finals from Friday's prelims with Maya Drayton qualifying for the finals of both the 200- and 400-meter dash. The Hoyas will also compete in the women's 4x400m and 4x800m relays as well as the triple jump.
- The Hoya men qualified nine athletes to five event finals from the prelim day with Joshua Paige qualifying in the 100- and 200-meter dash, two events Paige won a season ago. The Blue & Gray will also compete in the 4x400m and 4x800m relays as well as the triple jump.
OF NOTE
- Stokes' win in the men's steeplechase marks the fourth straight Hoya title and the eighth in the last nine BIG EAST Outdoor Championships (2023, 2022, 2021 - Stokes; 2020 - COVID / no championships; 2019 - Christian Liddell; 2017, 2016 - Darren Fahy; 2015 - Ryan Gil; 2014 - Dylan Sorenson).
- Scrimgeour becomes just the fifth Hoya to ever win the women's 5,000-meter run joining Donahue (2022), Mary German (1992), Chris Brough (1988) and Suzanne Girard (1984).
TEAM STANDINGS THROUGH DAY TWO
Men: 1. UConn (96); 2. Butler (57); 3. Marquette (46); 4. Villanova (40); 5. Georgetown (24); 6. DePaul (21); 7. Providence (10); 8. Xavier (6)
Women: 1. UConn (97.5); 2. Villanova (52); 3. Butler (44); 4. DePaul (33); 5. St. John's (26.5); 6. Georgetown (24); 7. Marquette (18); 8. Providence (11); 9. Xavier (3(
UP NEXT
Georgetown returns to action on Saturday for the final day of the 2023 BIG EAST Championships, presented by JEEP.
