NCAA East Regional Line-Up: Men

Here are the details for the NCAA East Regional being held this Thursday, Friday, and Saturday in Greensboro, North Carolina. Forty-eight athletes compete in each event, with the top 12 advancing to the Nationals in Eugene, Oregon.

1500 meters
Two rounds:
4 heats (top 5 from each + next 4 by time advance to round 2)
2 heats (top 5 from each + next 2 by time advance to Nationals)

Heat 1: Mathew Mildenhall 3:44.56 (5th best time in heat)
Heat 2: Carl Mackenzie 3:41.99 (best time in heat)

Steeple
1 Round
3 heats (top 3 from each + next 3 by time advance to Nationals)

Heat 1: Dan Lewis 8:48.28 (4th best time in heat)

5000 meters
1 Round
2 Heats (top 5 in each + next 2 by time advance to Nationals)

Heat 1: Brian Long 14:07.94 (17th best in heat)
Heat 1: Hugo Beamish 14:05.25 (15th best in heat)

400 meter hurdles
2 Rounds
6 Heats (top 3 in each + next 6 by time advance)
3 Heats (top 3 in each + next 3 by time advance to Nationals)

Heat 4: Stefan Goodridge 51.49 (4th best time in heat)
Heat 4: Nicoy Hines 51.89 (5th best in heat)

Triple Jump
4 Flights (top 16 overall advance to 3-jump jump-off)

Flight 4: Robert Sanvil 15.23 meters (27th best overall)

'Cats Lose Recruit Cotton to Virginia

Not for the first time in the past few years, Villanova has lost a track recruit to the University of Virginia. Villanova was in the running for top 800/1500 runners Robby Andrews and Anthony Kostelac the past two years, but lost out in the end to the University of Virginia program. Andrews won the NCAA indoor 800 meter title this year as a frosh and led UVA to the 4 x 800 title at the Penn Relays. One more name can be added to the list: Dave Cotton of Daniel Hand High School in Madison, CT had verballed to Villanova earlier this spring, but decided recently to attend Virginia, where his father ran in the 1980s. Dave has run 9:35 for 3200 meter, 9:45 for 2 miles, and 16:30 for 5000 meters.

The Villanova Mystique under Marcus & Gina

The Villanova Mystique

O'Sullivan and Procaccio continue the school's legacy

By John A. Kissane
As featured in the May 2010 issue of Running Times Magazine

A bit of prophetic advice was passed along to Marcus O'Sullivan in the summer of 1980 as he prepared to leave Ireland to attend Villanova University. It came from his high school coach, Donald Walsh, a Villanova alumnus and runner-up to Steve Prefontaine at the 1970 NCAA cross country championships. "He told me, 'Don't be discouraged, but they have nothing ... and everything you need,'" recalls O'Sullivan, a former world-class miler who's been Villanova's head men's track and cross country coach since 1998. "What he really meant was that this place has exactly what you need to get to the next level. And when I arrived here, my sense was that I'd come to the right place."

For a full century now Villanova has been the "right place" for hundreds of outstanding athletes. The private institution, located in the western Philadelphia suburbs on the Pennsylvania Railroad's historic Main Line, may have lacked first-rate facilities during the 1970s, but that's certainly not true today. And Villanova's legacy of excellence is world class -- underlined by the fact that at least one Villanova track athlete has participated in every Olympic Games since 1948.

Though he developed into a middle-distance specialist at Villanova and went on to run in four Olympics and 101 sub-4:00 miles (third all-time behind John Walker and Steve Scott), O'Sullivan was no schoolboy track prodigy in his native Cork, Ireland. "I was a 4:25 miler coming out of high school and wasn't recruited anywhere," he explains. "I went off and worked for a year as a sail maker and trained at night through the winter, then popped out a 4:05 the next year and came to Villanova."

Sadly, O'Sullivan had less than a year 's running under legendary Villanova coach Jimbo Elliott, who died suddenly in March 1981. A trackman himself, Elliott graduated from Villanova in 1935 and served as part-time assistant until assuming head coaching duties in 1949. His athletes won eight NCAA team championships, amassed scores of conference titles, and set an astounding 66 world records. The list of Villanova Olympians coached by Elliott includes familiar names such as Ron Delany, Marty Liquori, Dick Buerkle, Eamonn Coughlan, Don Paige, Sydney Maree and, of course, O'Sullivan.

After graduating in 1984 and progressing to that summer's L.A. Olympics, O'Sullivan embarked on a brilliant 15-year international career that included three world indoor 1500m titles, a world record at that distance indoors (3:35.4) and five Wanamaker Mile wins at the Millrose Games. An accounting major, O'Sullivan earned his MBA from Villanova in 1989 and fully intended to make an impression on Wall Street when his running career came to a close. But something else was in store.

"After 15 years of athletic success," he says, "I felt like someone was tapping me on the shoulder on the way out after a big meal, saying, 'And by the way, the check is on you.'" That was the Villanova head coaching job, offered to O'Sullivan in 1998. He said yes -- and then hated it from the start. "I'd never realized how selfish athletes can be, and I suddenly understood what my coaches had done for me over the years." Undaunted, O'Sullivan stuck with it, "learning to finally give a lot after taking a lot," as he puts it. "After three years I started to fall in love with the job, and it became far more rewarding than any career I'd had in front of me."

Women's coach Gina Procaccio transferred to Villanova in the mid-1980s with only a year of eligibility remaining. But the 1987 graduate made her mark nonetheless, including running lead-off for the 4 x 800m relay team that won an NCAA championship in world-record time. Procaccio eventually ran in three world championships, regularly ranked in the U.S. top five in the 1500m/mile, and finished as high as third at the U.S. cross country championships. But an unfortunate injury cut her career short following the 1995 track season, after winning a U.S. title at 5,000m.

Coaching never entered Procaccio's mind while she ran as a collegian. "All my coaches had been men; I never thought it was something a woman could do," she says. And like O'Sullivan, Procaccio initially found working with collegiate athletes less than enjoyable during brief graduate assistantships at Tennessee and Georgetown. Nevertheless, when she stepped out of competitive running in 1995, Procaccio accepted O'Sullivan's offer that she assist with the women's programs, and in 2000 she became head women's track and cross country coach.


Given the school's impressive legacy, coaching at Villanova is no walk in the park. High expectations are raised with every new season, and each Penn Relays prompts Olympic-like excitement in Villanova athletes and their followers.

But O'Sullivan, 48, and Procaccio, 46, stop short of using the past to push teams toward success. "I'm very sensitive of my athletes, and I don't compare them to other Villanova athletes from the past," O'Sullivan says. "But I do impart messages I learned from those people. For example, Jumbo Elliott always said you can do two of three things well in college, but if you try to do all three you'll be only average at everything. He was alluding to running, studying and socializing. He'd put his fingers up and say, 'Now, pick two of the three.' It took me until my junior year to truly figure out what he was saying. When I finally did I made the Olympic team."

Current senior Dan Lewis began to grasp the Villanova legacy during his recruiting visit. "You walk down a hallway lined with endless Penn Relays wheels, it really opens your eyes to what goes on here," he says. "You want to be part of that, and the coaches do a great job of nurturing that desire and showing you how to reach the next level."

Recent Villanova NCAA champions Adrian Blincoe (now one of O'Sullivan's assistants), Bobby Curtis and Carmen Douma are the most accomplished athletes of the past decade. The 3,000m, 5,000m and cross country successes of Blincoe and Curtis helped belay Villanova's reputation as a middle-distance school with little interest in anything longer than the 1500m.

The benefits of being coached by former elite internationalists are many. Not least is the fact that O'Sullivan and Procaccio want their athletes to enjoy long, productive careers extending beyond college days. "That's always been a concern here," notes O'Sullivan. "Villanova was a very, very intricate part of why I went on professionally." And Procaccio recognizes that her elite experience enhances her credibility. "I think it gives me an edge, in terms of the kids buying into what I'm saying. They know I've been there."

Villanova has struggled through a few down years recently, but the current crop of Wildcat runners has changed that. Last fall the women's cross country team etched their names into their program's storied history by picking up Villanova's eighth NCAA championship and first since 1998. "We didn't even make nationals two years ago," Procaccio says, "but I knew these kids were going to be great."

An 11th-place finish by the men's team was unexpected by the pundits but in line with expectations of the team.

"I was just so ecstatic with that placing," O'Sullivan says. "It was a bunch of guys that had worked very hard, who were engaged in what they were trying to do all fall."

Koons 2nd at Healthy Kidney 10K

Frances Koons came second at last weekend's Healthy Kidney 10K race in New York's Central Park. Koons was diagnosed with kidney cancer in 2007 and had successful surgery to remove the tumor. Frances donated her $500 prize to the National Kidney Foundation.


Top 20 Results

1. DEBA BUZUNESH F22 238 WSX BRONX NY 33:09 5:20
2. KOONS FRANCES F24 44 NEWB BRYN MAWR PA 33:31 5:24
3. MISGANAW ALEMTSEHAY F29 731 ADEW NEW YORK NY 33:44 5:26
4. KOSGEI SALOME F29 781 WTC HIGH FALLS NY 33:47 5:26
5. ALIYU AZIZA F24 109 WSX BRONX NY 34:29 5:33
6. ABRHA SERKALEM BISET F23 102 WSX NEW YORK NY 35:17 5:41
7. ROBBIE CATHERINE F29 553 NYAC RED BANK NJ 35:57 5:47
8. CHANG HANNAH F28 3085 36:02 5:48
9. BECK CATHERINE F24 138 CPTC HIGHLAND PARK NJ 36:11 5:50
10. UHLER LAUREN F30 630 MANH NEW YORK NY 36:23 5:52
11. LENIHAN STEPHANIE F24 420 NYAC GROTON CT 36:38 5:54
12. MARIAM SEBLELEDET F25 441 WSX BRONX NY 36:49 5:56
13. HIGGINS LESLEY F29 356 NYAC NEW YORK NY 37:23 6:01
14. ESPOSITO LAUREN F31 704 CPTC NEW YORK NY 37:33 6:03
15. SWENSON MIA F25 612 NYAC NEW YORK NY 37:43 6:05
16. GUINEY MEGAN E F29 328 NYAC NEW YORK NY 38:05 6:08
17. MASSELAM KATHRYN F33 787 CPTC LINCOLN MA 38:06 6:08
18. YAREMDZUK NATASHA F30 836 ONTARIO CANADA 38:13 6:09
19. MALETZ KRISTINA F27 435 CPTC NEW YORK NY 38:23 6:11
20. PAVKOVITCH MARIA F26 517 CPTC HOBOKEN NJ 38:55 6:16

Interview with Carl Mackenzie after his 3:41

Here is a lengthy Aussie-to-Kiwi skype interview with Carl Mackenzie, from the folks at Runner's Tribe

Visit runnerstribe.com for more Videos

Run with Sonia in Cork

Those of you who know your Irish geography already know that the ancestral home of the O'Sullivan clan is County Cork. Both of Villanova's famous O'Sullivans hail from Cork -- Marcus from Cork City and Sonia from the coastal city of Cobh (with the "bh" in Irish pronounced as "v", making Sonia's hometown sound like "Cove" -- an apt name if you've ever been there). If you're in Cork this month, you'll have a chance to run alongside Sonia O'Sullivan in the Cork City Marathon. Here the promo for the race:

Thursday, May 6, 2010

Sonia O’Sullivan sounds the final rallying call for entries to the Bord Gáis Energy Cork City Marathon

Bord Gáis Energy Cork City Marathon

Closing date for registrations to the Bord Gáis Energy Cork City Marathon is next Monday, 10th May 2010 and Irish athletics legend Sonia O’Sullivan has called on people to join her on the start line.

Sonia will be lining up with a high-profile celebrity team to run the Team Relay event on Bank holiday Monday 7th June and says that whether you’re a part-time jogger, an occasional walker or a total marathon novice, the Bord Gáis Energy Cork City Marathon has something for everyone.

“It’s such a fantastic experience and a real thrill to take part in a marathon, whether you’re running the whole 26.2 miles or taking a leg in the team relay event. There’s an incredible atmosphere on the streets of Cork City and right around the marathon route on marathon day and the atmosphere is electric. It’s not too late to take part - grab your friends, your family, your work colleagues and register before Monday 10th of May - you won’t regret it and it’ll be one of the best experiences of your life, I promise you.”

About the marathon Team Relay Event
Teams of up to five people can run, walk or jog the race which takes place on Bank Holiday Monday June 7th . The ‘marathon for everyone’ encourages individuals of all levels to get involved – from first timers to professional athletes, with the option of running the marathon as an individual or as part of a relay team made up of up to five people.

The relay provides a great way for people to enjoy the marathon with friends, family or colleagues while raising money for a charity of their choice. Up to 10,000 people are expected to take part this year and organisers hope to raise €3million for over 150 charities, including this year’s designated charity the Irish Cancer Society.

You can email or post your entry form - to register online or request an application form go to www.corkcitymarathon.ie

Add Carl Mackenzie to the List

At yesterday's Tuppeny Twilight / Last Chance meet at Swarthmore, Carl Mackenzie won the 1500 meters in 3:41.99. That time dips below the metric equivalent of the 4:00 mile (which is 3:42.22). Mackenzie earns his way onto the list of now 34 Villanova runners who have achieved either the sub-4:00 mile or its metric equivalent. Three years ago at this same meet Bobby Curtis and Michael Kerrigan both ran their first sub-4:00 miles.

Here is the complete Villanova list:

The Villanova Sub-Four Minute Milers
(initial sub-4:00 effort -- eventual PR)

Ron Delany (1956: 3:59.0 -- 3:57.5) WRi
Dave Patrick (1967: 3:59.3 -- 3:56.8)
Marty Liquori (1967: 3:59.8 -- 3:52.2)
Pat Traynor (1968: 3:59.6)
Frank Murphy (1968: 3:58.6 -- 3:58.1)
Chris Mason (1970: 3:59.9)
John Hartnett (1973: 3:58.3 -- 3:54.7)
Dick Buerkle (1973: 3:58.0 -- 3:54.9) WRi
Eamonn Coghlan (1975: 3:56.2 -- 3:49.78) WRi
Sydney Maree (1976: 3:57.9 -- 3:48.83) WR 1500
Don Paige (1978: 3:58.10 -- 3:54.19)
Phil "Tiny" Kane (1978: 3:59.37 -- 3:55.77)
Amos Korir (1979: 3:59.3)
Mark Belger (1979: 3:58.4 -- 3:57.37)
Ross Donoghue (1979: 3:58.0 -- 3:55.26)
Marcus O'Sullivan (1983: 3:58:84 -- 3:50.94) WRi
John Keyworth (1984: 3:59.43)
Gerry O'Reilly (1986: 3:54.63)
Sean O'Neill (1987: 3:58.42)
Ken Nason (1995: 3:58.91 -- 3:58.09)
Brad Sumner (1995: 3:59.11)
Stephen Howard (1997: 3:58.8)
Adrian Blincoe (2002: 3:58.19 -- 3:54.4)
Ryan Hayden (2002: 3:58.27)
Jason Jabaut (2006: 3:59.07 -- 3:57.26)
Bobby Curtis (2007: 3:57.20)
Mike Kerrigan (2007: 3:59:60)


Sub-3:42.22 for 1500 meters = metric equivalent of a sub-4:00 Mile

Ken Shappert (1976: 3:42.0)
Dean Childs (1978: 3:42.1)
Jan Friedli (1988: 3:42.08)
Louie Quintana (1993: 3:41.24)
Tom Parlapiano (2004: 3:41.51)
Matt Gibney (2009: 3:40.58)
Carl Mackenzie (2010: 3:41.99)

Jen Rhines on "Finishing Chelsea's Run"

Feature Story: Finishing Chelsea's Run
May 6, 2010
By Jen Rhines


I am a professional long distance runner and have been so for 14 years now. I have made three U.S. Olympic teams and it is my goal to make my fourth team in 2012. I run most every day and often twice a day. It is what one does when working to be one of the best in the world in my running events. Most often, I take my running for granted as just another part of who I am and what I do. I know that it shouldn’t always be that way, but it is what happens when I get into a daily routine of things. I run, I stretch, I lift, I run again - that is a normal day for me.

It is when a day like that doesn’t happen or when there is a certain outside shock going on in the world that I stop and think about what I do and how lucky I am to be doing it. It happens when a girl like Chelsea King comes into my life, albeit in an abstract way as I was watching television. I never had the opportunity to meet Chelsea and never will, but what has happened in her life has certainly changed mine and probably many just like me. As a member of the Mammoth Track Club, I spend most of my time training at altitude in the Eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains. Mammoth Lakes, California is about as pristine a place as there can be for a distance runner. The trails are endless, the air is clear, the water is clean and there is never too much to worry about in this small town.

However, to catch a break from the heavy snow and oftentimes just to breathe a little easier, I do some sea level training over the course of the year. I usually go down with our team to San Diego and train at the ARCO U.S. Olympic Training Center. I spent some time there this February and again in April to get in some quicker training on the track before some of my summer track races start. While down there, I became acquainted with the murder and sexual assault of local high school student Chelsea King. It is a story that I have followed non-stop since I felt that it related so closely to what I and so many take for granted on a daily basis.

For those of you who haven’t heard of her, Chelsea King was a 17-year-old high school student who disappeared while running in Rancho Bernardo Park, a suburban park in San Diego County, on February 25. Her body was found five days later in a shallow grave nearby. Although I have not personally run in that park, it is one very similar to the many parks that my fellow runners and I train in on a daily basis. What happened to Chelsea created one of those moments where I realize that it could have easily happened to me, or to one of my friends, or to one of the thousands of women runners that hit the trails for their daily jog - without a thought in the world that this may be the last run they ever do.

It is an incredible shock and in the San Diego area it has not gone unnoticed. The local authorities have arrested a suspect in the Chelsea case. It was 31-year-old John Albert Gardner III, who lived nearby. He was arrested because he had a past criminal record and was a person of interest in a case like this one. Subsequently, Gardner has now confessed to Chelsea’s murder and to that of another San Diego teen, Amber Dubois, who was murdered back in 2009. John Albert Gardner III was already a convicted sex offender prior to these two murders! He was a listed “red dot” on the family watchdog map.

I didn’t know about these watchdog websites that listed convicted sex offenders until late last year. It was last fall when I was selected for jury duty back in Mammoth Lakes. Upon reporting, I realized that it was a big trial as there had to have been a couple hundred potential jurors present at the first day. I was one of the first 12 called into the jury box for questioning. We were soon informed that it was a pedophile case – the defendant was charged with several counts of sexual assault against three minors. After three days of sitting in the jury box, I was dismissed by the defense so I didn’t serve on the jury.

It did, however, pique my interest into this whole world of sex offenders. How often does this happen? How many convicted sex offenders are living nearby? I found some answers on one of the watchdog websites. I typed in Mammoth Lakes into the map and only one dot popped up - that didn’t seem too bad, just one. Next, I entered Bishop, California; it is the valley floor town that’s about 40 miles south of Mammoth. There were several red dots there – a little creepier. Then I entered our address in San Diego and WHOA! The screen was filled with red dots! I zoomed in and saw that some were just up the street from us.

If you click on the “red dot” on the screen it will show you the offender’s picture and which crimes they were convicted of. A few of the faces looked vaguely familiar; they may even be people I passed on the street at some point or on a run. Naively, I had no idea how often sexual crimes against minors are committed. John Albert Gardner is a registered sex offender who served five years in prison after pleading guilty to attacking a 13-year-old neighborhood girl in 2000. Gardner served only five years despite a psychiatrist’s report that he showed no remorse and should get the maximum sentence of 30 years in prison. Next, once paroled, he was cited for seven violations between 2005 and 2008.

This man simply should not have had the opportunity to prey on more young women. With a little more research into all of this I have found that California Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher has proposed “Chelsea’s Law,” which the King family is adamantly supporting. The key components of this measure are a “one-strike” provision, parole reform and better GPS tracking of registered sex offenders. It would also prohibit a convicted offender from entering a public park without prior approval of a parole agent.

In a perfect world, we wouldn’t need theses provisions; but unfortunately we don’t live in a perfect world. As a professional runner it is part of my job to be out on the trails everyday. And I will be out there! I took up running as a teenager in rural upstate New York. The only thing I had to worry about running alone there were unleashed dogs - I sometimes even carried pepper spray with me for the sole purpose of warding off a nasty dog. Excelling at a sport as a young girl was very empowering for me and I want all young women to have the same opportunity.

When I am winding through the trails of Mammoth Lakes, the only thing on my mind is potentially running into some wildlife. I encounter the occasional local bear or coyote, and fortunately to date no mountain lions have crossed my path. However, it is a little different in an urban area such as San Diego. In these more metropolitan areas, I believe we need to be vigilant and aware of our surroundings yet not be not afraid to enjoy running in our local parks and trails.

Whether it is in the mountains of northern California or Balboa Park in downtown San Diego - nature needs to remain a safe place to run and play. We, as women cannot be afraid to take to the trails. Remembering back in March, I saw an event covered on the local news called “Finish Chelsea’s Run.” It was on a Saturday morning where people gathered to finish the three-mile run at Lake Hodges that Chelsea started that fateful February day. The organizers only expected about 250 people to show up whereas 3500 women, men and children arrived to run or walk Chelsea’s route.

It was great to see all of these people literally and symbolically “taking back the park.” In these times of unjustifiable violence that often leave me with the feeling that I should just stay indoors, I know that I need to be strong. I know that I, like many of my fellow women runners, need to express the importance of what it means to run free. Just as we cannot be afraid to fly on a commercial airline or ride public transportation after an act of terrorism, we can’t be afraid to take to the trails after these acts of violence. It is in this way we can all Finish Chelsea’s Run and the terrible death of a young runner will not go forgotten

Koons Looking for 1500 "A" Standard at Swarthmore Last Chance Meet

Frances Koons already owns a qualifying "A" standard for 5000 meters, but she is intent on qualifying as well for the USATF outdoor championships in the 1500 meters. To guarantee her place in the competion, she needs to reach the "A" standard of 4:12. She'll be seeking to hit that time today at the Swarthmore Last Chance meet.
Koons is shown above winning the April 2010 Ryan Shay road mile in Michigan.

Curtis to Compete in NYRR Healthy Kidney 10K in NYC

Abdirahman, Khannouchi make up 10k field in NYC

Top Americans Curtis, Smyth, Trafeh to race in UAE Healthy Kidney 10K on May 15
By New York Road Runners

New York -- Rising American stars Bobby Curtis, Patrick Smyth, and Mo Trafeh will join three-time Olympian Abdi Abdirahman and four-time Chicago Marathon winner Khalid Khannouchi, who is looking to make his running comeback, at the UAE Healthy Kidney 10K on Saturday, May 15, in Central Park, it was announced today by New York Road Runners president and CEO Mary Wittenberg.

The top Americans will face a tough international contingent, which includes 2010 NYC Half-Marathon champion Peter Kamais of Kenya, Australian 10,000-meter record-holder (27:29.73) Collis Birmingham, and seven-time NCAA Champion Alistair Cragg of Ireland. Also toeing the line on May 15 will be 2009 World Cross Country Champion Gebre Gebremariam of Ethiopia, who boasts the fastest 10,000-meter time in the field (26:52.73).

Khannouchi, 38, of Ossining, NY, will return to New York City for the first time since he finished fourth at the 2008 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials. His last competitive race was in 2008 at the Steamboat Classic 4-mile in Peoria, IL, where he finished ninth. Khannouchi became the American marathon record-holder in 2002 at the London Marathon, where he finished in 2:05:38.

"I am very happy to be back running the Healthy Kidney 10K and am excited that I am going to be racing very soon, especially in my backyard-Central Park," said Khannouchi. "After a painful and slow recovery from foot surgery last year, I decided Central Park is the best place for a new beginning in my running career."

Abdirahman, 33, of Tucson, AZ, will make his second appearance at the UAE Healthy Kidney 10K in 2010, after an 11th-place finish last year. Abdirahman won the 2009 U.S. 10K road championship in 28:11.

Curtis, 25, of Ardmore, PA, is a two-time member of the U.S. team at the World Cross Country Championships. He became the second-fastest 5000-meter runner in Villanova University history when he won the 2009 NCAA championship at that distance in 13:33.93. [Last week Curtis ran became the 11th fastest 10,000 runner in US history by running a 27:33.36 PR at Stanford]

Smyth, 23, of Minneapolis, MN, is off to a fast start in 2010. The Team USA Minnesota member won his first race of the year at the Emerald Nuts Midnight Run 4-mile in Central Park in 18:35 and finished second at the USA Half-Marathon Championships in January.

Trafeh, 24, of Duarte, CA, is looking to improve upon his finish at the 2010 NYC Half Marathon on March 21. After a duel for second with Kenya's Moses Kigen Kipkosgei, Trafeh finished third, one second behind Kigen, in 1:00:39. He won the USA 15K Championships in Jacksonville, FL, on March 13 in 42:58.

"Our American men are on a roll in New York City and we can't wait to have them back," said Wittenberg. "With Khalid making his racing comeback, and Abdi, Bobby, Patrick, Mo, and others racing tough, we know red, white, and blue will be in the mix for an exciting race."

The athletes will be taking aim at the course record of 27 minutes, 48 seconds, set in 2009 by Tadese Tola. Tola broke the previous record, set by Dathan Ritzenheim at the UAE Healthy Kidney 10K in 2007, by 20 seconds and earned a $20,000 bonus for running the fastest-ever 10K in Central Park.

The Healthy Kidney 10K is an open race led by a select field of professional male runners and offers $25,000 in prize money to the top finishers, with $7,500 for the male winner.

The race is sponsored by the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates to benefit the National Kidney Foundation, in appreciation of American medical excellence in the kidney transplant field. The late UAE president Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al-Nahyan benefited from American expertise, knowledge, and research when he received a kidney transplant in 2000. Among his many honors and accomplishments, he was most proud of being a kidney transplant survivor.

Jon Fasulo Heads Villanova Alums at Philly Broad Street Run

Former Big East cross country champion Jonathan Fasulo finished 6th at last weekend's Broad Street Run, a 10-mile race in center city Philadelphia. Fasulo covered the distance in 51:35, a shade under 5:10 per mile pace. In January of this year Fasulo, the 2009 USATF Mid-Atlantic Runner of the Year, was 23rd at the US Half-Marathon Championship in Houston, in a PR of 1:06:13. Also on the men's side of the Broad Street Run, Marc Pelerin (fighting blisters) was 70th in 57:27, Cory Smith was 147th in 1:01:13 and Tom Parlapiano was 183rd in 1:02:40. On the women's side, Jon's sister Jenna was 19th (225th overall) in 1:03.46. Jenna -- a 2:58 marathoner -- ran collegiately for The College of New Jersey. Also noteworthy was the 1:09.29 performamce of Vicki Rudawsky (better known as Vicki Huber). She won 9 individual NCAA championships while at Villanova in the late 1980s and represented the USA in the 1988 and 1996 Olympics.
Pictured above are Cory Smith, Jenna Fasulo, Jon Fasulo, Tom Parlapiano, and Michelle Ezzie, the winning team at the 2009 Broad Street Run.

Ward Wins Big East 100 Hurdles Title

Shericka Ward won the 100 meter hurdles at the Big East conference championship meet in Cincinnati, improving from 5th a year ago at this meet. She was one of only two individual winners for the Villanova squad at the meet.

Finals
1 Shericka Ward SO VILLANOVA 13.55E -2.2 10
2 Yvana Hepburn SR SOUTH FLORIDA 13.78E -2.2 8
3 Theresa Lewis SR LOUISVILLE 13.95E -2.2 6
4 Nevada Sorenson FR NOTRE DAME 14.04E -2.2 5
5 Brianna Broyles SR PITTSBURGH 14.16E -2.2 4
6 Kali Watkins JR NOTRE DAME 14.38 -2.2 3
7 Brittany Carroll FR PITTSBURGH 14.50 -2.2 2

Sheila Reid is Big East 800 meter Champion

Sheila Reid won the Big East championship at 800 meters, in 2:06.38, in a new stadium record. Here are the results from the final:

Finals
1 Sheila Reid SO VILLANOVA 2:06.38S 10
2 Keri Bland JR WEST VIRGINIA 2:06.79S 8
3 Christine Whalen SR GEORGETOWN 2:07.82S 6
4 Mary Cate Quiett JR DEPAUL 2:07.95S 5
5 Kathy Klump SO CINCINNATI 2:10.14E 4
6 Natalie Johnson JR NOTRE DAME 2:10.68E 3
7 Jenna Heaton SO CINCINNATI 2:11.86 2
8 KeAira Dickerson JR SETON HALL 2:13.79 1

Curtis #11 on USA All-Time 10,000 List

Bobby Curtis ran 27:33.38 on Saturday night in Palo Alto. His time places him as the 11st fastest American 10,000 meter runner of all time. Here is the 12-deep list:

1. Chris Solinsky 26:59.60 (2010)
2. Galen Rupp 27:10.74 (2010)
3. Meb Keflezighi 27:13.98 (2001)
4. Abdi Abdirahman 27:16.99 (2008)
5. Mark Nenow 27:20.56 (1986)
6. Dathan Ritzenhein 27:22.28 (2009)
7. Alberto Salazar 27:25.61 (1982)
8. Craig Virgin 27:29.16 (1980)
9. Todd Williams 27:31.34 (1995)
10. Tim Nelson 27:31.56 (2010)
11. Bobby Curtis 27:33.38 (2010)
12. Alan Culpepper 27:33.93 (2001)

Curtis Interview after 27:33.38 PR

Big PR for Curtis at Stanford 10,000

In a race where Chris Solinsky became the first American to break 27:00 for 10,000 meters, Bobby Curtis set a 33 second PR, running 27:33. Solinksy (2007) and Curtis (2008) were back-to-back NCAA champions at 5000 meters. Race video is beloq.

Payton Jordan Cardinal Invitational - 5/1/2010
Stanford University --Stanford, California

Men 10000 Meter Run Kim McDonald

Finals

1 Chris Solinsky Nike/Kimbia 26:59.60 American Record
2 Daniel Salel Kenya 27:07.85
3 Sam Chelanga Liberty 27:08.39
4 Galen Rupp Nike 27:10.74
5 Simon Bairu Nike/Kimbia 27:23.63
6 Chris Thompson Otc 27:29.61
7 Tim Nelson Nike/Kimbia 27:31.56
8 Robert Curtis Melbourne Tr 27:33.38
9 Kensuke Takezawa S&B 27:55.02
10 Carlos Romero Mexico 27:57.52
11 Takeshi Makabe Kanebo 27:57.53
12 Scott Bauhs Adidas 28:03.99
13 Brent Vaughn Nike/Kimbia 28:05.33
14 Boaz Cheboiywo Kimbia 28:06.60
15 Brett Gotcher Adidas 28:09.21
16 Chris Barnicle New Mexico 28:10.59
17 Andy Vernon Adidas 28:11.43
18 Shawn Forrest Melbourne Tr 28:12.48
19 Jason Hartmann Nike/Kimbia 28:25.99
20 Patrick Smyth Nike 28:33.14
21 David Jankowski Zap Fitness 28:34.27
22 Jeremy Johnson Brooks Team 28:37.84
23 Brian Medigovich Unattached 28:40.54
24 Josh Moen Team Usa Mn/Strands 28:43.27
-- Simon Ndarangu Kenya DNF
-- Anthony Famiglietti Saucony DNF
-- Mathew Kisorio Kenya DNF
-- Alistair Cragg adidas DNF
-- Sean Quigley Puma/Kimbia DNF
-- Mark Kenneally Unattached DNF

Track and Field Videos on Flotrack

Nnenna Lynch: 1993 NCAA Woman of the Year, Rhodes Scholar, NCAA Champion

Click on image to read the article from People magazine in 1994.

Curtis & Blincoe in Loaded 10,000 at Stanford

Here is the start list for the top section of the 10,000 meters at this weekend's Payton Jordan meet at Stanford. Bobby Curtis has a 10,000 PR of 28:06.74 from 2008, while Adrian Blincoe (the New Zealand national record holder at 5000 meters) has yet to run a high profile 10,000. Jen Rhines has also declared in both the 1500 and 10,000 on the woman's side.

Event 21 Men 10000 Meter Run Kim McDonald
======================================================
Name Year School
======================================================
1 202 Mike Aish Melbourne Tr
2 300 Simon Bairu Nike/Kimbia
3 20 Scott Bauhs Adidas
4 336 Shadrack Biwott Otc
5 203 Adrian Blincoe Melbourne Tr
6 184 Boaz Cheboiywo Kimbia
7 192 Sam Chelanga Liberty
8 17 Alistair Cragg adidas
9 204 Robert Curtis Melbourne Tr
10 441 Anthony Famiglietti Saucony
11 205 Shawn Forrest Melbourne Tr
12 21 Brett Gotcher Adidas
13 301 Jason Hartmann Nike/Kimbia
14 706 David Jankowski Zap Fitness
15 651 Mark Kenneally Unattached
16 175 Takeshi Makabe Kanebo
17 654 Brian Medigovich Unattached
18 528 Josh Moen Team Usa Mn/
19 302 Tim Nelson Nike/Kimbia
20 356 Sean Quigley Puma/Kimbia
21 659 Galen Rupp Unattached
22 720 Daniel Salel Kenya
23 294 Patrick Smyth Nike
24 662 Chris Solinsky Nike/Kimbia
25 379 Kensuke Takezawa S&B
26 339 Chris Thompson OTC
27 303 Brent Vaughn Nike/Kimbia
28 22 Andy Vernon Adidas

Happy Birthday Jim Ryun

Today is the 63rd birthday of the legendary Jim Ryun, the first prep runner to break 4:00 for the mile. He set world records at 800 meters, 880 yards, 1500 meters and the mile. He set 8 American records and 4 world records between 1965 and 1967, ranging from 800 meters to 2 miles. He won an olympic silver medal at 1500 in 1968 (losing to Kip Keino, father of Villanova's Kippy Keino). He was, of course, Marty Liquori's greatest rival in the late 1960s and early 1970s; the two waged some epic duels and the so-called Dream Mile of 1971 made the cover of Sports Ilustrated. He later served as a US Congressman from Kansas.

Sean Tully Close to Breaking 4:00 in OD Mile

Sean Tully at the Penn Realys Olympic Development Mile came close to becoming the last in a long line of sub-4:00 milers from Villanova. The owner of a 1:46 800 PR, Tully came home in 4th place in 4:01.95

Penn Relays Olympic Development Mile

1 9 William Mulherin Virginia Tech 4:00.93
2 4 Stephen Furst adidas Raleigh TC 4:01.21
3 2 Rob Novak New York AC 4:01.65
4 10 Sean Tully New York AC 4:01.95
5 11 Kevin Tschirhart unattached 4:02.81
6 3 Nicholas Stenuf unattached 4:03.88
7 5 Bobby Mack TAF Brooks 4:07.17
8 14 Nick Guarino SUNY/Fredonia 4:07.95
9 1 Steve Slattery Boulder Harriers 4:13.05
10 12 Sean McNamara Michigan 4:13.67
11 13 John Honerkamp New York AC DNS
12 6 Jared Bell unattached DNS
13 7 Mike Banks unattached DNS
14 8 Andrew Springer unattached DNS

Rhines 5th at Brutus Hamilton 3000

Jen Rhines ran 9:09 at the Brutus Hamilton Invitational in Berekely on Friday night, good for 5th place. Rhines is aiming to get under 9:00 for the outdoor season, and a 9:09 this early on is nothing shameful. Her best last year was 9:02, achieved in August at Gateshead in the UK, although she does own an off-the-charts 8:35 PR from 2007. Ex-Cat Marina Muncan served as rabbit. Results are here (and video of the race is at bottom).


2010 Brutus Hamilton Invitational
University of California - Berkeley - 4/23/2010 to 4/24/2010

Event 32 Women 3000 Meter Run NYRR Invite
===============================================================
Name Year School Finals
===============================================================
Finals
1 Amy Begley NIKE Oregon 8:53.73
2 Malindi Elmore Unattached 8:57.97
3 Yuriko Kobayashi Toyota Wellness 9:01.39
4 Renee Metivier Baillie Unattached 9:03.73
5 Jen Rhines Unattached 9:09.46
6 Rebecca Donaghue New Balance 9:10.02
7 Blake Russell Reebok 9:12.46
8 Katie McGregor Reebok 9:14.45
9 Kazue Kojima Toyota Wellness 9:17.08
10 Annie Bersagel New Balance 9:19.40
11 Marisol Romero MEXICO 9:25.64
12 Kaitlin Gregg UC Davis 9:30.94
13 Amy Hastings Brooks 9:37.33
-- Marina Muncan New York Roa DNF

Track and Field Videos on Flotrack

Villanova Men 2nd in DMR

The VU men ran about as best as anyone could expect in the DMR today, and finished second. VU came in ahead of Georgetown, Michigan, and Texas. Once formidable Arkansas was 14th and last.

Results

PL School/Affiliation Mark Athletes ID

1 Oregon 9:30.69 Matthew Centrowitz (2:56.09), Chad Barlow (46.72), Mac Fleet (1:48.04), Andrew Wheating (3:59.84) AB

2 Villanova 9:33.93 Mathew Mildenhall (2:57.55), Christopher Kearney (47.04), Cody Harper (1:48.74), Carl MacKenzie (4:00.62) AA

3 Georgetown 9:34.38 Dylan Sorensen (2:58.70), Toby Ulm (46.61), Theon O'Conner (1:49.37), Andrew Bumbalough (3:59.71) AJ

4 Michigan 9:35.24 Brendon Blacklaws (2:57.95), David St. Amant (47.12), Dallas Bowden (1:49.74), Lex Williams (4:00.44) AL

5 Texas 9:39.08 Logan Gonzales (2:59.48), Danzell Fortson (46.05), Tevan Everett (1:50.24), Patrick Todd (4:03.31) AF

6 Tennessee 9:39.61 Emerson Peacock (3:00.29), Alan Bachman (46.75), Joseph Franklin (1:49.94), Peter Sigilai (4:02.65) AH

7 Florida State 9:42.86 Matthew Leeder (2:58.49), Darrin Gibson (47.83), Nathan Duby (1:52.60), David Forrester (4:03.96) CD

8 Columbia 9:43.19 Jeff Moriarty (2:56.50), Justin Hollomon (48.03), Mike Mark (1:50.02), Kyle Merber (4:08.65) AE

9 Indiana 9:43.25 Ben Hubers (3:01.30), Chris Vaughn (47.92), Daniel Stockberger (1:51.88), Andrew Bayer (4:02.17) AG

10 Princeton 9:43.40 Kyle Soloff (3:00.01), Mike Eddy (46.42), Peter Callahan (1:51.12), Trevor Van Ackeren (4:05.87) AI

11 Penn State 9:43.46 Samuel Borchers (2:56.96), Lionel Williams (46.74), Sam Havko (1:52.02), Vince McNally (4:07.76) AD

12 Virginia 9:46.33 Sintayehu Taye (2:59.35), Kevin Anding (46.33), Zach Vrhovac (1:51.41), Brett Johnson (4:09.24) AC

13 Cornell 9:49.05 Owen Kimple (3:00.41), Chris Tait (47.42), Nick Wade (1:50.14), Charles Hatch (4:11.10) AM

14 Arkansas 9:56.74 Drew Butler (2:58.90), Ben Skidmore (47.78), Omar Abdi (1:55.38), Michael Chinchar (4:14.70) AK

Event History

Epic Battle in Women's 4 x 1500

Tennessee and Villanova waged a spirited battle in the 4 x 1500 relay. The Tennessee and Villanova runners were less than a second apart on each and every leg. Sheila Reid and Phoebe Wright battled mightily over the final lap, but Wright would not yield the lead. Tennessee won by half a second. Oregon's Jordan Hasay did well to catch up to Wright and Reid at the bell, but was unable to respond when the latter two struck for home.

Results

PL School/Affiliation Mark Athletes ID

1 Tennessee 17:14.91 Chanelle Price (4:20.7), Jackie Areson (4:18.3), Brittany Sheffey (4:18.6), Phoebe Wright (4:17.3) A

2 Villanova 17:15.41 Ellen Dougherty (4:21.5), Nicole Schappert (4:17.7), Bogdana Mimic (4:18.9), Sheila Reid (4:17.3) C

3 Oregon 17:25.27 Nicole Blood (4:19.8), Alex Kosinski (4:23.9), Anne Kesselring (4:19.4), Jordan Hasay (4:22.2) B

4 Indiana 17:58.39 Wendi Robinson (4:33.2), Molly Beckwith (4:23.2), Chelsea Blanchard (4:28.1), Sarah Pease (4:33.9) G

5 Syracuse 18:00.46 Katie Hursey (4:26.9), Lauren Penney (4:28.4), Heather Stephens (4:35.6), Maegan Krifchin (4:29.6) I

6 Duke 18:03.65 Emily Sherrard (4:30.1), Kate Van Buskirk (4:20.4), Suejin Ahn (4:31.1), Anna Farias-Eisner (4:42.1) H

7 Columbia 18:04.62 Jackie Drouin (4:24.9), Serita Lachesis (4:30.2), Caroline McDonough (4:37.7), Erin Hays (4:31.8) L

8 Princeton 18:06.75 Ashley Higginson (4:27.5), Sarah Cummings (4:33.0), Alexis Mikaelian (4:34.6), Melissa Newbery (4:31.7) M

9 Wake Forest 18:21.01 Anna Nosenko (4:21.5), Caitlin Crawford (4:37.9), Erin Redden (4:37.8), Casey Fowler (4:43.8) O

10 Providence 18:22.42 Shelby Greany (4:32.5), Charlotte FfrenchO'Carroll (4:28.8), Emma Perron (4:35.7), Samantha Roecker (4:45.4) K

11 Harvard 18:28.72 Claire Richardson (4:26.5), Nicole Cochran (4:39.5), Jeanne Mack (4:38.7), Sammy Silva (4:44.0) P

12 Miami (Ohio) 18:44.66 Amanda Mirochna (4:31.7), Jill Dickman (4:45.7), Katie Lenahan (4:47.4), Kelley Miller (4:39.9) Q

Koons Wins Olympic Development 5000 at Penn, Sets :15 PR | Carmen Douma-Hussar 4th

Two Villanova alums performed well in the Olympic Development 5000 meter race at the Penn Relays on Thursday. The top four broke away very early and were never challenged from the chase group. Koons did much of the work and could not be headed.

Olympic Development Women's 5000m

Event 78 Thursday 9:15 PM

Records

WR Ethiopia 14:11.15 2008 Tirunesh Dibaba
AR Nike 14:44.80 2007 Shalane Flanagan
PR Nike 15:17.11 1995 Laura Mykytok
FF Nike 15:17.11 1995 Laura Mykytok

Results

PL ID Athlete School/Affiliation Mark

1 4 Frances Koons unattached 15:43.78
2 6 Toni Salucci adidas Raleigh TC 15:45.65
3 2 Allison Grace ZAP Fitness 15:49.10
4 1 Carmen Douma-Hussar New Balance 15:51.04
5 5 Stephanie Reilly NB Boston 16:24.33
6 8 Alison Parris unattached 16:27.18
7 26 Emily Lanois Columbia 16:48.96
8 46 Courtney Calka Eastern Michigan 16:53.43
9 43 Elicia Anderson Millersville 16:59.21
10 20 Katherine Peterson Kentucky 17:00.33
11 28 Kaitlyn Patterson Michigan 17:01.55
12 47 Tara Wilson East Carolina 17:05.47
13 27 Katie Kellner Cornell 17:06.09
14 16 Mary Grace Pellegrini Michigan 17:07.31
15 22 Stephanie Bearish La Salle 17:08.67
16 7 Christine Ramsey Riadha 17:10.26
17 39 Catherine Campbell Dickinson 17:11.75
18 48 Rebecca White Quinnipiac 17:16.40
19 41 Paige Anderson Penn State 17:20.45
20 44 Jennifer Lynch Muhlenberg 17:20.90
21 29 Clare Buck Columbia 17:22.73
22 42 Allison Conner Maine 17:25.79
23 33 Alexa Rogers Vanderbilt 17:29.49
24 13 Susie Rivard unattached 17:35.83
25 14 Meghan McGlinchey unattached 17:36.66
26 34 Erin Baird Penn 17:40.34
27 45 Kelsey Budd William & Mary 17:44.07
28 24 Lauren Blase Youngstown State 17:47.76
29 37 Jenna Henssler LSU 17:55.34
30 17 Lindsay Toussant Toledo 18:00.30
31 23 Maraya Slatter Queens/Charlotte 18:04.09
21 Katherine Pagano Eastern Kentucky DNF
25 Simone Domingue Mississippi State DNF
9 Amanda LoPiccolo Syracuse Chargers DNF

Lipari Beats Cuffe over 3000 meters at Penn

Villanova signee Emily Lipari, the top prep 3000 meter runner in the USA this outdoor season (9:45.71), faced junior Aisling Cuffe, the USA #2 3000 meter runner in the USA during the 2010 indoor season (9:36.95), over 3000 meters today at the Penn Relays. Lipari ran an 11-second PR and solidified her place at the top of the national prep list. Cuffe PR'd as well, but it was good only for second.

High School Girls' 3000m Championship

Event 69 Thursday 7:30 PM
Records
NR Los Alamos (NM) 9:08.6 1975 Lynn Bjorklund
PR Dover (N.H.) 9:15.3 1985 Cathy Schiro

Results

PL ID Athlete School/Affiliation Mark

1 3 Emily Lipari Roslyn (Roslyn Heights, NY) 9:34.52
2 2 Aisling Cuffe Cornwall (New Windsor, NY) 9:36.84
3 10 Sara Sargent Pennsbury (Fairless Hills, PA) 9:39.26
4 4 Laura Hoer T.C. Roberson (Asherville, NC) 9:39.41
5 18 Marielle Hall Haddonfield Memorial (Haddonfield, NJ) 9:40.23
6 8 Katie Kinkead Central Bucks East (Doylestown, PA) 9:44.27
7 7 Megan Venables Highland Regional (Blackwood, NJ) 9:45.83
8 6 Nicole Irving Shenendehowa (Clifton Park, NY) 9:51.22
9 5 Katherine Walker Brooke Point (Stafford, VA) 9:51.64
10 9 Kaitlyn Davis Mountain View (Stafford, VA) 9:54.53
11 22 Caroline Kellner Plainsboro South (Plainsboro, NJ) 9:57.53
12 16 Stephanie Bryan Gov. Johnson (Frederick, MD) 10:05.18
13 19 Meghan McGovern North Penn (Lansdale, PA) 10:07.09
14 17 Elizabeth Simpson Boyertown (Boyertown, PA) 10:08.76
15 14 Cass Goutos Saratoga Springs (Sar. Springs, NY) 10:11.06
16 23 Lara Shegoski Montgomery Township (Skillman, NJ) 10:11.15
17 12 Lexie Schustrom Pinecrest (Southern Pines, NC) 10:11.42
18 20 Ursula Svoboda Suffern (Suffern, NY) 10:11.90
19 24 Sydney King Saratoga Springs (Saratoga Springs, NY) 10:14.58
20 11 Rox Henningson Green. Cent. (Greenwich, NY) 10:14.81
21 21 Catherine Maloy Holy Names (Albany, NY) 10:19.52

Track and Field Videos on Flotrack

VU Women 3rd in Penn Relays DMR

At the NCAA Indoor Championships, it was Tennessee -- Oregon -- Georgetown -- Villanova; today at the Penn Relays DMR, Villanova moved up to 3rd, but Tennessee and Oregon were 1-2 again. The race was over after Phoebe Wright's 2:02 800 leg. Tennessee's time was the #8 DMR of all time:

The all-time world list in the women's distance medley

10:48.38 Villanova 4/28/88
10:50.51 Tennessee 4/24/08
10:50.98i Tennessee 3/13/09
10:53.27 Villanova 4/26/84
10:53.37 Villanova 4/29/89
10:54.08 Tennessee 4/26/90
10:54.34i Villanova 1/30/88
10:54.65 Tennessee 4/22/10
10:55.46 Villanova 4/23/87
10:56.19i North Carolina 3/13/09



College Women's Distance Medley Championship of America
Event 61 Thursday 5:35 PM

Records

NR Villanova 10:48.38 1988 Kathy Franey (3:21.0), Michelle Bennett (52.8), Celeste Halliday (2:04.7), Vicki Huber (4:29.9)
AR Villanova 10:48.38 1988 Kathy Franey (3:21.0), Michelle Bennett (52.8), Celeste Halliday (2:04.7), Vicki Huber (4:29.9)
PR Villanova 10:48.38 1988 Kathy Franey (3:21.0), Michelle Bennett (52.8), Celeste Halliday (2:04.7), Vicki Huber (4:29.9)
FF Villanova 10:48.38 1988 Kathy Franey (3:21.0), Michelle Bennett (52.8), Celeste Halliday (2:04.7), Vicki Huber (4:29.9)

Results

PL School/Affiliation Mark Athletes ID

1 Tennessee 10:54.65 Brittany Sheffey (3:21.63), Ellen Wortham (52.64), Phoebe Wright (2:02.12), Jackie Areson (4:38.26) AA

2 Oregon 11:02.85 Jordan Hasay (3:23.32), Keshia Baker (51.25), Anne Kesselring (2:06.21), Nicole Blood (4:42.07) AB

3 Villanova 11:07.42 Nicole Schappert (3:22.68), Christie Verdier (55.46), Ellen Dougherty (2:09.18), Sheila Reid (4:40.10) AC

4 Wake Forest 11:13.56 Anna Nosenko (3:28.56), Gwen Ricco (57.08), Molly Binder (2:10.32), Dina Nosenko (4:37.60) AK

5 Duke 11:14.13 Esther Vermeer (3:30.15), Cydney Ross (54.73), Devotia Moore (2:10.68), Kate Van Buskirk (4:38.57) AJ

6 Boston College 11:16.02 Jillian King (3:29.88), Anna Cioffredi (57.52), Caitlin Bailey (2:08.79), Caroline King (4:39.83) AG

7 Indiana 11:16.17 Molly Beckwith (3:21.03), Lindsey Hartman (55.82), Arianne Raby (2:12.58), Chelsea Blanchard (4:46.74) AH

8 Arkansas 11:17.94 Stephanie Brown (3:26.29), Karen Thomas (53.45), Samantha Learch (2:09.76), Kristen Gillespie (4:48.44) AF

9 Georgetown 11:19.27 Avril Ogrodnick (3:30.38), Abigail Johnson (54.44), Rachel Schneider (2:08.49), Christine Whalen (4:45.96) AD

10 Columbia 11:19.47 Jackie Drouin (3:27.36), Sharay Hale (52.77), Serita Lachesis (2:08.85), Caroline McDonough (4:50.49) AN

11 Penn State 11:26.54 Bridget Franek (3:25.60), Megan Duncan (55.32), Caitlin Lane (2:09.98), Cheryl Spring (4:55.64) AI

12 Maine 11:36.67 Jordan Daniel (3:33.59), Cearha Miller (56.76), Vanessa Letourneau (2:15.50), Corey Conner (4:50.82) AM

13 UConn 11:40.61 Leah Andrianos (3:27.78), Brigitte Mania (57.72), Heather Wilson (2:10.53), Christine Vogel (5:04.58)

Track and Field Videos on Flotrack

Bobby Curtis Featured on HS Alumni Magazine Cover

Click above on this post's title to read the Bobby Curtis article in the current issue of his high school's alumni magazine.

Villanova Schedule of Events at Penn Relays

SCHEDULED EVENTS FOR VILLANOVA ATHLETES: 2010 PENN RELAYS

College Men's 4x400 Heats
Event 155 Friday, 4:40 PM

College Men's 4x800 Championship of America
Event 254 Saturday, 4:20 PM

College Men's 4xMile Championship of America
Event 225 Saturday, 1:00 PM

College Men's Distance Medley Championship of America
Event 151 Friday, 4:00 PM

College Men's 3000m Steeplechase Championship
Event 70 Thursday, 7:45 PM
Hugo Beamish (20)

College Men's 5000m Championship
Event 79 Thursday, 9:35 PM
Hugo Beamish (20)
Brian Long (44)
Matthew Kane (46)
Daniel Lewis (48)
Robert Papazian (75)
Keith Capecci (78)

College Men's 400m Hurdles Championship
Event 86 Friday, 9:00 AM
Stefan Goodridge (39)
Nicoy Hines (57)

College Men's High Jump Eastern
Event 291 Friday, 10:00 AM
Albert Darling (51)

College Men's Triple Jump Eastern
Event 312 Saturday, 9:00 AM
Robert Sainvil (65)

College Women's 4x100 Heats
Event 12 Thursday, 1:05 PM

College Women's 4x400 Heats
Event 63 Thursday, 6:05 PM

College Women's 4x800 Championship of America
Event 234 Saturday, 1:55 PM

College Women's 4x1500 Championship of America
Event 126 Friday, 1:30 PM

College Women's Distance Medley Championship of America
Event 61 Thursday, 5:35 PM

College Women's 3000m Championship
Event 76 Thursday, 8:45 PM
Alison Smith (2)
Sarah Morrison (32)

College Women's 5000m Championship
Event 77 Thursday, 8:55 PM
Amanda Marino (15)
Kaitlyn Tallman (33)

College Women's 100m Hurdles Heats
Event 138 Friday, 3:50 PM
Shericka Ward (22)

College Women's 400m Hurdles Championship
Event 3 Thursday, 10:00 AM
Kristen Mahon (41)

College Women's High Jump Eastern
Event 269 Thursday, 10:00 AM
Audrey Gariepy-Bogui (59)

College Women's Pole Vault Championship
Event 284 Thursday, 3:00 PM
Ashlyn Llerandi (7)

VU-Bound Bohi to Run 400 IH at Penn Relays

Bohi cleared to run hurdles at Penn
By: REUBEN FRANK
Burlington County Times
TRACK AND FIELD

A few minutes after the Seneca girls track team had won the state Group 3 indoor track championship, senior Mary Bohi spotted Seneca outdoor coach Fran Siedlecki, who made the trip to Toms River to support the girls she coaches in the spring.

Siedlecki was making the rounds, congratulating the girls and indoor coach Karen O'Neil - who assists Siedlecki outdoors - when she spotted Bohi, who had won a state title at 800 meters a couple hours earlier.

Bohi didn't want to talk about the 800. She had other things on her mind.

"Miss Si, can I run the intermediates at the Penn Relays?" Bohi pleaded. "Pleaaaaase?"

Bohi hasn't been able to run the 400 intermediates at the Penn Relays the last two years because she was leading off Seneca's 3,200-meter relay team, and the two events are only a few minutes apart on Day 1 of the Relays.

So she begged Siedlecki to let her run this year.

"I loved running the 4-by-8, but I've always wanted to run the intermediates at Penn before I graduated," Bohi said. "I qualified the last two years but didn't get to run. There's something really special about doing an individual event at Penn. It really sets you apart from everybody else."

This year, Bohi will finally get her chance. Her pleading has paid off. Bohi runs the invitational 400-meter hurdles Thursday at the 116th annual Penn Relays at Franklin Field in Philadelphia. The race is slated to start at 10:20 a.m. - the second event of the entire meet.

Advertisement "I'm really excited," Bohi said. "It was exciting enough running a relay at Penn. Running the intermediates is going to be amazing."

With a PR of 1:01.49 in winning states last year, Bohi was the No. 9 high school underclassman in the U.S. last year. Four of the eight ranked ahead of her will also be in the field at Penn, along with six runners from the Bahamas, Jamaica or Barbados.

"I ran the intermediates in a couple dual meets, but this will be my first serious competition this year," Bohi said. "My 2:19 split (anchoring Seneca's winning Woodbury Relays sprint medley) gave me a lot of confidence going into Penn.

"I ran (1:05) in my first dual meet just real relaxed and not pushing it, so I'm hoping to run around (1:02) Thursday. If I can do that this early, that would be great."

Bohi is the No. 11 seed of 27 entrants. Anything sub-1:03 would give her a shot at a top-six finish and a spot on the medal stand.

"I love running at Penn," the Villanova-bound Bohi said. "It's such an electrifying atmosphere. I'm going to be kind of nervous, because I know there are some really talented girls in the field, and it's going to be really fast.

"I know I have to go out hard, but that's OK because I always go out hard. If I see somebody ahead of me, I'm just going to keep running hard and hopefully they pull me along to a great time."

Preview of the Women's Distance Relays at Penn Relays

PHILADELPHIA (Jack Pfeifer for The Penn Relays) – Sarah Bowman ran on three championship distance relay teams for Tennessee at last year’s Penn Relays, was named Outstanding Competitor, then graduated a month later. Yet Coach J.J. Clark’s Volunteers are back with a powerhouse women’s group this season and again are the team to beat.

That’s in part because they have Phoebe Wright, Kimarra McDonald and Chanelle Price back – Price and Wright contributed legs on all three winners a year ago, McDonald two – and they are joined this year by veterans Jackie Areson and Brittany Sheffey.

Sheffey, a junior from Bellport, N.Y., anchored Tennessee’s winning distance medley relay team at last month’s NCAA indoor championships, holding off the closing charge of Oregon freshman Jordan Hasay. She and Areson have shown considerable improvement in the past season. Sheffey, who redshirted last year outdoors, has improved from 2:09 to 2:06 in the 800, 4:24 to 4:19 in the 1,500 and 9:38 to 9:26 in the 3k. Areson, a senior from Delray Beach, Fla., has run PRs this year of 4:43 mile, 9:07 3k and 15:51 5k. She placed 3rd in the NCAA indoor 5k last month.

With Bowman’s departure, Wright, a senior, has stepped up to fill her shoes and has become the team’s ace. In the 800 she has run 2:01.12 and was NCAA indoor champion, and she ran a recent 1,500 PR, 4:15.66. Price, a brilliant sophomore, has run 2:01.61 in the 8, 4:46.87 in the mile.
At the 2010 Relays, the Volunteers will have a new challenger in the form of the Oregon Ducks, whose women’s distance runners have not competed here before. The Oregon women won the team championship at this year’s NCAA indoor meet; Tennessee won the title in 2009.

The Ducks are led by newcomers Hasay and Anne Kesselring and the veterans Nicole Blood, Zoe Buckman and Alex Kosinski. Of those five, only Blood, a senior originally from Saratoga Springs, N.Y., has run at Franklin Field before. She ran on the Saratoga High School DMRs in 2003 and 2004, anchoring them to victory in ’04 as a sophomore. Her split that day of 4:46.6 is the 3rd-fastest ever run at the Relays in the girls DMR. As a collegian she was NCAA runnerup in the 5,000 meters last spring, and has a 1,500 PR of 4:14.73.

Hasay and Kosinski are Californians, Kesselring from Germany and Buckman Australia. Hasay set the national high school record in the girls’ 1,500 in 2008, running 4:14.50. Buckman, who has been an 800 specialist, stepped up to the 1,500 in March and ran 4:12.80, the fastest by a collegian so far this year. Kesselring ran a PR 4:18.80 at Stanford this spring, while Kosinski, recovering from injury, debuted with a 4:22 in April. She has a best of 4:18.

In the 4x8, Oregon expects to add freshman Chloe Steinbeck, who PR’d at 2:07 this winter. For the 400 leg of the DMR, they could call on Keshia Baker, who has run 51.

The 4x15 could be a stunning matchup of all-sub-4:20 squads—Oregon and Tennessee each have four—thus threatening the collegiate record the Volunteers set a year ago at the Relays of 17:08.34, a 4:17 average. That broke Michigan’s two-year-old record of 17:15, which in turn had snapped Villanova’s 17-year-old record of 17:18. That famous performance has been relegated to No. 5 on the all-time Relays list. (Tennessee’s 17:08 also set an American record and is recognized as a World Best for the infrequently run event.)

Two other schools, Georgetown and Villanova, can nearly make that claim.

• Georgetown Christine Whalen (4:20.2) and Renee Tomlin (4:16.7) ran on the Hoyas’ 4x15 last year. Coach Pat Henner can also call on Lauren Gregory (4:21.32), a senior from New Jersey, and Avril Ogrodnick (4:19.24), a graduate student from Quebec. In the 4x8 they will look to Tomlin (Ocean City, N.J.) and Whalen (Los Gatos, Calif.), both of whom have run 2:06. Emily Infeld, who ran 4:15 last year as a freshman, is redshirting this spring. Emily’s older sister, Maggie, a senior a year ago, anchored the Hoyas to 2nd in the DMR and 4x15 last year.

• Villanova The “home team” Wildcats, coached by Gina Procaccio to last fall’s NCAA cross country championship, are led by senior Nicole Schappert (4:17.99) and junior Sheila Reid (4:35.70 mile). They are joined by Bogdana Mimic (4:19.67), a sophomore from Serbia, and Brooke Simpson , a sophomore from Australia who ran 4:17 5 years ago. Ellen Dougherty (4:18.66), a senior from Riverhead, N.Y., may also be available, along with Alison Smith (4:26) and freshman Ariann Neutts (2:08). Villanova last won the 4x8 in 1997, the 4x15 in 2000 and the DMR in 2006. Last year they finished 4th in the 4x15 and 3rd in the DMR. Schappert is the daughter of Ken Schappert, who won eight watches on winning Villanova distance relay teams between 1971 and 1975.

Arkansas, Boston College and West Virginia could also be threats in the three women’s distance relays:

• Arkansas Coach Lance Harter’s young squad ran 11:06.56 indoors in the DMR. They are led by freshmen Stephanie Brown (2:05/4:46 mile) and Paige Johnston (2:51 1000) and sophomore Kristen Gillespie (2:07/4:43), along with veteran Jillian Rosen (4:18 1500).

• Boston College Coach Randy Thomas had a splendid indoor season, running 11:05.69 in the DMR, thanks to sisters Caroline (2:07/4:21) and Jillian (2:08/4:27) King, from Scotia-Glenville, N.Y., and Canadian Caitlin Bailey (2:04).

• West Virginia The Mountaineers are loaded, especially in the 4x15 where they have West Virginia natives Keri Bland (4:16), Kaylyn Christopher (4:40 mile) and Karly Hamric (4:38) and Canadians Jessica O’Connell (4:19) and Marie-Louise Asselin (4:25). In the DMR they also have an excellent quartermiler in April Rotilio.

You also can’t ignore Connecticut (8:41 4x8), Duke (8:51/11:22), Princeton (8:52) and Cornell (8:53).

The DMR field has 9 of the 12 teams that ran in this year’s NCAA indoor championship race – winning Tennessee and runner-up Oregon, both of which ran 10:58; Georgetown (3), Villanova (4), Arkansas (7), West Virginia (8), Michigan (10), Boston College (11) and Indiana (12).

Muncan & Koons Run Well at BAA Mile

Running on a 500 meter loop in Boston, ex-Cats Marina Muncan and Frances Koons ran well at the Boston Athletic Association (BAA) mile. Conditions were wet and the times for both the men's and women's races were slow (as evidence, Andy Baddeley won the men's mile in 4:08). Here are the results of the women's race:

BAA Invitational Mile

1 Uceny, Morgan USA 4:43.0
2 Hall, Sara USA 4:43.7
3 Muncan, Marina SBR 4:44.8
4 Donohue, Erin USA 4:46.6
5 Koons, Frances USA 4:47.1
6 McGettigan, Roisin IRL 4:59.3

Princeton's Larry Ellis Meet Produces PRs

Plenty of PRs were scored at Friday night's races at the Larry Ellis Invitational at Princeton.
In the men's 1500, Carl Mackenzie (pictured above) came first in a new PR of 3:44.47 and Mathew Mildenhall was 4th in his new PR of 3:45.97. Both Mackenzie and Mildenhall are now qualified for the NCAA regional meet at 1500. Brian Tetreault also established a new 1500 PR, coming 29th of 73 competitors in 3:52.35.
At 800, Cody Harper went 1:50.76, Jason Apwah was close behind in 1:51.48. Also in that race, Joe Capecci set a PR in finishing in 1:53.20. Others included Matt Wickler (1:53.55), Chris Williams (1:55.94) and Mark Hogan (1:56.64).
Four new PRs were established by Villanova runners at 5000 meters. Brian Long ran an NCAA regional qualifier in 14:07.94, besting his previous PR by 8.5 seconds. Dan Lewis (14:16.81, -35 seconds), Bobby Papazian (14:21.05, -13 seconds), and Matt Kane (14:34.58, -15 seconds) all established big PRs as well.
Hugo Beamish ran close to his own 9:11 PR in the steeple, coming home in 9:12.68.

On the women's side, Ellen Dougherty qualified for the NCAA regional meet with her 4:25.64 third-place finish in the 1500. Ali Smith (4:33.39) and Kaitlyn Tallman (4:37.65) also competed at 1500.
Sarah Morrison ran 11:00.42 to finish 12th in the steeple, while Meghan Smith ran 11:38.54 and Kaitlin O'Sullivan went 11:51.53.

VU Men at Penn Relays

Considering the distance relays (4 x 8, 4 x 15, DMR) on the men's side, Villanova will be without the services of the injured Australian Matthew Gibney (stress reaction in his hip). Gibney was the anchor of last year’s championship DMR squad, the Main Line school’s first victory in the event since 2001. Villanova has won the DMR at the Penn Relays 23 times. This year, they are expected to choose from among 1:50 halfmilers Jason Apwah (Roxbury, N.J.), Chris Williams (NYC) and Cody Harper (Albuquerque) and New Zealanders Hugo Beamish (8:06 3k), Carl Mackenzie (4:00 mile) and Mat Mildenhall (4:03). Mackenzie and Harper, especially, could run either the 800 or 1500 legs on the various relays. Below is the article from April 15 in the Philadelphia Inquirer:

'Nova looking to shine at Penn Relays
By Joe Juliano

Inquirer Staff Writer

The Penn Relays are when Villanova's men and women like to run their best.

And when the Wildcats are running their best at Penn, it's usually in the distance medley relay (DMR).

The Villanova men won the DMR for the 23d time last year with sophomore Matthew Gibney chasing down Arkansas in the final 150 meters. The women, who last won the distance medley in 2006 for their 10th title in the event, took third last year.

The Wildcats will go at it again next week in the 116th edition of the carnival, competing with their best in both.

"Once our indoor season is over, that's the first thing we gear for - the Penn Relays," women's head coach Gina Procaccio said Wednesday. "The DMR is the most prestigious relay, I think, in everybody's mind. That's the one we really like to win."

Men's head coach Marcus O'Sullivan said the DMR "stimulates spectator interaction. You watch it, and everybody's got something to say about it at the end."

"It is a true collective kind of representation of track and field because you're got the quarter mile, the three quarters, the half and the mile. So you've got a little bit of everything in there, and it's kind of nice to see it all come together and watch it unfold."


O'Sullivan will be watching the race unfold without Gibney, who is sidelined with a stress fracture in his hip.

"Not having him this year really does set us back a little bit," he said. "However, the DMR that we're more likely going to use . . . they're young in the sense that they haven't worked together much. But at the same time, they're going to be pretty competitive."

The 'Nova women have had a successful year under Procaccio - cross-country national champions, Big East indoor track and field champions, fourth in the NCAA indoors - and hope to match that success outdoors at Franklin Field.

The Wildcats finished fourth in the women's DMR at NCAA indoors. Tennessee and Oregon went 1-2 in that race and are expected to battle it out at Penn, where the Vols won in 2009.

Villanova is bolstered by anchor Sheila Reid, a junior who won Big East titles at 1,000 meters and one mile and placed third in the NCAA 3,000 in 9 minutes, 1.13 seconds. That time, Procaccio said, was the third-fastest in school history, topped only by Olympians Vicki Huber and Sonia O'Sullivan.

"She's probably the dominant leader on this team," Procaccio said. "She likes to win. She wants to win. She's a fierce competitor. She's really good at getting the girls to believe they can win as well."

Reid will be joined in the DMR by senior Nicole Schappert, sophomore Christine Verdier, and freshman Ariann Neutts.

For the men, with Gibney out, junior Jason Apwah, who ran the 800-meter leg in 2009, would be the only holdover. But O'Sullivan said he hasn't decided between Apwah and senior Cody Harper for that spot.

Also, he plans to choose the 400 runner after this weekend's meets at Widener and Princeton. Junior Carl Mackenzie (1,200) and sophomore Matthew Mildenhall (1,600) round out the team.

Bobby Curtis after 13:31 at Mt SAC 5000

Bobby led for much of the latter portion of the race, until being passed in the the final 150 meters. The winner ran 13:24, with Curtis finishing tenth in 13:31.50. Here are the race video and the official results:

Track and Field Videos on Flotrack

1 Dan Huling Reebok 13:24.72
2 Brent Vaughn Nike 13:26.05
3 Diego Alberto Borrego Mexico 13:27.26
4 Brandon Bethke Arizona State 13:27.83
5 Andy Vernon adidas 13:28.60
6 Brian Medigovich Unattached 13:29.16
7 Scott Bauhs adidas 13:29.18
8 Elliott Heath Stanford 13:29.75
9 Yuta Takahashi S&B TC Japan 13:31.37
10 Robert Curtis Melbourne TC 13:31.50
11 Lee Emanuel New Mexico 13:31.56
12 Chris Derrick Stanford 13:31.67
13 Tiidrek Nurme Estonia 13:31.87
14 Kyle Perry New Balance 13:34.86
15 Brian Olinger Reebok 13:35.03
16 Jeremy Johnson Brooks Team 13:35.13
17 Samuel Kosgei Lamar 13:35.75
18 Chris Barnicle New Mexico 13:36.02
19 Kevin Chelimo OTC 13:37.55
20 Justin Tyner Air Force 13:37.66
21 John Beattie Tulsa 13:42.03
22 John Kosgei Oklahoma State 13:42.17
23 Colby Lowe Oklahoma State 13:42.60
24 Philipp Bandi Unattached 13:44.75
25 Jason Hartmann Nike 13:46.00
26 Diego Estrada Northern Arizona 13:49.35
27 Christopher Clark NYAC/PUMA 13:51.21
28 Joe Macdonald Butler 13:52.07
29 Jordan Fife Brooks Team 13:54.05
30 Reuben Mwei Adams State 13:54.26
31 Scott Smith UC Santa Barbara 13:56.72
32 Mike Sayenko Strands 13:57.43
33 Michael Skinner Great Britain 14:04.47
34 Patrick Mellea Bryn Mawr Ru 14:30.71
-- Sean Houseworth U.S. Air Force DNF
-- Boaz Cheboiywo Nike DNF