Verdier, Akande & Hines Advance at NCAA East Regional

Christie Verdier (left) set a new 400 meter PR tonight at the NCAA East Regional, coming third in her heat of the 400 meters and automatically advancing to the next round. Verdier ran 53.28, the 11th fastest time of the day among the 48 competitors, and broke her previous PR of 53.56 set at the Big East meet three weekend ago.

In the 800, Nicky Akande (right) was sitting pretty in 3rd place on the final straight, but began to tie up and was passed by two runners in the final 10 meters. Akande fell across the finish line (just barely crossing the line) to finish 5th in 2:07.55. Because she was out of the top three finishers in her heat, she had to wait to see if she would qualify on time (the next 9 fastest finishers outside the top three would advance). Her time stood up, and Akande was the 5th fastest non-automatic qualifier, thereby advancing to the next round on Friday.

In the men's 400 meter hurdles, junior Nicoy Hines (left) finished a strong 3rd in his heat, running 52.04, and thereby automatically advanced to the next round (which takes place Friday night).

In other action, long jumper Elbert Maxwell leaped 22' 9.75" to finish 37th among the 48 competitors. Freshman Megan Venables contested the 10,000 meters in the final event of Day 1 of the Regional. She came home 30th out of 47 competitors, in 36:15.73. Finally, in the women's javelin, freshman Jamie Klein threw 132' 7" and finished 36th in the field of 47 competitors.

Ellison Up, FitzSimons Out in NCAA East Regional 800

Sam Ellison took care of business in heat 6 of the preliminary round of the East Regional 800 meter competition. Ellison ran 1:49.65 to win his heat and advance to the next round of competition tomorrow. Chris FitzSimons ran 1:50.90 in heat 1, finishing in 6th place. Only the top three finishers in each of the 6 heats was guaranteed a spot in the next round, with the next 9 fastest times also advancing. FitzSimons had to sit and watch the remaining 5 heats to determine his fate. He was still in the competition through 5 heats, but was eliminated when the 4th and 5th runners in heat 6 came in faster than his 1:50.90.









Here are the merged results of the 6 heats:

     Name               Yr      Affiliation     Time        Heat (pl)
 1.  Lance Roller       SR      Virginia        1:48.69   Q   3 (1)
 2.  Jesse Garn         FR      Binghamton      1:48.85   Q   3 (2)
 3.  Donte Holmes       SR      Delaware State  1:48.89   Q   3 (3)
 4.  Tyler Cardillo     FR      Florida         1:49.30   q   3 (4)
 5.  Darrin Gibson      JR      Florida State   1:49.50   Q   5 (1)
 6.  Shawn Roberts      JR      Georgia Tech    1:49.51   Q   1 (1)
 7.  Michael Williams   SO      Princeton       1:49.56       1 (2)
 8.  Paris Simmons      JR      NC A&T          1:49.58   Q   5 (2)
 9.  Chris Slate        SR      Clemson         1:49.62   Q   5 (3)
10.  Samuel Ellison     SO      Villanova       1:49.65   Q   6 (1)
11.  Tihut Degfae       JR      Virginia Tech   1:49.67   Q   1 (3)
12.  Aaron Evans        SR      Georgia         1:49.67   Q   6 (2)
13.  Curtis Beach       SO      Duke            1:49.70   Q   6 (3)
14.  O'Neal Wanliss     FR      North Carolina  1:49.75   q   1 (4)
15.  Casimir Loxsom     JR      Penn State      1:50.01   Q   2 (1)
16.  Howard Shepard     JR      LSU             1:50.09   q   6 (4)
17.  Dan White          SR      Ohio State      1:50.12   q   5 (4)
18.  Harry McFann       SO      Columbia        1:50.14   Q   2 (2)
19.  Rutger Admirand    FR      Cornell         1:50.20   Q   2 (3)
20.  Louis Gibilisco    SR      Mount St. Mary  1:50.21   q   1 (5)
21.  Brendon Fish       FR      Columbia        1:50.22   q   2 (4)
22.  Joe Banyai         JR      Michigan State  1:50.36   q   3 (5)
23.  Dale Dunn          SR      Southern Miss.  1:50.49   q   3 (6)
24.  Fabian Fiege       FR      Memphis         1:50.58   q   6 (5)
25.  Bob Vanderham      SR      UNC-Wilmington  1:50.74       2 (5)
26.  Chris FitzSimons   SO      Villanova       1:50.90       1 (6)
27.  Jakub Trzasalski   SO      East Carolina   1:51.02       5 (5)
28.  Anthony Kostelac   SO      Virginia        1:51.08       6 (6)
29.  Felix Kitur        SR      VMI             1:51.19   Q   4 (1)
30.  John Mitchell      JR      Florida         1:51.19       2 (6)
31.  David Mokone       SO      W. Kentucky     1:51.20   Q   4 (2)
32.  Will Weinlandt     SO      Cornell         1:51.21       2 (7)
33.  Patrick Peterson   SO      Sacred Heart    1:51.26   Q   4 (3)
34.  Stephen Humes      SR      Michigan State  1:51.44       4 (4)
35.  Nathan Hendershot  SO      Clemson         1:51.83       5 (6)
36.  Kevin Griffith     SO      Purdue          1:51.94       6 (7)
37.  Martin Dally       SO      Virginia Tech   1:52.05       2 (8)
38.  Darwin Price       SR      Grambling       1:52.09       4 (5)
39.  Aaron Ramirez      SO      Clemson         1:52.56       1 (7)
40.  Zavior Brown       JR      Maryland-ES     1:52.69       4 (6)
41.  Brian Fulton       SR      Penn            1:53.08       4 (7)
42.  Vincent Brown      JR      Norfolk State   1:53.08       6 (8)
43.  James Thurn        SR      LSU             1:53.40       5 (7)
44.  Joshua Schmidt     SR      Kent State      1:53.44       3 (7)
45.  Owen Dawson        SR      Penn State      1:53.63       4 (8)
46.  Connor Claflin     FR      Columbia        1:54.61       1 (8)
47.  Rick Scheff        SR      Georgia Tech    1:54.76       5 (8)
DNF  Michael Rutherford SR      Cincinnati 

Day 1 Schedule for NCAA East Regional

The NCAA East Regional kicks off today in Jacksonville, Florida. Thirteen of Villanova's 19 athletes at the Regional are in action on Day 1. Here a listing of their schedules and events:

DAY 1 VILLANOVA ATHLETES (Thursday, May 24)

1:00 pm     Men's Long Jump             Elbert Maxwell

4:30 pm     Men's 400 meter hurdles     Nicoy Hines

4:30 pm     Women's Javelin             Jamie Klein

5:30 pm     Men's 1500 meters           Sam McEntee, Rob Denault, 
                                        Brian Tetreault

6:00 pm     Women's 1500 meters         Emily Lipari, Ariann Neutts

7:45 pm     Women's 400 meters          Christie Verdier

8:10 pm     Men's 800 meters            Chris FitzSimons, Sam Ellison

8:35 pm     Women's 800 meters          Nicky Akande

9:40 pm     Women's 10,000 meters       Megan Venables

Piccirillo Holds #1 Seed at 800 and 1600 at PA State Meet

The Pennsylvania state meet is two days away and Villanova's 2012 signee Angel Piccirillo enters the competition as the state's #1 seed at both the 800 meters (2:12.48) and the 1600 meters (4:48.28). She has the #2 time in the USA in the mile this year. Here's a snippet from PennLive.com's preview by Jay Rtoz of the Patriot-News:

The queen of middle distances ... we think.

Every couple of years, a distance runner comes out of Pennsylvania destined for bigger things. The 2012 model is Angel Piccirillo.

She’s a senior at Homer Center High School, a few miles outside Indiana in District 6. And she’s such a fixture at Shippensburg, longtime PA announcer Bob Schellenberg probably intones “AN-gel Pic-ah-RIL-lo” unconsciously by now.

Piccirillo’s honors will fill several pages before she arrives at Villanova University in the fall. She’s won the last two Class AA 1600-meter golds. She’s been the state AA cross-country champ the last two years. She finished second in the mile at the Penn Relays.

Piccirillo is the top seed in two events this weekend — the AA 800 and 1600 meters. Her seed time of 4:48.28 in the 1600 is more than eight seconds faster than that of Elk County Catholic sophomore Kennedy Weisner.

But the 800 — that’s where it gets a little dicey. Not only is Weisner just .11 seconds behind Piccirillo’s 2:12.48 in the seed times, but both of them will have to get past the defending champion in the event, Boiling Springs senior Lillie Brown. Brown took the state by storm last year with her winning 2:13.78.

Joe Manion ('61), Team Captain & Hall of Famer, R.I.P.

Ron Raemore, Joe Manion, Paul Drayton, Frank Budd

Joe Manion, a stalwart of the short relays for Jumbo Elliott in the late 1950s and early 1960s, died yesterday at his home in West Chester, PA. Manion was a team captain while at Villanova and won four Penn Relays championships: as part of three consecutive mile relays in 1959, 1960, and 1961, and another in the 1961 880 yard relay. He is a member of the Villanova athletics Hall of Fame and received the Villanova Alumni Medal for outstanding service to the university's alumni association. Below is his obituary as it appears in today's Philadelphia Inquirer. The Villanova track and field community offers condolences to his family.

JOSEPH J. MANION, age 72, of West Chester, PA, formerly of Media, PA, died peacefully on May 22, 2012 at his home.

Survived by his wife of fifty years, Dolores Westhoff Manion, his eight children: Katie, Beth, Joe, Matt, Amy, John, Tricia and Paul, and their spouses: Mark Jones, Jacinto Oliver, Mary Eileen Rogers, Kerri Dougherty, Tom Swift, Rose Jagielo, Dan Cellucci and Nicole Melchiorre, and 26 grandchildren. Also survived by his sister, Jane Kazunas and his mother-in-law, Regina Westhoff. Born and raised in St. Barnabas parish, Joe graduated from West Catholic Boys High School in 1957 and Villanova University in 1961. He was captain of the track team at West Catholic and Villanova - where he ran for the legendary Jumbo Elliott - and is in the Hall of Fame for both schools.

Viewing on Thursday evening from 6 to 9 P.M. at St. Thomas of Villanova Church. Mass of Christian Burial on Friday 10:30 A.M. at St. Thomas of Villanova Church, 800 E. Lancaster Ave. Villanova, PA. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Parkinsons Council Inc., 111 Presidential Blvd. #250, Bala Cynwyd, PA 19004-1023 or the Villanova University Track Program. Arrangements: RIGBY HARTING & HAGAN FUNERAL HOME, 15 E. Fourth Street, Media, PA.

Forty Philly-Based Athletes at NCAA East RegionalVillanova Group the Largest at 19

Philly Track and Field Athletes Headed To NCAA Eastern Regional Meet
Glenn Papazian
Philly College Sports

PHILADELPHIA, PA. 5/22/2012 - The Philadelphia Division I schools will be well represented at the NCAA Eastern Regional Track and Field meet scheduled for May 24 – 26. Forty athletes from the local schools will compete in the preliminaries starting on Thursday, May 24. Villanova will send the largest contingent to the meet as 19 athletes have qualified, seven men and 12 women to Jacksonville, FL. Penn will send nine to the Jacksonville site (five women and four men). LaSalle will have three men and two women athletes representing the school while Saint Joseph’s will send one distance runner to Florida. Six Temple Owls will travel to the preliminaries on the campus of North Carolina A&T in Greensboro, NC sending four men and two women athletes.

A summary of the competing athletes is below.

Villanova Women

The Wildcats will have 12 athletes competing in 12 events led by defending national champion Sheila Reid running in the 5000 meters. Bogdana Mimic (left) will also participate the 5000 meters. Both have qualified as All-American in the race. Sprinter Sherika Ward will run in the 100 meter hurdles. In the middle distance events Nicky Akande will run in the 800 meters, while Emily Lipari and Ariann Neutts will run in the 1500 meters. Sprinter Christie Verdier is a qualifier in the 400 meters. Running in the 10,000 meters will be freshman Megan Venables. In field events Villanova will be represented by Samantha Francis in the triple jump and Samantha Yeats in the high jump. Jamie Klein will compete in the javelin, and Alexandra Wasik the pole vault.

Villanova Men

Samuel McEntee leads a group of seven Villanova athletes to qualify. McEntee will be joined by Brian Tetreault and Rob Denault in the 1500 meters. Samuel Ellison (right) and Chris FitzSimons will run for the Wildcats in the 800 meters. Sprinter Nicoy Hines will run the 400 meter hurdles. In the field Elbert Maxwell will compete in the long jump.

Penn Women

The Red and Blue will have three women athletes making their second straight appearance. Paige Madison runs in the 400 meters, Victoria Strickland is in the 800 meter event, and Morgan Wheeler is in the javelin. Jillian Hart is making her initial NCAA appearance in the pole vault. Kristen Judge will compete in the high jump.

Penn Men

The Quaker contingent will be led by Hepatagonal High Jump Champions Maalik Reynolds. This will be his second outdoor appearance. Reynolds finished seventh last year, and enters as the 4 seed. Making his second appearance in the 800 is Brian Fulton. Ryan Cunningham will run the 1500 meter race. Jake Brenza also goes to the NCAA Regions for the first time in the shot put.

Temple Men

Travis Mahoney will run the Steeplechase. He is the defending Atlantic 10 champion in this event. In field events Darryl McDuffie will take part in the high jump while Gabe Pickett and Derek Holland will compete in the triple jump. Pickett is the reigning Atlantic 10 champion.

Temple Women

School record holder and Atlantic 10 champion Margo Britton will represent Temple in the shot put. She will also hope to advance to the NCAA finals in the discus. Jade Wilson will run in the 400 meter hurdles.

LaSalle Men

Three Explorers qualified on the men’s meet. Nick Crits will run in the 1500 meters. A pair of runners Alfredo Santana and Dave Hausherr will complete in the 10,000 meter run.

LaSalle Women

Running the 10,000 meters will be Megan McGlinchey who won the Atlantic 10 title in this event. Megan Lutz will compete in the same race.

Saint Joseph’s Men

Kevin McDonnell is set to compete in the 10,000 meter for the second time in his career.

Carrie Tollefson: One Last Shot to Qualify for Trials

In this story from today's Duluth's News Tribune, Carrie talks about the 2004 Olympic Trials (where she competed at both the 5000 -- failing to qualify for the Olympics -- and the 1500, which she won. On the comeback trail, Tollefson has so far failed to attain the US Olympic Trials "B" standard of 15:50, but she says she'll likely have one more shot to do so: at the Portland Track Classic next weekend.


Olympian Carrie Tollefson schools youngsters on fitness
By: Kevin Pates, Duluth News Tribune
May 23, 2012

Carrie Tollefson’s message to Duluth middle school students Tuesday was perseverance, and the U.S. Olympic track runner had plenty of examples to illustrate her point.

The best was about recovering from heartbreak during the 2004 U.S. Olympic Trials. She expected to qualify for the Summer Games in Greece by placing in the top three of the 5,000-meter event, but she finished sixth. Yet she also was entered at 1,500 meters and, despite 100-degree temperatures on the track, won the race.

About 200 students each at Morgan Park and Woodland saw video of the victory in Sacramento, Calif., and an energized Tollefson, who grew up in Dawson, Minn., earned applause for the effort.

“You are not going to win every race, you are going to face bumps and bruises along the way, but don’t be discouraged,” she said. “The idea is to find a sport and exercise every day. Move your body every day.”

Grandma’s Marathon has brought athletes to Duluth in recent years to spread the word during Fit-n-Fun assemblies. Other speakers have included Duluthian Kara Goucher, Dick Beardsley, Bill Rodgers and Suzy Favor Hamilton, all acclaimed runners.

Tollefson, 35, a St. Paul resident and mother of a 2-year-old girl, is best known as Minnesota’s only five-time high school girls cross country champion (1990-94). She went on to win five NCAA Division I cross country and track titles at Villanova University and continues to race, while working in television and radio commentary for road racing and track.

There are rumors she retired as a professional runner, but instead she’s persevering. To get to next month’s 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials at 5,000 meters, she must run a qualifying race in 15 minutes, 50 seconds or faster. She tried in April in Stanford, Calif., in her first serious race in three years, and missed. She tried again last Friday, in Los Angeles, leaving her husband and daughter at home, and spending money on airfare, a rental car and hotel room (she no longer receives sponsor money from Adidas).

About 75 seconds into the race, a runner stepped on the back of Tollefson’s left shoe, which came off. By the time she tried to unknot the laces, the other runners had pulled away and her night was over.

“I have aspirations of having more children and being a great broadcaster, but I’m not ready to give up racing,” said Tollefson. “It was hard to swallow, to travel so far and have my hopes end in less than two minutes. There were some tears shed.

“But I try to practice what I preach. I’m a runner and I have to give it a go. I have to try. Realistically, my racing could last five more years or one month.”

Although losing a shoe during a track race is rare, it has happened to Tollefson three times. The first was in a 1,500-meter race in Finland in 2004 and the second in a much-publicized 1,500 at the 2005 Steve Prefontaine Classic. In Eugene, with two laps to go, runners starting tumbling like dominoes, according to the Eugene Register-Guard, with five having to leave the race, including Tollefson.

The best-known losing-a-shoe race featured Proctor’s Garry Bjorklund at 10,000 meters in the 1976 U.S. Olympic Trials, also in Eugene. His left foot was accidently stepped on halfway through the 6.2 miles, he kicked off the shoe and finished in an adrenaline-fueled rush, placing third and advancing to the Summer Games in Montreal, Quebec.

Tollefson says she may have one more qualifying chance at the Portland (Ore.) Track Classic on June 8-9. The U.S. Olympic Trials 5,000 qualifying races are June 25.

Tollefson will be in Duluth on June 16 to provide radio commentary on the U.S. Half Marathon Championships to be held in conjunction with Grandma’s Marathon.

Villanova Men's NCAA 1500 Contingent is Three Deep

Villanova's Brian Tetreault, Rob Denault, and Sam McEntee are on their way to Florida for the NCAA East Regional 1500 meter competition. Here are the heat sheets for their races:

Event 5  Men 1500 Meter Run
===========================================================================
 4 Heats.  Advance top 5 from each ht. plus next 4 times to qtr.
 Advance top 5 from each qtr. plus next best 2 times to Drake
    American:  3:29.30  8/28/2005   Bernard Lagat, Nike
College Best:  3:35.30  6/6/1981    Sydney Maree, Villanova
   NCAA Meet:  3:35.30  6/6/1981    Sydney Maree, Villanova
     Name                        Year School                 Seed           
===========================================================================
Heat 1  Prelims
  1  Mark Feigen                   JR Columbia            3:45.01 
  2  Robert Denault                FR Villanova           3:45.89 
  3  Michael Hammond               JR Virginia Tech       3:39.22 
  4  Nick Crits                    JR La Salle            3:43.99 
  5  Jeremiah Vaughan              SR Indiana State       3:45.23 
  6  Erik Berg                     JR Brown               3:44.57 
  7  David Forrester               JR Florida State       3:41.44 
  8  Kyle Merber                   SR Columbia            3:42.49 
  9  Lee Gilmer                    SR Furman              3:46.26 
 10  Johnathan Shawel              SR Notre Dame          3:45.65 
 11  Adam Behnke                   SR Columbia            3:44.74 
 12  Chris Tyson                   SR William & Mary      3:43.12 
Heat 2  Prelims
  1  Brett Johnson                 JR Virginia            3:44.59 
  2  Alex Taylor                   JR Appalachian St      3:42.29 
  3  Patrick Todd                  JR Virginia            3:41.51 
  4  Alexander Rose                SO Wake Forest         3:45.89 
  5  Sam McEntee                   SO Villanova           3:45.15 
  6  Kevin Dowd                    SO Virginia Tech       3:45.79 
  7  Josh Nadzam                   SR Kentucky            3:45.10 
  8  Rich Peters                   SO Boston U.           3:43.28 
  9  Daniel Everett                FR Columbia            3:43.80 
 10  Jakub Zivec                   SO Florida State       3:44.65 
 11  Erik van Ingen                SR Binghamton          3:38.06 
 12                                                               
Heat 3  Prelims
  1  Byron Jones                   SO Columbia            3:45.94 
  2  Eric Speakman                 FR Stony Brook         3:42.94 
  3  Jeremy Rae                    JR Notre Dame          3:40.93 
  4  Julian Matthews               JR Providence          3:44.45 
  5  Steve Mangan                  SO Dartmouth           3:45.36 
  6  Robby Creese                  FR Penn State          3:42.87 
  7  Isaac Presson                 SO North Carolina      3:40.16 
  8  Aaron Ramirez                 SO Clemson             3:44.97 
  9  Michael Cunningham            SR Penn                3:45.93 
 10  Kevin Cooper                  JR Brown               3:44.92 
 11  Taylor Gilland                SO Virginia            3:45.35 
 12  Trevor Van Ackeren            SR Princeton           3:44.26 
Heat 4  Prelims
  1  Ryan Hill                     JR N.C. State          3:39.58 
  2  Tom Curr                      FR Butler              3:45.98 
  3  Grant Pollock                 SO Virginia Tech       3:44.79 
  4  John Van Deventer             SR Yale                3:45.01 
  5  Chris Walizer                 SR Virginia Tech       3:42.61 
  6  Kane Grimster                 FR Auburn              3:45.48 
  7  Marcus Bridger-Wilkinson      SO Belmont             3:45.92 
  8  Andrew Bayer                  JR Indiana             3:41.17 
  9  Gary Bradbury                 SR Alabama             3:44.51 
 10  Brian Tetreault               SR Villanova           3:45.25 
 11  Daniel Stockberger            SR Indiana             3:42.98 
 12  Chris Fallon                  JR Ohio State          3:44.20 

Adrian Blincoe on Tap for Olso 3000 Thursday

On the verge of being named to his second New Zealand Olympic team at 5000 meters, Adrian Blincoe will contest the 3000 meters at the Hyunday Grand Prix in Oslo, Norway on Thursday. Blincoe was the NCAA indoor champion over that distance in 2002 and was runner up to Alistair Cragg in the same event the following year. Blincoe holds a 7:46.38 PR in the 3000, set at Rieti in August 2010. Here is the start list for Blincoe's heat:

Heat: A
166  (1) Sindre Buraas NOR
99   (2) Ferdinand Kvam Edman NOR
168  (3) Sondre Nordstad Moen NOR
97   (4) Erik Senorski NOR
218  (5) Erik Johansson SWE
230  (6) Kalle Johansson SWE
39   (7) Nick McCormack GBR
189  (8) Adrian Blincoe NZ
32   (9) Jukka Keskisalo FIN
128 (10) Johannes Alnes NOR
152 (11) Morten Velde NOR
88  (12) Bjørnar Ustad Kristensen NOR
105 (13) Hans Kristian Fløystad NOR
84  (14) Audun Nordtveit NOR
82  (15) Asbjørn Ellefsen Persen NOR
216 (17) Elmar Engholm SWE
44  (18) Rickie Stevenson GBR
86  (19) Awefork Genale NOR
36  (20) Niklas Sandells FIN
238 (21) Narcedinne Hallil SWE
187 (22) Ørjan Grønnevig NOR
204 (23) Albin Johansson SWE
66  (24) Festus Nzimbi KEN

Blincoe on Brink of Being Named to 2012 Kiwi Olympic Team

Blincoe in running for spot at London games
MARC HINTON
Stuff.co.nz
May 21, 2012

United States-based distance runner Adrian Blincoe may have sealed his spot at the London Olympics with a creditable 5000m performance in California at the weekend.

Blincoe ran a more-than-respectable 13min 23.73s as he finished fifth in an international meet at Occidental College. The race was won by Somalian-born Brit Mo Farah in 13:12.87.

Blincoe's time, said Athletics NZ high-performance director Scott Goodman, should go close to seeing the Kiwi officially added to the New Zealand track and field team for London this week. It would be his second Olympics, after he competed in Beijing in 2008.

"We'd be pretty confident that would see him meet the proof of current form requirement, but that will be the selectors' call."

Blincoe met the Olympic A standard for the 5000m last year, but was required to confirm his form before being officially added to the Kiwi squad for London. He has a best for the distance of 13:10, which is also the New Zealand record.

The two Kiwi 1500m hopefuls Zane Robertson and Hamish Carson both ran under 3:40 at the weekend. "They were good times, but not quite what they need," said Goodman.

T&F News Doesn't Like Olympic Trials Odds for Bobby Curtis

Track and Field News, the "bible" since 1948, has just released its latest US Olympic Trials form chart, and Bobby Curtis is predicted to finish out of the money in his quest to make the 2012 London team. The experts there rank him # 10 in the US (down from # 4 at last look), with the introduction of Chris Derrick and Dathan Ritzenhein into the rankings at the # 3 and 4 spots, respectively. Ben True (PR 27:41.17), who headed Curtis in a road 5K recently, jumped ahead of Curtis, as did Brent Vaughn (27:40.21), Brian Olinger (27:50.58) and Tim Nelson (27:28.19). So, Curtis has his doubters, which should provide plenty of motivation for the 27:24.67 man.

Some of this strike us as ludicrous (especially the placing of Olinger, True, and Vaughn ahead of Curtis, despite their PRs that are 26, 17, and 16 seconds slower, respectively). Admittedly, Curtis has not run a track 10,000 meter race this season, seeking to peak at the Trials, but then again neither has Tim Nelson, who jumped Curtis on the list despite having finished behind Curtis each time they've jointly contested that distance. What next, Kevin Castille? He's had a great spring. One hopes that Curtis is sufficiently motivated by the apparent lack of faith in him on the part of the experts at T&F News to put these people in their place.

10,000 METERS

Rank    Name             Sponsor         Prev
1.   Galen Rupp          (Nike)          1
2.   Matt Tegenkamp      (Oregon TC)     2
3.   Chris Derrick       (Stanford)      nr
4.   Dathan Ritzenhein   (Nike)          nr
5.   Brent Vaughn        (Nike)          8
6.   Scott Bauhs         (Mammoth TC)    3
7.   Ben True            (Saucony)       7
8.   Brian Olinger       (Reebok)        8
9.   Tim Nelson          (Nike)          5
10.  Bobby Curtis        (Reebok)        4
10.  Aaron Braun         (Adidas)        7
11.  Ryan Vail           (Brooks)        6
12.  Bobby Mack          (unattached)   10
13.  James Strang        (unattached)    9
14.  Josh Simpson        (ASATF)         nr
15.  Ed Moran            (Nike)         10 

Mathew Mildenhall is Villanova Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year

Maggie Mergen, Mathew Mildenhall Named Senior Student-Athletes of the Year

Villanova honored its graduating student-athletes at annual banquet on Thursday evening

Excellent video highlighting Mathew Mildenhall's accomplishments is HERE.


VILLANOVA, Pa. - It was a special evening of recognition at the annual Senior Student-Athlete Banquet on Thursday evening at the Connelly Center, where the Athletics Department celebrated the accomplishments of its graduating senior student-athletes. The highlight of the evening was the announcement of the Male and Female Senior Student-Athletes of the Year, with this year's awards going to volleyball player Maggie Mergen and men's cross country and track runner Mathew Mildenhall.

Mergen is a two-time All-BIG EAST first team selection and earned second team honors in her sophomore year. She consistently led the Wildcats in hitting percentage for three consecutive seasons and holds a 3.6 GPA in the Villanova School of Business with a major in management. Mergen has been accepted into the Peace Corps, but will defer for one year and begin her graduate degree at American University.

This season, Mergen tallied her 1,000th career kill in Villanova's second match of the season. She recorded 19 matches with double figure kills and finishes her Villanova career ranked eighth in kills with 1,298. Mergen is also Villanova's all-time leader in hitting percentage with a stellar .297. As a junior, she was named to the AVCA All-Northeast Region honorable mention squad.

Mergen is a four-time BIG EAST Academic All-Star and was named to the 2010 Philadelphia All-Area team.

Mildenhall is a two-time All-American, three-time BIG EAST individual champion and a nine-time All-BIG EAST performer for the Wildcats while carrying a 3.57 cumulative grade-point average as a Marketing major in the Villanova School of Business. He will graduate this weekend but has an additional year of athletic eligibility and plans to return to the cross country team next fall when he begins graduate studies.

During the past cross country season Mildenhall helped lead Villanova to the team title at the BIG EAST Championships for the first time in 10 years. He earned All-BIG EAST and All-Mid Atlantic Region accolades, marking the third straight season he has achieved both distinctions. In addition to his success on the course Mildenhall also excelled academically and earned a 4.0 GPA for the Fall 2011 semester. That came despite taking his heaviest semester course load since beginning his studies at Villanova. Thanks in part to Mildenhall the men's cross country team tallied the highest GPA for the semester out of any of the Wildcats sports programs. He previously was an All-American during the 2009 campaign.

In track competition Mildenhall is a two-time BIG EAST individual champion and a five-time All-BIG EAST performer during the indoor season. He was part of the winning distance medley relay squad in 2010 and a year later won the title in the 3000 meters, an event he has garnered All-BIG EAST honors in three times. Mildenhall also anchored the DMR squad to an All-American performance at the 2011 NCAA Indoor Championships. Last spring he also earned All-BIG EAST honors in the 5000 meters.

Academically, Mildenhall is a four-time BIG EAST Academic All-Star and in 2010 was named to the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association All-Academic Team for cross country.

Each year the Male and Female Senior Student-Athlete of the Year awards are given to a senior who has excelled in both athletics and academics in addition to making a positive impact through community service. The winner must have at least a 3.2 grade-point average in addition to being a significant contributor to his/her team.

Adrian Blincoe Comes 5th in OXY HP 5000 in 13:23.73

Villanova assistant coach and former NCAA champion over 3000 meters Adrian Blincoe finished 5th in a loaded 5000 meter race at the OXY High Performance meet in Los Angeles. While his time of 13:23.73 in this race was outside the Olympic "A" standard (13:20.00), Blincoe already has the "A" standard in his pocket by virtue of his 13:18.27 run at Barcelona last year. From the perspective of the New Zealand Olympic Committee, Blincoe is expected to show fitness before being named to the Olympic team, and this 13:23.73 certainly accomplishes that task.

Event 8  Men 5000 Meter Run
===============================================================
    Name                    Year Team                    Finals
===============================================================
Finals                                                         
  1 Mo Farah                     Nike O T C            13:12.87
  2 Juan Luis Barrios            Nike                  13:13.54
  3 Sam Chelanga                 Nike O T C            13:14.05
  4 Dathan Ritzenhein            Nike O T C            13:14.72
  5 Adrian Blincoe               New Balance           13:23.73
  6 Rory Fraser                  UK Athletics          13:27.87
  7 Scott Bauhs                  Mammoth TC            13:28.40
  8 Elliott Heath                Unattached            13:28.65
  9 Brandon Bethke               Michigan Elite        13:29.26
 10 Bolota Asmerom               Unattached            13:30.33
 11 Ian Dobson                   Oregon TC             13:30.70
 12 Jacob Riley                  Unattached            13:32.82
 13 Tony Okello                  Santa Monica TC       13:33.19
 14 Robert Cheseret              U S Army              13:37.02
 15 Forest Braden                Unattached            13:42.14
 16 Sean Houseworth              Falcon Dst Prjct      13:46.73
 17 Lane Werley                  Unattached            13:58.81
 18 Ruben Sanca                  Cape Verde            14:26.49
 19 Jeremy Johnson               Brooks                14:36.27
 -- Matt Tegenkamp               Nike O T C                 DNF
 -- Josphat Boit                 Mammoth TC                 DNF

Nicole Schappert Gets Big PR and Olympic "B" at OXY HPMarina Muncan Just Outside Olympic "B"

Former Villanova All-American Nicole Schappert continued her excellent 2012 outdoor season with a monster 5-second PR over 1500 meters tonight at the OXY High Performance meet in Los Angeles. Nicole ran 4:07.79 in her heat, a full 5+ seconds faster than her recently-established 1500 PR of 4:12.95 set last month. Her time easily assured her of an automatic qualifier for the US Olympic Trials (where the AQ is 4:12.93), and surpassed the Olympic "B" standard of 4:08.90. She fell just short of achieving the Olympic "A" standard of 4:06.00. Overall, an excellent race for for the former Wildcat.

Marina Muncan ran in the same heat, and came 7th in 4:09.06, just one-sixth of a second outside the Olympic "B" standard. Its the fastest time achieved by Muncan outdoors since June 2008, when she ran 4:08.18. Her all-time 1500 meter PR is 4:08.02 (2007), so her race tonight was only 1 second off that career best. Still, Muncan, who is the Serbian national record holder at 1500 meters and the mile, was in search of an Olympic standard in the hopes of punching her ticket to London. The race shows her to be very fit and bodes well for attaining the standard in a subsequent race.

Event 5  Women 1500 Meter Run
===============================================================
    Name                    Year Team                    Finals
===============================================================
Section  1                                                     
  1 Gabriele Anderson            Brooks                 4:06.46
  2 Morgan Uceny                 adidas                 4:06.52
  3 Katie Mackey                 Brooks                 4:06.67
  4 Hilary Stellingwerff         Speed River TC         4:07.64
  5 Nicole Schappert             New York AC            4:07.79
  6 Brie Felnagle                adidas                 4:08.80
  7 Marina Muncan                New Balance            4:09.06
  8 Elizabeth Maloy              New Balance            4:09.64
  9 Treniere Moser               Nike                   4:10.79
 10 Lea Wallace                  Nike                   4:12.87

Nova 2012 Recruit Caitlin Bungo on Shelf with Stress Fracture

BUNGO OUT

Defending Class AA 800 champion Caitlin Bungo of Sewickley Academy qualified for this year's championships in the mile and two mile. But she spent the afternoon at Baldwin High School in a lounge chair.

Bungo suffered a stress fracture in her left leg that will take six weeks to heal. That means not chance to run at the PIAA championships, either.

Bungo won the WPIAL Class AA cross country title in the fall -- her first year of cross country -- and will attend Villanova to run track.

Koons 5th at USA 1 Mile Road Championship

Here are the results from tonight's race in Minneapolis. Frances Koons came 5th, in 4:40.5. Heather Kampf made a strong move over the final 300 meters and no one was able to cover it. She won by almost 3 seconds.

Championship Mile - Female

===== ================== === ================= ======= =====
Place Name               Age City              Time    Purse      
===== ================== === ================= ======= =====
 1.   Heather Kampf      25  Minneapolis, MN   4:36.9  $4000
 2.   Alisha Williams    30  Colo Springs, CO  4:39.6  $2500
 3.   Danielle Tauro     23  Manahawkin, NJ    4:40.0  $1500 
 4.   Kellyn Johnson     25  Flagstaff, AZ     4:40.2   $800 
 5.   Frances Koons      26  Annandale, NJ     4:40.5   $500 
 6.   Meghan Peyton      26  Richfield, MN     4:41.1   $325
 7.   Laura Thweatt      23  Boulder, CO       4:42.0   $150
 8.   Tara Erdmann       22  Los Angeles, CA   4:42.9   $100 
 9.   Mason Cathey       30  Indianapolis, IN  4:46.1    $75 
10.   Stephanie Pezzullo 29  Charlotte, NC     4:47.3    $50
11.   Gwen Jorgensen     26  St Paul, MN       4:49.9 
12.   Amy Van Alstine    24  Flagstaff, AZ     4:52.3 
13.   Nicole Blood       24  Annandale, NJ     5:12.6

Frances Koons Seeks USA 1 Mile Road Title

An eight-time All American while at Villanova, Frances Koons is in Minneapolis tonight competing for the USA 1 Mile Road Championship. Here is the list of competitors in the race. As can be seen, Koons owns the second-fastest mile PR in the field (4:31.5) and could be competitive for a top finish.

The race is being live webcast tonight at 7:45 pm Central Time and is available HERE.

ATHLETE LIST:  Women

#  Name                           Personal Best
1.  Heather Kampf................ 4:30.95
2.  Alisha Williams.............. 4:37
3.  Mason Cathey................. 4:39.55
4.  Laura Thweatt ............... 4:41.93*
5.  Nicole Blood................. 4:39.23*
6.  Meghan Peyton ............... 4:40.5
7.  Kellyn Johnson .............. 4:34.41
8.  Danielle Tauro .............. 4:38.71
10. Tara Erdman ................. 4:46.18
13. Frances Koons ............... 4:31.5
14. Gwen Jorgensen .............. 4:39.43
15. Stephanie Pezzullo .......... 4:49.76
16. Amy Van Alstine ............. 4:40.13*
17. Elizabeth Yetzer ............ 4:43.12

The prize money structure is as follows:

USA Men’s & Women’s 1 Mile Road Championship*

Place Amount
1     $4,000
2     $2,500
3     $1,500
4       $800
5       $500
6       $325
7       $150
8       $100
9        $75
10       $50

Villanova Sends 19 Athletes to NCAA East Regional

Seven men and twelve women will represent Villanova at the 2012 NCAA Track and Field East Regional, to take place at the University of North Florida, May 24-26. Because of the meet schedule and her participation at the Canadian Olympic Trials, Sheila Reid will not attempt to repeat the historic 1500/5000 double she won in 2011, but will concentrate this year solely on the 5000 meters.

The Villanova athletes who will seek to springboard through the Regional and get to Nationals are listed be listed below. For the complete list of accepted entries, click HERE.

M E N

800 meters
Chris FitzSimons
Sam Ellison

1500 meters
Sam McEntee
Brian Tetreault
Rob Denault

400 meter hurdles
Nicoy Hines

Long Jump
Elbert Maxwell


W O M E N

400 meters
Christie Verdier

800 meters
Nicky Akande

1500 meters
Emily Lipari
Ariann Neutts

5000 meters
Sheila Reid (defending NCAA champion)
Bogdana Mimic

10,000 meters
Megan Venables

100 meter hurdles
Shericka Ward

High Jump
Samantha Yeats

Pole Vault
Alex Wasik

Triple Jump
Samantha Francis

Javelin
Jamie Klein

Recruits Lampron & Piccirillo Showcased in Adidas Dream Mile

Lampron, Malone, Wilson, Efraimson key in mile; Bozmans, Davis-White in 100

NEW YORK CITY (May 16, 2012)—Josh Lampron and Ben Malone, who own the two fastest 1500-meter times in the nation so far this season, are among 16 top high school athletes added to the fields for the adidas Dream 100 and adidas Dream Mile at the adidas Grand Prix on June 9, organizers have announced.

Also headlining the roster are Ajee Wilson, the 2011 World Youth Champion at 800 meters, and freshman sensation Alexa Efraimson, the first freshman ever invited to a Dream event.

The Dream 100 and Dream Mile are again destined to be among the most hotly contested events at the adidas Grand Prix on June 9. In its eighth year as one of the premier track-and-field events in the world, the adidas Grand Prix, at Icahn Stadium on Randall’s Island, will feature dozens of Olympic medalists and World Champions, including Yohan Blake, the reigning 100-meter World Champion, and David Rudisha, the 800-meter World Record-holder, who will be making his U.S. debut. The event will again be the sixth stop on the international Samsung Diamond League circuit and is part of the Visa Championships Series.

Lampron, a senior from Mansfield, Mass., last weekend ran 3:45.74 for 1500 meters at a meet in Boston, among the top-20 high school times in U.S. history and the fastest in the nation since 2009. The 2011 national champion in the mile, Lampron is a three-time state champion and will attend Villanova University in the fall.

Malone, a junior from Hillsdale, N.J., is the 2012 National Indoor Champion at 800 meters and holds U.S. high school indoor records for a junior at 800 meters (1:49.94) and 1000 meters (2:23.56). On Monday, he ran the #2 time in the U.S. at 1500 meters, 3:49.84.

A senior from Neptune, N.J., Wilson is one of the top high school athletes in New Jersey history. Currently ranked #2 in the nation at 800 meters, she finished the 2012 indoor season ranked #1 at both 600 and 800 meters. A qualifier for the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials, Wilson will attend Florida State University.

Efraimson, of Camas, Wash., has run 4:23.41 for 1500 meters already this season to rank #4 on the U.S. list, and her time of 2:08.92 for 800 meters is #7. She finished 14th at cross country nationals last fall.

Also accepting invitations to the Boys’ Dream Mile are Jacob Burcham, a junior from Ona, W. Va.; who finished seventh at 1500 meters in the 2011 World Youth Championships in 3:46.55, the fastest time by a U.S. prep last year; Brannon Kidder, a senior from Lancaster, Ohio, a four-time state track champion ranked #4 in the U.S. at 1600 meters who is headed to Penn State University; Craig Nowak, a senior from Cypress, Tex., who is a five-time 5A state champion, ranks #2 at 1600 meters and #3 at 3200 meters, and will attend Oklahoma State University; and Craig Engels, a senior from Pfafftown, N.C., ranked in the top 10 at the mile (#3), 1500 meters (#4), and 3200 meters (#10). Engels was the 2012 Penn Relays Mile Champion in front of Burcham, the runner-up, and Malone, who placed third. He will attend North Carolina State University.

Joining Wilson and Efraimson in the Girls’ Dream Mile will be Haley Pierce, a senior from Wilmington, Del., the 15-time State Champion ranked #3 at 3200 meters and #4 at 1600 meters who will attend Georgetown University; Angel Piccirillo, a senior from Homer Center, Penn., who is a two-time state Gatorade Cross-Country Athlete of the Year, a seven-time State Champion, ranks #2 in the mile and will attend Villanova University; Amy-Eloise Neale, a junior from Snohomish, Wash., six-time Washington 3A State Champion ranked #4 in the mile and #6 at 1500 meters; and Paige Rice, a sophomore from St. Mary’s Academy in Portland, Ore., the 6A Oregon Cross Country State Champion ranked #4 in the U.S. at 1500 meters.

Burcham, Wilson, Pierce, Piccirillo and Neale are all making return Dream Mile appearances.

Joining the field of the adidas Boys’ Dream 100 are Raymond Bozmans of Fort Collins, Colo., a senior ranked #3 in the U.S. at 100 meters and #5 at 200 meters who is the 2012 Arcadia Invite Champion and will attend Texas Christian University on a football scholarship; and Khalfani Muhammad of Sherman Oaks, Calif., a junior who is the 2012 Mt. SAC champion at both 100 and 200 meters and 2011 state runner-up in both distances.

Added to the adidas Girls’ Dream 100 are Kali Davis-White of Lauderdale Lake, Fla., a junior ranked #4 in the U.S. and 2012 Florida State 4A runner-up at both 100 and 200 meters to the previously announced Shayla Sanders; and Destinee Gause of Reynoldsburg, Ohio, a senior who is the 2012 National Indoor Champion at 200 meters and is ranked #5 at 100 meters. The 2011 Ohio State Champion at 100 and 200 meters, she will attend the University of Florida.

Fields for the Dream Mile and Dream 100 are being drawn from the winners of three qualifying meets in the adidas Golden Stripes series, as well as from at-large bids. The first meet, the adidas Meet of Champions, was held on March 24, followed by the Kansas Relays in Lawrence, Kan., April 19-21. Next up is the Golden South Classic in Orlando, Fla., on May 26. In addition to the opportunity to compete in a world-class international track event, athletes in the Dream Mile and Dream 100 will also have the chance to receive coaching from mile legend Jim Ryun.

Oxy High Performance Meet Start Lists: Villanova Athletes

Several Villanova athletes past and present will compete this Friday night in Los Angeles at Occidental College's Oxy High Performance meet. Specifically, the women's 1500 meter race (8:20 pm PT) will showcase the following Villanovans: Carmen Douma-Hussar, Marina Muncan, Nicole Schappert, Jen Rhines, and current NCAA defending champion Sheila Reid. In the 5000 meters (women 9:35 pm PT, men 9:55 pm PT) Carrie Tollefson will attempt to achieve the entry standards for the US Olympic Trials; the "B" standard is 15:50 and the "A" is 15:35. Tollefson has run two 5000 meter races this spring, hitting 16:26.63 at the Hamline Invitational on April 8th and 16:12.64 at Stanford on April 29th. On the men's side, Adrian Blincoe will try to rebound from a fall/DNF in the 10,000 race at Stanford. He ran very well on April 15th to finish 4th at the B.A.A. road 5K in 13:46. Blincoe, a 2008 Olympian at 5000 meters, already owns the Olympic "A" for the London Games, having run 13:18.27 in Barcelona on July 22, 2011.

Each of these races includes an impressive list of top talent, so the times should be fast. Here are the respective start lists:

Event 5  Women 1500 Meter Run
==========================================================================
Friday 5/18/2012 - 8:20 PM
     Name                        Year Team                                  
==========================================================================
  1  Gabriele Anderson                Brooks                      
  2  Lauren Bonds                     adidas/Raleigh              
  3  Sarah Bowman                     New Balance                 
  4  Lauren Centrowitz                New Balance                 
  5  Emma Coburn                      U of Colorado               
  6  Kim Conley                       SRA Elite                   
  7  Heidi Dahl                       New Balance                 
  8  Amanda Dunne                     Unattached                  
  9  Malindi Elmore                   Speed River TC              
 10  Brie Felnagle                    adidas                      
 11  Lindsey Gallo                    Unattached                  
 12  Dawn Grunnagle                   Nike O T C                  
 13  Lauren Hagans                    Asics                       
 14  Ashley Hinther                   Canada                      
 15  Carmen Husser                    New Balance                 
 16  Maggie Infeld                    NYAC-Nike                   
 17  Julia Kawamoto                   Canada                      
 18  Annick Lamar                     New York AC                 
 19  Julia Lucas                      Nike O T C                  
 20  Katie Mackey                     Brooks                      
 21  Elizabeth Maloy                  New Balance                 
 22  Brenda Martinez                  New Balance                 
 23  Amy Mortimer-Garman              Saucony                     
 24  Treniere Moser                   Nike                        
 25  Marina Muncan                    New Balance                 
 26  Dacia Perkins                    adidas/Rogue AC             
 27  Anna Pierce                      Nike                        
 28  Natalja Piliusina                Oklahoma St                 
 29  Sheila Reid                      Villanova                   
 30  Jen Rhines                       adidas                      
 31  Shannon Rowbury                  Nike                        
 32  Nicole Schappert                 New York AC                 
 33  Nicole Sifuentes                 Saucony                     
 34  Hilary Stellingwerff             Speed River TC              
 35  Renee Tomlin                     Nike                        
 36  Morgan Uceny                     adidas                      
 37  Kate Van Buskirk                 Canada                      
 38  Sara Vaughn                      Nike                        
 39  Maggie Vessey                    Unattached                  
 40  Lea Wallace                      Nike                        
 41  Phoebe Wright                    Nike                        
 

Event 7  Women 5000 Meter Run
==========================================================================
Friday 5/18/2012 - 9:35 PM
     Name                        Year Team                                  
==========================================================================
  1  Jackie Areson                    Nike                        
  2  Annie Bersagel                   N B Silicon Vlly            
  3  Addie Bracy                      Italy                       
  4  Emily Brichacek                  Australia                   
  5  Georgie Clarke                   Australia                   
  6  Melissa Cook                     Unattached                  
  7  Lisa Corrigan                    Australia                   
  8  Liz Costello                     Tennessee AC                
  9  Kaitlin Gregg                    N B Silicon Vlly            
 10  Amy Hastings                     Brooks                      
 11  Deena Kastor                     Asics                       
 12  Monica Kinney                    Unattached                  
 13  Julia Lucas                      Nike O T C                  
 14  Tarah McKay-Korir                Canada                      
 15  Sarah Porter                     Zap Fitness                 
 16  Stephanie Reilly                 Ireland                     
 17  Kristen Rohde                    Unattached                  
 18  Blake Russell                    Reebok                      
 19  Sara Slattery                    Unattached                  
 20  Carrie Tollefson                 adidas                      
 21  Lisa Uhl                         Nike O T C                  

Event 8  Men 5000 Meter Run
==========================================================================
Friday 5/18/2012 - 9:55 PM
     Name                        Year Team                                  
==========================================================================
  1  Bolota Asmerom                   Unattached                  
  2  Chris Barnicle                   New Balance                 
  3  Juan Luis Barrios                Nike                        
  4  Scott Bauhs                      Mammoth TC                  
  5  Brandon Bethke                   Michigan Elite              
  6  Adrian Blincoe                   New Zealand                 
  7  Josphat Boit                     Mammoth TC                  
  8  Forest Braden                    Unattached                  
  9  Sam Chelanga                     Nike O T C                  
 10  Robert Cheseret                  U S Army                    
 11  Ian Dobson                       Oregon TC                   
 12  Rory Fraser                      UK Athletics                
 13  Elliott Heath                    Unattached                  
 14  Sean Houseworth                  Falcon Dst Prjct            
 15  Jeremy Johnson                   Brooks                      
 16  Tony Okello                      Santa Monica TC             
 17  Stephen Pifer                    Oregon TC                   
 18  Jacob Riley                      Unattached                  
 19  Dathan Ritzenhein                Nike O T C                  
 20  Jake Robertson                   New Zealand                 
 21  Zane Robertson                   New Zealand                 
 22  Matt Tegenkamp                   Nike O T C                  
 23  Lane Wurthy                      Unattached 

McEntee's 3:36.81 Cracks Top-10 All-Time NCAA 1500 List

Sam McEntee's 3:36.81 in the 1500 meters yesterday at Swarthmore was the 10th fastest time ever achieved by a collegiate runner in the United States. Villanova's Sydney Maree stills tops the all-time list with his 3:35.30 run over 30 years ago. Here's the current top-10.

ALL-TIME COLLEGIATE MEN’S 1500 LIST
(' = non-U.S. citizen)

1.  3:35.30    Sydney Maree'   Villanova        6/06/81
2.  3:35.59    Kyle Merber     Columbia         5/14/12
3.  3:35.79    Abdi Bile'      George Mason     6/06/87
=4. 3:35.84    Joe Falcon      Arkansas         4/16/88
=4. 3:35.84    Brian Hyde      William & Mary   5/13/95
6.  3:36.25    Miles Batty     BYU              4/15/11
7.  3:36.48    Joaquim Cruz'   Oregon           6/02/84
8.  3:36.62    Kevin Sullivan' Michigan         5/15/98
9.  3:36.77    Lawi Lelang'    Arizona          4/29/12
10. 3:36.81    Sam McEntee'    Villanova        5/14/12

PRs Galore for Villanova's 2012 Recruiting Class

The 2012 Villanova track and field incoming class has been marked by a series of superlative races over the past few weeks. The standout performances from the group were Josh Lampron's USA #1 1500 meter time of 3:45.74 PR (equivalent to a 4:03.5 mile) and Angel Piccirillo's new USA #2 PR of 4:44.08 in the mile. Here are some of the more noteworthy times achieved by the future Wildcats.

Angel Piccirillo (Homer Center, PA)
Mile          4:44.08 PR  USA #2   May 4
800 meters    2:09.82 PR  USA #13  May 4

Kelsey Margey (Friends Academy, NY)
1600 meters   4:46.76 PR  USA #8   May 12
800 meters    2:09.89 PR  USA #15  May 5

Caitlin Bungo (Sewickley Academy, PA)
3000 meters  10:08.30 PR  USA #47  April 28
Mile          5:07.08 SB  May 4

Josh Lampron (Mansfield, MA)
1500 meters   3:45.74 PR  USA #1   May 12
2 miles       9:43.10 PR  April 24

Alex Reber (Cherry Hill East, NJ)
400 hurdles     54.19 PR  May 3
400 meters      48.31 SB  May 12
200 meters      22.11 PR  May 3

Kiernan Brennan (Pearl River, NY)
400 meters      50.44 PR  May 11
1600 meters   4:19.97 PR  April 21
Mile          4:22.07 PR  April 14

Donald Urschel (New Brunswick, NJ)
100 meters      11.00 PR  May 12
200 meters      22.26 PR  May 12
400 meters      48.56 PR  May 12

McEntee Vaults to NCAA # 3 with 3:36.81 at Swarthmore 1500

Villanova sophomore Sam McEntee had a big 1500 meter breakthrough last evening at the Jim Tuppeny Last Chance meet at Swarthmore, running 3:36.81 (equivalent to about a 3:54.6 mile), placing him in the #3 spot on this 2012 NCAA performance list. In coming fourth in a very deep and talented field, McEntee bettered several post-collegiate professional runners. The race was paced by Olympic 1500 meter silver medalist Nick Willis (NZ) and included international competitors such as Australia's Jordy Williamsz (who recently committed to run for Villanova come fall 2012), Canada's Nate Brannen, New Zealand's Hamish Carson, among others. The race was won surprisingly by Columbia's Kyle Merber in a stunning 7-second PR and a new NCAA collegiate record time of 3:35.59. On this drizzly night, 13 of the 14 competitors broke the metric equivalent of the 4:00 mile.

Men 1500 Meter Run Jim Tuppeny
================================================================
Name Year Team Finals
================================================================
1 Merber, Kyle COLUMBIA 3:35.59
2 Williamsz, Jordy AUSTRALIA 3:36.74
3 Brannen, Nate SAUCONY 3:36.77
4 McEntee, Sam VILLANOVA 3:36.81
5 Boylan-Pett, Liam NYNJ TC 3:37.05
6 Miller, Craig NEW BALANCE 3:37.13
7 Huling, Dan REEBOCK 3:37.53
8 Carson, Hamish NEW ZEALAND 3:38.04
9 Gagnon, Brian NYNJ TC 3:38.36
10 Rucks, Luke UNATTACHED 3:39.27
11 Stilin, Joe UNATTACHED 3:39.42
12 Van Ackeren, Trevor UNATTACHED 3:39.90
13 Leeer, Will NIKE 3:41.94
14 Emanual, Lee NEW BALANCE 3:46.72
-- Willis, Nick REEBOCK DNF

Bobby Curtis Comes 3rd at Healthy Kidney 10K in NYC

Bobby Curtis finished a strong 3rd at this morning's Healthy Kidney 10K in New York. He ran 28:36 (a full 33-second improvement over his 29:09 at this race last year), and only 9 seconds off the winner. This despite having to fight off a cramp in the 5th mile. The race represents a big breakthrough for Curtis in preparation for the US Olympic Trials, as he came home ahead of such name-brand competitors as Abdi Abdirahman, Meb Keflezighi, Ben St Lawrence, and Ryan Hall.

1. Daniele Meucci    28:27  (2x world championship 10,000 finalist)
2. Leonard Korir     28:29  (pro debut; NCAA 5000 and 10,000 meter champion)
3. Bobby Curtis      28:36
4. Tesfaye Girma     28:38  (1:00:35 half marathon PR)
5. Abdi Abdirahman   28:56  (USA marathon Olympian)
6. Ben St Lawrence   28:58  (Australian Olympian)
7. Meb Keflezighi    29:08  (USA marathon Olympian)

15. Ryan Hall        30:15  (USA marathon Olympian; NR holder)

As in last year's race, Curtis was the first American finisher in the race. Here's a snipet from the LetsRun coverage:

With roughly five weeks standing between him and the Olympic trials, Curtis said he ran the race to test his fitness, and was pleased overall with his 28:37. 'I had a rough patch after the hills around mile four... I probably slowed down significantly for 1 or 2 minutes and then it went away and I was able to start catching up." As a point of reference, the fastest time on Central Park's 10k course by an American is Dathan Ritzenhein's 28:08 that won the 2007 edition of the UAE Healthy Kidney race. To secure 3rd, Curtis edged the leader for most of the race Tesfaye Girma.

The photos below are from immediately after the finish.

Runner's World: A Brief Chat with Bobby Curtis

Runner's World catches up with Bobby Curtis, who talks about the 10,000 field in the upcoming Olympic Trials. He's been racing sparingly this year with a view to peak a bit later than in previous years (i.e., at the Trials, not in May or June as in 2010 and 2011).

Click HERE to read the Q&A with Curtis.

Sheila Reid in Elite 1500 at Prefontaine Classic

Jenny Simpson gilds women’s 1,500 field at Prefontaine Classic

The world outdoor champion will be joined by Olympians and challengers in Friday race

By Curtis Anderson
The Register-Guard
Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Jenny Simpson’s 1,500-meter victory at the World Championships last summer give the U.S. its first gold medal in that event since Mary (Decker) Slaney in 1983.

This year, the three-time NCAA champion from Colorado is hoping to duplicate that feat at the London Olympics.

The former steeplechaser will offer Hayward Field fans a sneak preview of her quest as the headline performer in the women’s 1,500 at the 38th annual Prefontaine Classic, it was announced Tuesday.

The women’s 1,500 will be held on Friday, June 1 during the free “Hollister Night at Hayward” tribute to the late Geoff Hollister, a Nike pioneer.

Simpson, who has the fifth-fastest time in U.S. history at 3 minutes, 59.90 seconds, will be challenged by a world-class field led by U.S. Olympians Anna Pierce and Shannon Rowbury; Canadian Sheila Reid, the first women to sweep the NCAA 1,500 and 5,000 as a Villanova junior last year; and 18-year-old Ethiopian Tizita Bogale, the world junior 1,500 champion.

Oregon Track Club Elite’s Nick Symmonds and Tyler Mulder bring a hometown flavor to the men’s 800. That race will be held on Saturday, June 2.

Symmonds, the four-time U.S. champion and World Championship finalist, will tune up for the U.S. Olympic Trials three weeks later in a field that includes five runners ranked in the top 10 last year by Track & Field News magazine.

They are Abubaker Kaki of Sudan (No. 2), the World Championship silver medalist; Russia’s Yuriy Borzakovskiy (No. 3); 18-year-old Mohamed Aman of Ethiopia (No. 5); Poland’s Adam Kszzot (No. 7), and 35-year-old Khadevis Robinson (No. 9), a veteran of seven World Championships.

Symmonds was ranked No. 6 in the world last year.

Americans Alysia Montano and Maggie Vessey head the women’s 800, which is also a Friday night race.

Montano, a three-time U.S. champion, and Vessey, placed fourth and sixth, respectively, at the World Championships.

The rest of the field includes OTC Elite’s Geena Gall, Ethiopian Fantu Magiso Manedo, and Americans Molly Beckwith, Alice Schmidt, Erica Moore, Phoebe Wright and LaTavia Thomas.

Piccirillo Wins McKinney Mile in #2 Prep Time of 4:44.08

Piccirillo Blitzes McKinney Mile
Kevin Gorman, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
May 5, 2012


When Angel Piccirillo sprinted the straightaway moments before the McKinney Mile, the old track coach watched with admiration how effortless and fluid her stride appeared despite producing so much power.

"You can always tell the great ones. They stand out," said Chuck McKinney, who founded the Baldwin Invitational and in whose honor the event is named. "She truly looked like she was in a class by herself."

Since McKinney started the meet 39 years ago, the Baldwin Invitational has grown to where it now draws 170 teams and 1,900 athletes. On Friday, we witnessed record-setting performances by South Park's Billy Stanley in the javelin and Hempfield's Larisa Debich in the pole vault.

Yet a shy, straight-A student from tiny Homer Center in Indiana County, where she is one of 68 students in the senior class, stood head and shoulders above them all.

Piccirillo drove nearly two hours to run the mile, an event that gained worldwide prestige when Roger Bannister became the first man to break the four-minute barrier 58 years ago Sunday. The race has been replaced at most high school meets by the 1,600-meter run.

When Baldwin resurfaced its track four years ago, it included markings for the mile, about 9 yards behind the starting line, in hopes of making it one of the main attractions to the meet.

"It's the number: One mile, a nice, even, round, standard unit," Homer Center coach Michael Gentile said. "Since Bannister broke it, it's been a mystical event. It's a magical number. You can't pace yourself. You have to go after it."

Piccirillo stumbled onto the event as a sophomore, when Gentile suggested she try it at an indoor meet at Slippery Rock and instructed her to run with defending state champion Kelsey Seymour of Central Cambria. When Piccirillo passed her, a stunned Seymour dropped out of the race.

"I didn't know what I got myself into," Piccirillo said. "I was so naive. I learned to realize it was a big deal. You get a lot of respect for running the mile."

Now, the 5-foot-9 Piccirillo is one of the best milers in the country. The Villanova recruit's time of 4 minutes, 44.20 seconds at the state indoor meet was the nation's fastest until the Penn Relays last weekend.

That's when the two-time defending champion finished second to Bronxville (N.Y.) sophomore Mary Cain, who won in 4:39.28. To grasp how great that time is, consider that it's only 4.04 seconds slower than Polly Plumer's national high school record, which has stood since 1982.

Piccirillo saw no shame in defeat, although she admits it served as motivation for racing against North Hills senior Margo Malone, the defending PIAA Class AAA 1,600-meter champion. Piccirilo wanted to run the mile in 4:40, which meant she needed a 2:20 split after two laps. So she came here to put on a show.

And she did.

At the sound of the starter's pistol, Piccirillo took off, with Malone a step behind. They finished the first lap in 66 seconds, a ridiculous pace.

After two laps, Piccirillo was right at 2:20, Malone two seconds behind. Gentile encouraged his star not to wait until the final lap to let loose, promising that the crowd would carry her.

"Please," Piccirillo said to herself, "because I'm going to need it."

Malone couldn't keep up with the maniacal pace. She normally runs a lap at 72 seconds, knowing that it puts her under five minutes. So she could only watch as Piccirillo opened the lead on the third lap and pulled away at the bell signaling the fourth and final loop around the track.

"I've never been in a race that fast, especially that first lap," said Malone, a Syracuse recruit. "It's always great to run against Angel. She's an amazing runner. Just to be in a race with her is always special."

Malone didn't mind that Piccirillo shattered her meet record by more than 10 seconds, charging down the homestretch to a cheering crowd to win the McKinney Mile in a personal-best 4:44.08, now the nation's second-fastest mile.

"If she can run that fast," Malone said with a smile, "she can have it."

Marcus O'Sullivan Honored at Malvern Father-Son Banquet

Marcus O’Sullivan Honored at 66th Annual Father-Son Banquet
Malvern Preparatory School

Growing up as a poor kid in Cork City, Ireland, Marcus O’Sullivan lacked some of life’s most basic needs. His family didn’t have a refrigerator, or even a bathroom, in their home. “When it came time to change our socks, we’d put the left one on the right foot and the right one on the left foot,” he joked.

O’Sullivan overcame that humble beginning by literally running away from it. Running led to a scholarship offer from Villanova University, and that led to a career as a three-time world champion and a four-time Olympian who set a world record in the indoor 1500m.

Now in his 15th year as Director of Track and Field at Villanova University, O’Sullivan was the guest speaker at the 66th Annual Father-Son Banquet on Tuesday, May 1. He spoke of his early struggles as an athlete, of wanting to quit at times, and urged the students in the audience to follow their dreams and to talk about their goals with their dads.

“If I can do what I did based on where I came from, then each of you can do anything that you set your minds to do,” O’Sullivan said. “I used to think the worst thing you could ever do in life was fail. I hated to lose. But what I learned was that the worst thing you could ever do was to not try.”

Bobby Curtis Joins Healthy Kidney 10K Elite Field

World-Class Healthy Kidney 10K Field Set

From: NYRR Media

Among the top athletes joining all three members of the 2012 U.S. Men’s Olympic marathon team—Meb Keflezighi, Ryan Hall, and Abdi Abdirahman—to round out the field of the UAE Healthy Kidney 10K on May 12 will be Leonard Korir of Kenya, Daniele Meucci of Italy, Ben St. Lawrence of Australia, Jon Rankin of the Cayman Islands, and American Bobby Curtis.

The additions make for a lineup that runs the gamut from rookie to rising star to Olympic medalist, with athletes competing for a first-place prize of $25,000—the largest for any 10K in the world.
Making his professional debut will be Korir, a two-time NCAA champion at Iona College in nearby Westchester County. An eight-time All-American, the 25-year-old Korir won the 2011 NCAA indoor title at 5000 meters to become the first national champion in Iona’s history, then followed it up with the outdoor title at 10,000 meters.
Meucci, 26, a 2008 Olympian, was the 2010 European Championships bronze medalist at 10,000 meters. Off to a great start to 2012, he posted two personal bests in the month of April alone: 28:49 to take third place at the Great Ireland Run 10K and 27:32.86 for 10,000 meters on the track last weekend to finish fourth at the Payton Jordan Stanford Invitational.

St. Lawrence, 30, who is already named to the 2012 Olympic team for his native Australia, is the national record-holder at 10,000 meters and a four-time national champion at the distance. He ran his 10K personal best of 28:37 in this race in 2010.

As a dual citizen, Rankin began competing for the Cayman Islands in 2010 and has since broken four national records, from 800 meters to 5000 meters. He finished sixth at 1500 meters in the U.S. Olympic Trials in 2008. The 30-year-old has a special reason for competing in the UAE Healthy Kidney 10K: Four years ago, he was diagnosed with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, or FSGS, the same rare and incurable kidney disease that struck former NBA star Alonzo Mourning.

Curtis, 27, of Ardmore, PA, was the top American finisher in this race last year, in a [road] personal best 29:09 [his track PR is 27:24.67], before making his marathon debut in the 2011 ING New York City Marathon, where he finished 15th in 2:16:44. The 2008 NCAA champion at 5000 meters out of Villanova University, Curtis placed fourth at 10,000 meters in the USA Outdoor Championships in 2011.

Also set to compete are a pair of top athletes with local ties and a young, up-and-coming Kenyan. Ethiopian Bado Worku Merdessa, who runs for the West Side Runners in New York City, is a two-time NYRR Fred Lebow Runner of the Year; Harbert Okuti, who lives in New Paltz, NY, is Uganda’s 5K record-holder; and Philip Langat of Kenya, who just turned 22, has a 10K personal best of 27:28—the fastest in the field.

The eighth annual UAE Healthy Kidney 10K is sponsored by the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates and will begin at 8:00 a.m. on Saturday, May 12, on Central Park’s West Drive near 62nd Street. For further information, click here.

Villanova Vaulter Alex Wasik Inspires Medina Athlete

Medina boys and girls track sweeps NOC dual meet
By JEFF BREWER

MEDINA, Ohio – The 2011 OHSAA Division I state pole vault champion, Alex Wasik’s impact on the Medina girls track & field team was much more than a first place at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium.

The Villanova University freshman mentored and inspired future Medina track athletes, including junior Jenna D’Errico.

“I always looked up to her,” said D’Errico, who cleared 10-6 in pole vault to win first place during a home dual meet against Strongsville on Tuesday. “She’s been a role model for me. I miss having her this year.”

Wasik (pictured below), who edged Cloverleaf’s Jennifer Foster for the OHSAA crown with a vault of 12-2, has cleared a personal best of 3.90 meters (12 feet, 9.54 inches) at Villanova.

“I’ve been trying to meet her PRs,” D’Errico said. “She always gave me good advice and was really supportive.”

Thanks in large measure to Wasik, and three-time state high jump champion Taylor Burke (now at the University of Florida), the Bees scored 29 points at last year's state track & field meet and tied for fourth place in the team standings.

Like Wasik, D’Errico (below) was a gymnast, taking lessons from age 7 to 15, and beginning track in seventh grade. Her personal best is 11 feet.

“My plant, that’s my bad habit right now. I have to get my left arm out and just get it into muscle memory,” D’Errico said.

A district competitor last year, she has her sights set on the state meet this year.

“I learned (last year) that the best thing is to just relax,” she said. “You think in practice and at the meet you just do what you’ve been working on.”

The Medina girls overwhelmed Strongsville, while the Bees defeated the Mustangs boys team 76-57.

Walter Bailey won three individual boys events (110 hurdles, 100 dash, long jump) for Medina. Bailey was clocked at 14.3 in the hurdles, 10.7 in the 100 and reached 21-1 in long jump.

The Bees won 13 of 17 events.

The boys pole vault was the competition of the meet. Strongsville’s Matt Stefano and Bryce Blake each cleared 13-0 to finish 1-2 in that order, while Medina sophomore Kyle Hutchinson also scaled 13-0, but had to settle for third.

“I was so close to 13-6,” Hutchinson said. “Really close. But that was a good meet. That was fun.”

To have the meet’s top-three finishers go for a combined total of 39 feet is great competition, said Medina boys coach Bob Jenkins.

Sydney Maree: June 1981 Interview in Track & Field News

Click HERE to read the June 1981 interview with Villanova great Sydney Maree.

Catch up on our other coverage of Maree:

The Strange Case of Sydney Maree: HERE.

Sydney Maree: Villanova's Fallen Hero: HERE.

and

Update on Sydney Maree's Plight: HERE.