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

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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

Jen Rhines & Bobby Curtis to run Mt Sac Elite 5000

On Friday in Walnut, California ex-NCAA 5000 champions for Villanova Jen Rhines and Bobby Curtis will compete in the elite invitational 5000 meter races at the Mt. Sac Relays. Both the men's and women's races are stacked with talent and, if history is repeated, the races will produce some fast times. Curtis has a 5000 meter PR of 13:25.66 (2008), and Rhines PR'd in 2006 in 14:54.29.

Men's Performance Lists to Date

Here is where the men sit currently on the NCAA descending order lists. There is not much to show since very few of the top men have run at their competitive distances.

400 meter hurdles national leader = 49.52
52. Stefan Goodridge 52.37


Here are the top Villanova marks by event:

100m: Lynch, Michael SR-4 10.99
200m: Lynch, Michael SR-4 21.70
400m: Bowers, Carlton FR-1 48.62
800m: Apwah, Jason JR-3 1:53.43
1,500m: Harper, Cody JR-3 3:53.12
5,000m: Long, Brian JR-3 14:29.39
400m H: Goodridge, Stefan JR-3 52.37
3,000m Steeple: Lewis, Daniel SR-4 8:56.00
4 x 400m: Relay: Kroner, Hines, Kearney, Bowers 3:12.67
High Jump: Darling, Albert FR-1 2.01m
Long Jump: Tiant, Lazaro FR-1 6.46m
Triple Jump: Sainvil, Robert JR-3 14.52m
Shot Put: Anuszewski, Frank SO-2 13.85m
Discus Throw: Ratigan, Matt SR-4 37.80m
Hammer Throw: Anuszewski, Frank SO-2 45.78m
Javelin: Anuszewski, Frank SO-2 46.27m

Women's Performance Lists to Date

Here is where the Villanova women stand today on the NCAA outdoor descending order lists:

100 meter hurdles national leader = 12.65
17. Shericka Ward 13:39

200 meters national leader = 22.92
28. Shericka Ward 23.74

400 meter hurdles national leader = 56:06
71. Kristen Mahon 1:00.84

1500 meters national leader = 4:12.80
22. Sheila Reid 4:20.68
45. Bogdana Mimic 4:24.36
53. Ariann Neutts 4:25.36
54. Nicole Schappert 4:25.44
61. Brooke Simpson 4:26.01
93. Ali Smith 4:28.70

3000 meters national leader = 9:18.29
17. Amanda Marino 9:45.08
43. Kaitlyn Tallman 9:57.20

3000 meter steeple national leader = 10:03.81
21. Ali Smith 10:34.34

5000 meters national leader = 15:51.56
14. Bogdana Mimic 16:22.81


Here are the top women's marks per event:

100m: Ray, Leah FR-1 12.57
200m: Ward, Shericka SO-2 23.74
400m: Verdier, Christie SO-2 55.97
800m: Reid, Sheila SO-2 2:10.89
1,500m: Reid, Sheila SO-2 4:20.68
3,000m: Marino, Amanda JR-3 9:45.08
5,000m: Mimic, Bogdana FR-1 16:22.81
100m H: Ward, Shericka SO-2 13.39
400m H: Mahon, Kristen JR-3 1:00.84
3,000m Steeple: Smith, Alison JR-3 10:34.34
4 x 400m Relay: Mahon, Verdier, Browne, Dunbar 3:49.56
High Jump: Gariepy-Bogui, Audrey JR-3 1.72m
Pole Vault: Llerandi, Ashlyn JR-3 4.00m
Long Jump: Reijula, Erica JR-3 5.60m
Triple Jump: Minasi, Marie FR-1 11.29m
Hammer Throw: Arduini, Julia SO-2 34.00m
Javelin: Arduini, Julia SO-2 42.33m

Penn Relays Looming

DMR World Record 1976

On February 7, 1976 the Villanova DMR team of Mark Belger, Glenn Bogue, Phil "Tiny" Kane, and Eamonn Coghlan set a world record in the distance medley relay, running 9:38.4 at the Mason-Dixon Games in Louisville, Kentucky. The main competition in the race came from the Florida Track Club quartet of Steve Foster, Reggie Clark, Jim Redd, and Byron Dyce. The photo above is from the 1977 Mason-Dixon Games program and shows Dyce and Coghlan starting their mile leg (the race was competed in yards, not meters) in a virtual tie. Despite getting beaten by the Villanova squad, the FTC team also dipped under the existing world record.
At the NCAA indoor meet that year, Coghlan would win his second national indoor title in the mile and Mark Belger would win over 1000 yards. Belger would take the 880 yards titles in both 1977 and 1978.

New Baby Rejuvenates Carrie Tollefson

Pregnancy Rejuvenates Olympian Carrie Tollefson
By: Kristine Smith, Running USA wire

Three-time national champion eyes 2012 Olympics as a new mother

After frustrating injuries, and her first drop from a race in 2009, Olympian Carrie Tollefson and her husband Charlie Peterson decided the "off year" was the right time for her body to take on a new challenge. They are expecting their first baby in early April [editor's note: daughter Ruby Anne Peterson was born Thursday, April 1], and Tollefson said of her pregnancy "My body has never felt better, my mind is rejuvenated, and we have the most wonderful thing happening to us."

Tollefson said in a recent interview her pace on the roads is slower, but her work on the underwater treadmill, the increased rest and land training that includes lifting two to three times per week, agility training and 3-6 mile "jogs" on a regular treadmill are keeping her pregnancy healthy, and building her fitness as she works toward her goal to make the 2012 Olympic team.

"I know this [baby] is going to change my life in a big way, but it doesn't change my passion for the sport. I have always been one who loves the challenge and think having this addition in my life will only make me focus and appreciate it more," she said. "I run probably four days a week in addition to my other workouts. I am very in tune with my heart rate and, most importantly, my body temperature. From everyone [medical and training experts] that I have talked with, and who has studied training during pregnancy, the most important thing is not to overheat."



The new mom already spends time with kids each summer. The Carrie Tollefson Training Camp is a running camp geared toward 7-12th grade students, held at St. Catherine University, in St. Paul, Minnesota, July 8-11.

Post-delivery, Tollefson, 33, says she will figure out the balance it takes to be a great parent and an athlete. "If that means running at 5:00am and 7:00pm, I will do it. I am so inspired by all of the runners that get it done while having kids...one can never give up and we have to 'get after it' both on the track and off. That is what I am going to do again now after the baby...enjoy every minute of becoming a mom and I have every intention of getting back on top of my game."

In 1999, Tollefson was named NCAA Indoor track athlete of the year and was the first person in NCAA history to win both the 3000 and 5000 meters in the same year. Now an Olympian and three-time national champion, she lives and trains in her home state of Minnesota, where she and husband Charlie look forward to raising their first baby.

Curtis Photos from World Cross in Poland

Colonial Relays @ William & Mary

At the Colonial Relays hosted by the College of William & Mary, several Wildcats posted impressive times. Bogdana Mimic (pictured above) won the 5000 meters by 33 seconds in 16:22.81, the 9th fastest time in the NCAA so far this outdoor season. Her teammate Ariann Neutts pictured below), known primarily as an 800 meter specialist, moved up to 1500 and won in an impressive 4:25.36, the 12th best outdoor time in the NCAA.

Two Villanova women set meet and stadium records. Ali Smith won the 3000 meter steeple in 10:34.34, placing hert 12th on the NCAA performance list. Vaulter Ashlyn Llerandi, VU's school record holder, got over a 4.00 meter bar and won the event.
Other noteworthy results: Brooke Simpson was 4th in the 1500 in 4:2.75, Sarah Morrison, Kaitlin O'Sullivan, and Meaghan Smith went 5-9-10 in the 3000 meter steeple. The 4 x 800 teams of Browne-Mimic-Simpson-Neutts came second narrowly.
On th e men's side, Dan Lewis was second in the 3000 steeple, in 8:56.00.

Sean Tully has Olympic Dreams

Sean Tully: Back on Track and Hungry for The Olympics
former Syosset High track star has found balance, and with that, success

By Josh Stewart
March 31, 2010

Villanova taught Sean Tully how to be an engineer, but his greatest lesson on structural wear and tear didn't take place in a classroom.

The former Syosset High School track star can look back now and see where he went wrong. But a professional career that could culminate at the 2012 Olympic Games almost ended before it started, until he realized that even for the most dedicated among us, sometimes less is more.

"I ran really, really well my sophomore year, [surpassed personal records] by a lot and all of a sudden I thought, 'I'm going to be going places,'" Tully says of his time with the Wildcats.

When a person turns getting cut from the high school basketball team as a sophomore into teaming to set a national record in the 4x800 relay as a senior, why not aim high? (The mammoth 2005 Penn Relays plaque and accompanying photo of Tully, his twin brother Dan, Adam Lampert, Chris Howell and Coach Bart Sessa is the highlight of the Syosset High trophy display.)

"I got way too excited about it," Tully says of the early college success, drawing out the "way" for a couple of seconds to make a point. "And that summer in my base training, I basically was just destroying myself running way too hard on all of my runs."

He couldn't stop running, even as he was running himself into the ground. Tully even competed in a couple of cross country meets for Villanova, which he now understands doesn't translate into track success.

"Running under six-minute miles on a 12-mile run on what's supposed to be an easy day, that's going to come back to get you," Tully says with a chuckle.

The result was a wasted junior year and a totally different strategy as a senior, which included more chilling and less charging during the summer. A sixth-placed finish in the '09 NCAA Championships in the 800m followed by a 12th at the U.S. Nationals confirmed that he was literally back on track. Emboldened by that performance and curious where he would have been had he not lost so much momentum his junior year, he has put aside his engineering career to go the route of a fledging professional runner.

He doesn't make Usain Bolt money, but is sponsored by the New York Athletic Club. And he admits he's lucky to be able to work a few months a year for his dad and uncles' company, Tully Construction, before going back to Villanova to work out with his college coach, Marcus O'Sullivan. ("There's not many jobs you can come to in September and say, 'Hey, I'm going to up and leave in January.'")

Nothing's getting him down right now--not even the meet trip to Nigeria where the athletes had their passports collected, and their promised visas hadn't shown up nearly three days later.

"If someone wanted to ask for my papers, I didn't know what would have happened," Tully says.

Maybe in a few years his face will be a little more recognizable.

Footage from World Cross

No pun intended. Curtis visible in first portion.