Cats Off to Mt. Sac in Search of Fast Times

Several Villanovans, past and present, will compete at the Mt Sac Relays over April 19-21. Because the competition is steep and includes professionals, Mt Sac is a traditional early season stop for collegiate and professional runners in search of qualifying standards (either for NCAAs or for IAAF). Based on the release today of the accepted entries at Mt Sac, it seems as though these Villanovans will compete:

Hugo Beamish         5000 meters 
Ryan Sheridan        5000 meters

Emily Lipari         1500 meters
Marina Muncan        1500 meters

Frances Koons        5000 meters 
Bogdana Mimic        5000 meters 
Sheila Reid          5000 meters 

Beamish, Sheridan, and Reid will be making their 5000 meter debuts for the outdoor season. Reid is the defending NCAA champion at that distance (and at 1500 meters), but has run only the 800 and 1500 meters so far this season. She sits currently at #36 (800m) and #13 (1500m), respectively, on the NCAA outdoor performance list in those events. She is expected to compete at 1500 and 5000 at Nationals, and has a 5000 meter PR of 15:37.57 set at the NCAA championships last year. Bogdana Mimic set her 5000 meter PR of 15:48.49 at last year's Mt Sac meet, and qualified for NCAA nationals at that distance in 2010 and 2011, earning All-American status last year.

Hugo Beamish owns a 13:51.60 PR at 5000 meters and won the 2011 and 2012 Big East indoor titles at that distance. Ryan Sheridan is attempting to recapture the form that made him an NCAA All-American at 5000 meters in 2009. His PR over 5000 meters is 13:56.43. Finally, Emily Lipari, who at #51 on the NCAA outdoor performance list at 1500 meters (4:24.41), has plenty of motivation to run fast at Mt Sac as she attempts to qualify for the NCAA post-season competition. Her 1500 meter PR is 4:20.79.

Former Villanova All-Americans Marina Muncan and Frances Koons, now running professionally and affiliated with the New Jersey-New York Track Club, will travel west as well, and will compete in the 1500 and 5000 meters, respectively. Muncan is the Serbian national record holder at both the 1500 meters and mile.