Villanova Sending Nine to NCAA Indoor Nationals

The NCAA offered entries for the Indoor Nationals in Fayetteville, AK to the top 16 individuals in each event, and to the top 12 relays teams in each relay event.  This evening the following Villanova athletes were extended entry into the NCAA Indoor National Championship meet.

Rob Denault -- Mile
(Aurora, Ontario, Canada)

Sam Ellison -- 800 meters & DMR 400 meters
(Dresher, Pennsylvania)

Emily Lipari -- 3000 meters & DMR 1600 meters
(Greenvale, New York)

Jordy Williams -- DMR 1200 meters
(Melbourne, Australia)

Chris FitzSimons -- DMR 800 meters
(Hamden, Connecticut)

Sam McEntee -- DMR 1600 meters
(Perth, Australia)

Angel Piccirillo -- DMR 1200 meters
(Homer City, Pennsylvania)

Michaela Wilkins -- DMR 400 meters
(Ellicott City, Maryland)

Nicky Akande -- DMR 800 meters
(Lawrenceville, Georgia)

Lipari Named Mid-Atlantic Indoor Track Athlete of the Year

Villanova's Emily Lipari has been named the Mid-Atlantic Women's Indoor Track Athlete of the Year by the US Track & Field and Cross Country Coach's Association.  Here's what the USTFCCCA had to say about Lipari: 


MID-ATLANTIC REGION – Emily Lipari – Villanova
A junior from Rosslyn, N.Y., Lipari anchored the winning DMR team at Armory Collegiate with a 4:34 split for the 1600 meters leg to give team a then-collegiate-leading 10:56.79. She ran three events at Big East Championships en route to Big East Track Athlete of the Meet honors, winning at 1000m (2:46.19) and as the anchor of the 4×800 relay (2:06 split with a 59 second last lap), and finishing seventh in mile in 4:46.68.

They could have added that last weekend Lipari set an 11-second PR over 3000 meters to run the 14th fastest time in the country this season and thereby to earn a spot at the NCAA Indoor Nationals.  She is the only Villanova female athlete to earn an  individual spot at Nationals (both the men's and women's DMR also made Nationals, while Sam Ellison (800 meters) and Rob Denault (mile) will compete individually for the men). 

For a list of all the regional winners, go HERE.

Emily Lipari Surges to NCAA #14 with Big PR at Columbia 3000Poised to Make Field at NCAA Indoor Nationals

Emily Lipari may have won herself a spot at the NCAA Indoor Nationals with a monster 11-second PR victory this evening at the Columbia Last Chance meet at her home away from home: the Armory in New York City.  Lipari won the race in 9:08.91.  Pending other results throughout the country today, that time puts Lipari at #14 in the country and part of the 16-person field at NCAA Indoor Nationals in Fayetteville. Her previous PR was 9:20.07, run at the Great Dane Classic at the same venue on January 18th.

3000m run
=========================================================================
    Name                    Year School                  Seed     Finals 
=========================================================================
  1       Lipari, Emily          Villanova            9:20.07    9:08.91  
  2       Crevoiserat, Linds     Connecticut          9:23.46    9:09.48  
  3       Adler, Monica          Unattached           9:06.00    9:10.87  
  4       Traynor, Nicol         New Jersey-N         9:05.00    9:19.07  
  5       Stevens, Joanna        Georgetown           9:45.95    9:40.28  
  6       Sara, Lauren           Connecticut          9:38.29    9:43.36  
  7       Fluehr, Erika          Princeton            9:51.83    9:48.46  
  8       Johnson, Jen           Unattached          10:03.20    9:52.62  
  9       May, Hilary            Georgetown R        10:13.13    9:52.96  
 10       Cotton, Sarah          Georgetown           9:53.34    9:59.79  
 11       Schustrom, Lexi        Columbia            10:00.00   10:03.38  
 12       Dinnan, Courtney       Unat-So. Con         9:35.00   10:05.13  
 13       Dengler, Molly         Columbia             9:40.00   10:13.53  
 --       Chambers, Madeline     Georgetown           9:09.20        DNF  

Rob Denault Joins Sub 4:00 Club with 3:59.23 at Notre Dame

 Today at the Alex Wilson Invitational at Notre Dame, Rob Denault became the 31st Villanova runner to break the 4:00 mile barrier. Having missed narrowly early this season (4:00.04 at Penn State), Denault today ran 3:59.39 to finish 3rd in his mile heat (4th overall) at the Alex Wilson Invitational at Notre Dame. Denault, who hails from Aurora, Ontario, is the 45th Canadian to break the 4:00 barrier, and is the fourth Villanovan from Canada to do so, joining Ken Lucks (1984), Stephen Howard (1997), and Ryan Hayden (2002).







Alex Wilson Mile

  1. Mudd, Austin         Wisconsin              3:58.59
  2. Fleet, Mac           Oregon                 3:58.90
  3. Denault, Robert      Villanova              3:59.39
  4. Hillenbrand, Matt    Kentucky               4:00.23
  5. McAlary, Josh        Michigan State         4:00.46
  6. Clarkson, Fabian     Oklahoma State         4:00.70
  7. Dahleen, Zach        Southern Illinois      4:01.41
  8. Noelle, Chad         Oregon                 4:01.98
  9. Hatz, Alex           Wisconsin              4:06.09
 10. Fallon, Chris        Ohio State             4:06.38
 11. Morris, Graham       Illinois               4:09.56

The Villanova Sub-Four Minute Milers

Ron Delany (1956: 3:59.0 -- 3:57.5) WRi
Dave Patrick (1967: 3:59.3 -- 3:56.8)
Marty Liquori (1967: 3:59.8 -- 3:52.2)
Pat Traynor (1968: 3:59.6)
Frank Murphy (1968: 3:58.6 -- 3:58.1)
Chris Mason (1970: 3:59.9)
John Hartnett (1973: 3:58.3 -- 3:54.7)
Dick Buerkle (1973: 3:58.0 -- 3:54.9) WRi
Eamonn Coghlan (1975: 3:56.2 -- 3:49.78) WRi
Sydney Maree (1976: 3:57.9 -- 3:48.83) WR 1500
Don Paige (1978: 3:58.10 -- 3:54.19)
Phil "Tiny" Kane (1978: 3:59.37 -- 3:55.77)
Amos Korir (1979: 3:59.3)
Mark Belger (1979: 3:58.4 -- 3:57.37)
Ross Donoghue (1979: 3:58.0 -- 3:55.26)
Marcus O'Sullivan (1983: 3:58:84 -- 3:50.94) WRi
Ken Lucks (1984: 3:58.96)
John Keyworth (1984: 3:59.43)
Gerry O'Reilly (1986: 3:54.63)
Sean O'Neill (1987: 3:58.42)
Ken Nason (1995: 3:58.91 -- 3:58.09)
Brad Sumner (1995: 3:59.11)
Stephen Howard (1997: 3:58.8)
Adrian Blincoe (2002: 3:58.19 -- 3:54.4)
Ryan Hayden (2002: 3:58.27)
Jason Jabaut (2006: 3:59.07 -- 3:57.26)
Bobby Curtis (2007: 3:57.20)
Mike Kerrigan (2007: 3:59:60)
Matt Gibney (2011: 3:58.12)
Sam McEntee (2012: 3:58.86)
Rob Denault (2013: 3:59.39)

Villanova DMR Men React to Making Indoor Nationals

                       
                   

Here's the post-race reactions from last night's DMR squad after they won their heat and qualified for NCAA Indoor Nationals with a 9:30.47 (#9 in the NCAA this season).  All the guys think that they can go faster and that they should be in the mix in the late stages of the national championship race in Fayetteville.  Jordy Williamsz led off with a 2:52 split in the 1200, followed by Sam Ellison's 47 flat in the 400. Chris FitzSimons admitted that went out too fast on the 800 leg ("I got way too excited"), but split a solid 1:49 to give the baton to Sam McEntee with a big lead.  McEntee, who's been running 3000s and 5000s this indoor season, anchored the 1600 leg in about 4:02 ("the slowest anchor I've done") and viewed his run as a shake-out effort over that distance.  McEntee is not likely to get the baton in the lead at Nationals, something that doesn't bother him at all: "I'm not much of a front-runner."  He does have an excellent kick and should keep Villanova in play in the final stages in Fayetteville. 

Villanova Men's DMR Jumps into NCAA Indoor Nationals

  


 The Villanova DMR quartet of Jordy Williamsz, Sam Ellison, Chris FitzSimons, and Sam McEntee vaulted into the top 12 of the NCAA last night, winning their heat of the DMR at Notre Dame's Alex Wilson Invitational. As has been the case over the past several years, this meet held on a super-fast 320 meter track witnessed a "last chance" rush of teams seeking to qualify for indoor nationals.  Indeed, the top 14 times in the country were recorded last night at the meet, with Villanova now sitting at #9 on that list.  The top 12 relay teams will gain entry to the NCAA meet in Fayetteville, AK.

Villanova led its heat from the start, with Jordy Williamsz (split of 2:53) kicking at the end of his 1200 meter leg to provide the Wildcats with a 1 second lead over Wisconsin at the exchange.  Sam Ellison extended that lead over a super fast 46 flat 400 meter leg, putting 800 meter man Chris FitzSimons three seconds ahead with the baton.  FitzSimons split 1:49 to give anchor Sam McEntee a large -- and ultimately insurmountable -- lead.  McEntee closed in approximately 4:02, and had to hold off hard charging anchors from both Virginia Tech and Indiana.

The video commentator above misidentifies Jordy Williamsz as Rob Denault and Sam Ellison as Alex Reber.  Denault and Reber were on the original declared list, but were replaced by Williamsz and Ellison.

 Event 4 Men Distance Medley
===============================================================
School Finals
===============================================================
Section 3

1 Villanova 'A'                                                9:30.47
1) Williamsz, Jordan 2) Ellison, Samuel
3) FitzSimons, Christopher 4) McEntee, Sam

2 Virginia Tech 'A'                                          9:30.83
1) Hagen, Ryan 2) Artis-Gray, Jeff
3) Degfae, Tihut 4) Hammond, Michael

3 Indiana 'A'                                                  9:31.11
1) Hunter, Rorey 2) Pierre Louis, Nathan
3) Roller, Lance 4) Bayer, Andrew

4 Wisconsin 'A'                                             9:31.43
1) Mudd, Austin 2) Woloszyk, Tyler
3) Mellon, Zach 4) Hatz, Alex

5 Georgetown 'A'                                          9:33.40
1) Peavey, Bobby 2) Andre, Mike
3) Ledder, Billy 4) Springer, Andrew

6 Ucla 'A'                                                     9:35.36
1) Edman, Ferdinand 2) Lauderdale, Pete
3) Hartle, Nick 4) Herrera, Daniel

7 New Mexico 'A'                                         9:36.98
1) Evans, Sam 2) Lewis, Charles
3) Herring, Edwin 4) Caldwell, Luke

8 Kansas 'A'                                                9:38.89
1) Buchanan, Reid 2) Hester, Michael
3) Munsch, Josh 4) Soucie, Brendan

9 Loyola (Ill.) 'A'                                          9:42.77
1) Murray, Declan 2) Glastetter, Kevin
3) Brady, Ned 4) Penzenstadler, Sam




              

Hugo Beamish goes 3:45.49 PR in Auckland FAST 1500

Hugo Beamish in his Villanova days

In the build-up for the New Zealand track and field championships in three weeks time, former Big East 5000 meter champion Hugo Beamish competed yesterday in Auckland over 1500 meters. Despite the race being below his optimal distance, Beamish showed good speed and set a new 1500 meter PR of 3:45.49 in coming fourth in a very competitive field. Beamish is being coached by former Villanova NCAA champion and assistant coach Adrian Blincoe. The race was won by Olympic silver medalist Nick Willis, who came up short of the 3:35.00 "A" standard for this year's world championships in Russia.

The FAST 1500

 1.  Nick Willis             3:36.51
 2.  Malcolm Hicks           3:44.95
 3.  Hamish Carson           3:45.11
 4.  Hugo Beamish            3:45.49
 5.  Aaron Pulford           3:48.13
 6.  Alex Parlane            3:48.30
 7.  Ben Moynihan            3:48.72
 8.  Matt Harris             3:49.47
 9.  Matt Lambert            3:50.16
10.  Jonathan Jackson        3:51.64
11.  Brett Henley            3:52.23
12.  Michael Vercoe-Curtis   3:53.33 

Marcus O'Sullivan's Sub-4:00 Miles from #1 to #101

Marcus O'Sullivan en route to his 100th sub-4:00 mile at the 1998 Millrose Games

Marcus O’Sullivan is one of only 3 athletes to run 100 or more sub-4:00 miles. He joined American Steve Scott (136 sub-4:00 miles) and New Zealander John Walker (124 sub-4:00 miles) on that list on February 13th, 1998, when he ran 3:58.10 at the Wanamaker Mile at the Millrose Games. His final sub-4:00 mile -- his 101st -- took place 12 days later in Melbourne, Australia. In that final sub-4 performance, O'Sullivan came third behind Kenyans Daniel Komen (3:53.63) and Noah Ngeny (3:56.06). He also ran the metric equivalent of the sub-4:00 mile (i.e., sub 3:42.2 over 1500 meters) an additional 83 times in his career to produce a staggering level of consistency.

Here is O'Sullivan's complete list of sub-4:00 miles in chronological order. Note the gap of 15 years and 1 month between his initial and his final sub-4 efforts.

No.    Date             Locale                  Time         

  1.   Jan. 22, 1983    Chapel Hill, NC         3:58.84 (i) 
  2.   Jan. 28, 1983    New York, NY            3:59.09 (i)
  3.   July 13, 1983    Cork, Ireland           3:56.65
  4.   July 20, 1983    Luxembourg,             3:59.60
  5.   July 3, 1984     Cork, Ireland           3:56.11
  6.   July 21, 1984    Oslo, Norway            3:55.82
  7.   Jan. 19, 1985    Johnson City, TN        3:57.10 (i)
  8.   Feb. 9, 1985     East Rutherford, NJ     3:57.09 (i)
  9.   June 9, 1985     Villanova, PA           3:54.13
 10.   June 24, 1985    Belfast, N. Ireland     3:56.74
 11.   July 9, 1985     Cork, Ireland           3:52.64
 12.   July 23, 1985    Edinburgh, Scotland     3:56.40
 13.   Aug. 2, 1985     London, England         3:57.26
 14.   Aug. 30, 1985    Brussels, Belgium       3:59.26
 15.   Jan. 17, 1986    Los Angeles, CA         3:58.37 (i)
 16.   Feb. 1, 1986     Dallas, TX              3:57.36 (i)
 17.   Feb. 8, 1986     East Rutherford, NJ     3:57.33 (i)
 18.   Feb. 14, 1986    New York, NY            3:56.05 (i)
 19.   Feb. 21, 1986    Inglewood, CA           3:57.21 (i)
 20.   Feb. 28, 1986    New York, NY            3:57.27 (i)
 21.   June 30, 1986    Belfast, N. Ireland     3:58.54
 22.   July 8, 1986     Cork, Ireland           3:53.55
 23.   July 11, 1986    London, England         3:54.59
 24.   Aug. 6, 1986     Dublin, Ireland         3:58.50
 25.   Sept. 12, 1986   London, England         3:54.07
 26.   Jan. 30, 1987    New York, NY            3:56.49 (i)
 27.   Feb. 14, 1987    East Rutherford, NJ     3:57.68 (i)
 28.   Feb. 21, 1987    Inglewood, CA           3:56.92 (i)
 29.   June 4, 1987     Madrid, Spain           3:59.40
 30.   July 4, 1987     Oslo, Norway            3:54.29
 31.   July 7, 1987     Cork, Ireland           3:58.84
 32.   July 15, 1987    Barcelona, Spain        3:56.33
 33.   July 20, 1987    Belfast, N. Ireland     3:59.35
 34.   Aug. 19, 1987    Zurich, Switzerland     3:52.76
 35.   Jan. 22, 1988    Johnson City, TN        3:57.79 (i)
 36.   Feb. 5, 1988     New York, NY            3:56.89 (i)
 37.   Feb. 13, 1988    East Rutherford, NJ     3:50.94 (i)
 38.   Feb. 26, 1988    New York, NY            3:59.85 (i)
 39.   July 16, 1988    Gateshead, England      3:57.77
 40.   Aug. 17, 1988    Zurich, Switzerland     3:52.50
 41.   Aug. 26, 1988    Berlin, Germany         3:57.21
 42.   Jan. 27, 1989    Johnson City, TN        3:57.60 (i)
 43.   Feb. 3, 1989     New York, NY            3:54.27 (i)
 44.   Feb. 5, 1989     Fairfax, VA             3:58.06.
 45.   Feb. 10, 1989    East Rutherford, NJ     3:51.66 (i)
 46.   Feb. 24, 1989    New York, NY            3:59.24 (i)
 47.   July 1, 1989     Oslo, Norway            3:51.64
 48.   July 22, 1989    New York, NY            3:53.57
 49.   Sept. 15, 1989   London, England         3:56.66
 50.   Feb. 2, 1990     New York, NY            3:59.35 (i)
 51.   Feb. 9, 1990     East Rutherford, NJ     3:58.44
 52.   Feb. 16, 1990    Inglewood, CA           3:56.99 (i)
 53.   Feb. 23, 1990    New York, NY            3:57.35 (i)
 54.   July 29, 1990    New York, NY            3:55.51
 55.   Jan. 25, 1991    Johnson City, TN        3:58.96 (i)
 56.   Feb. 1, 1991     New York, NY            3:55.17 (i)
 57.   Feb. 8, 1991     East Rutherford, NJ     3:56.75 (i)
 58.   Feb. 22, 1991    New York, NY            3:58.62 (i)
 59.   July 21, 1991    New York, NY            3:56.23
 60.   Jan. 25, 1992    Johnson City, TN        3:57.38 (i)
 61.   May 24, 1992     New York, NY            3:58.95
 62.   Aug. 25, 1992    Copenhagen, Denmark     3:57.68
 63.   Jan. 15, 1993    Hamilton, Ontario       3:59.30 (i)
 64.   Jan. 23, 1993    Boston, MA              3:58.30 (i)
 65.   Jan. 30, 1993    Johnson City, TN        3:59.61 (i)
 66.   Feb. 5, 1993     New York, NY            3:55.36 (i)
 67.   Feb. 19, 1993    Portland, OR            3:57.60 (i)
 68.   Feb. 26, 1993    New York, NY            3:54.90 (i)
 69.   June 25, 1993    Indianapolis, IN        3:54.48
 70.   July 9, 1993     Cork, Ireland           3:57.99
 71.   Aug. 27, 1993    Berlin, Germany         3:52.76
 72.   Sept. 3, 1993    Brussels, Belgium       3:55.53
 73.   Jan. 16, 1994    Montreal, Canada        3:59.72 (i)
 74.   Jan. 22, 1994    Johnson City, TN        3:59.16 (i)
 75.   Feb. 4, 1994     New York, NY            3:58.80 (i)
 76.   July 26, 1994    St. Petersburg, Russia  3:53.86
 77.   Jan. 13, 1995    Hamilton, Ontario       3:59.98 (i)
 78.   Jan. 29, 1995    Johnson City, TN        3:59.14 (i)
 79.   Feb. 3, 1995     New York, NY            3:57.11 (i)
 80.   Feb. 17, 1995    Cleveland, OH           3:59.09 (i)
 81.   Feb. 25, 1995    Fairfax, VA             3:56.48 (i)
 82.   June 2, 1995     Haverford, PA           3:59.92
 83.   Aug. 27, 1995    London, England         3:57.07
 84.   Sept. 1, 1995    Berlin, Germany         3:54.26
 85.   Oct. 21, 1995    Hong Kong, China        3:59.72
 86.   March 2, 1996    Atlanta, GA             3:58.98 (i)
 87.   May 18, 1996     Atlanta, GA             3:56.95
 88.   May 26, 1996     Eugene, OR              3:53.81
 89.   July 5, 1996     Oslo, Norway            3:52.80
 90.   Aug. 30, 1996    Berlin, Germany         3:54.87
 91.   Jan. 25, 1997    Boston, MA              3:57.49 (i)
 92.   May 14, 1997     Haverford, PA           3:57.50
 93.   May 25, 1997     Eugene, OR              3:53.86
 94.   June 4, 1997     Haverford, PA           3:57.40
 95.   June 29, 1997    Sheffield, England      3:57.49
 96.   July 4, 1997     Oslo, Norway            3:52.63
 97.   July 16, 1997    Nice, France            3:52.82
 98.   Aug. 26, 1997    Berlin, Germany         3:52.04
 99.   Jan. 25, 1998    Haverford, PA           3:58.60 (i)
100.   Feb. 13, 1998    New York, NY            3:58.10 (i)
101.   Feb. 25, 1998    Melbourne, Australia    3:56.35

Ben Malone Seizes Eastern States 2-Mile Championship

On the heels of his dominating victory at last week's Millrose Games High School Mile, Villanova's 2013 signee Ben Malone tonight won the prestigious Eastern States championship over two miles.  The race was a relatively slow affair -- Malone's 2-mile PR (9:12.02) is a full 9 seconds faster than his winning time tonight (9:21.17) -- but Malone's superior speed allowed him to run away from the other two competitors in the lead trio, and he won by almost two full seconds.

Up against Malone tonight were seniors Jimmy Daniels, who will run next year at St. Joseph's (PA), and Shawn Wilson (one of Marc Pelerin's charges at Cherokee High School in Marlton, NJ), who has signed on with Syracuse University.   Second-place finisher Josiah Hanko -- still a junior -- finished 2nd at the New Jersey state meet over 1600 meters on Saturday.  So, overall, a solid victory over a talented field of competitors.






Eastern States Championships

Boys 2 Mile Run
================================================================
    Name                    Year School                  Finals 
================================================================
  1 Malone, Ben               12 Pascack Vall           9:21.17  
  2 Hanko, Josiah             11 Trinity Chri           9:23.03  
  3 Daniels, Jimmy            12 Sterling               9:23.62  
  4 Wilson, Shawn             12 Cherokee               9:31.48  
  5 Watts, Mike               11 Islip                  9:34.89  
  6 Scott, Kevin              12 Ocean City             9:42.37  
  7 Kroon, Kyle               11 Toms River S           9:45.66  
  8 Adamovics, Andy           12 Montgomery             9:47.62  
  9 Jones, Leland             10 Summit                 9:48.93  
 10 Colon, Ryan               12 Old Bridge             9:50.45  
 11 Tedeschi, Andrew          12 Montville              9:55.84  
 12 Dillon, Ben               11 Cherry Hill            9:55.95  
 13 Italiano, Tyler           10 Syosset                9:56.55  
 14 Wathen, John              12 Pleasant Val          10:00.56  
 15 Murphy, James             12 Ridge                 10:00.76  
 16 Ehmann, Paul              10 West Morris           10:03.10  
 17 Bustamante, Louis         11 Wallkill Val          10:05.39  
 18 Teachen, Tommy            11 Hopewell Val          10:07.98  
 19 Carosi, Andrew            12 North Hunter          10:09.22  
 20 Mugavero, David           11 North Hunter          10:09.39  
 21 Kessler, Luke             11 Haddon Twp            10:14.61  
 22 Minion, Mike              12 Cherry Hill           10:19.63  
 23 Sisto, Chris              11 Bernards              10:19.82  
 24 Biro, Robert              12 Morris Hills          10:21.51  
 25 Dufresne, Rich            12 Old Bridge            10:25.11  
 26 Weillep, Matthew          11 Manhasset             10:25.72  
 27 Seibert, Nick             12 North Hunter          10:35.56  
 28 Sergison, Matt            12 North Hunter          10:56.22  

Curtis' Gasparilla 8K Win a Tune-Up for USA 15K Champs

Curtis' tuneup: record-setting win in Gasparilla 8k

By SCOTT PURKS | Tribune staff
Published: February 25, 2013

TAMPA --Sunday's Publix Super Markets Gasparilla Distance Classic 8k race was a walk in the park for Bobby Curtis, who just happens to be one of the fastest distance runners in the world.

No wonder Curtis' relative stroll led to a course record of 23 minutes, 30 seconds (4:43 a mile pace).

Several bystanders, however, wondered why Curtis was barreling down Bayshore Boulevard on a balmy Sunday without any serious competition.

"I needed a race tuneup," said Curtis, a 28-year-old sponsored by the Hansons-Brooks Original Distance Project, the names of which were stretched across his chest. "Coming up I have the 15k U.S. Nationals [March 9th in Jacksonville] and the (10k World Championships in Moscow this summer)."

Curtis went 23:30 CR at Gasparilla 8K

Sunday's appearance made more sense because Curtis was training this week in Orlando, where during the winter months he alternates weeks of workouts between Orlando and Michigan, home of the Hansons-Brooks organization.

"My coach told me to come over and run this race," said a smiling Curtis, who has run America's seventh-fastest 10,000 meters in 27:24. "It turned out to be a great decision because this is a very well-run race at a great venue."

Curtis handily beat Hansons-Brooks teammate Dustin Emerick, who cruised in as the runner-up in 24:28. The next closest finisher was Tampa's Jon Noland, 38, who followed in 26:37.

"I've never been to Tampa before but I think I'd like to come back," said Emerick, 23. "This (tuneup race) worked out really great. It's a beautiful city."

Curtis' time shattered the previous 8k record of 26.42 set last year by Oscar Orozco.

The only criticism from the leading visitors was that it was a bit hot, a sentiment echoed by the women's 8k champion, Gainesville's Stephanie McGrail, who finished in 32:07.

"I felt great starting out, but then the last few miles it started getting a little warm," said McGrail, 26. "At that point, though, I was just giving it everything I had."

McGrail admitted that she didn't expect to win Sunday's race because she hasn't been training extra hard and she came down to Tampa merely as part of a visit to her aunt, MaryAnn Gilbert, who lives on Davis Islands.

"At the starting line I was thinking a top-five finish might be nice," McGrail said. "It was a lot of fun to get out to the lead and then win. It turned out to be a great day

Bobby Curtis Dominates Gasparilla 8k in Course Record 23:30

Bobby Curtis made his Hansons-Brooks debut this morning in Tampa and won the Gasaprilla 8K in 23:30 (4:42 per), a new course record by more than 3 minutes.  His Hansons-Brooks teammate Dustin Emerick, who owns a 28:41.62 PR over 10,000 meters, was second, 58 seconds back.  Here are the top results:

Gasparilla 8K (Top 10 Finishers)

 1.  Robert Curtis    Royal Oak, MI    28   23:30
 2.  Dustin Emerick   Royal Oak, MI    23   24:28
 3.  Jon Noland       Tampa, FL        38   26:37
 4.  Bryce Weaver     Tampa, FL        17   27:12
 5.  Eric Hall        Tampa, FL        34   28:00
 6.  Travis Lucas     Tampa, FL        18   28:25
 7.  Kyle Donovan     Bradenton, FL    26   29:04
 8.  Jason Mersereau  Tampa, FL        17   29:09
 9.  Robert Kniss     Zephyrhills, FL  40   29:35
10.  Steven Bothe     Newnan, GA       36   29:40  

Q&A with Villanova's Newest Recruit Patrick Tiernan:2012 Triple Australian Junior Champion

Tiernan crushed the field at Junior XC

Villanova Running tracked down Villanova's latest import from Australia, Patrick Tiernan for a short Q&A about his transition to school in the States.  Tiernan is matriculating at Villanova this semester and will debut for the Cats this fall during Cross Country season.  In 2012, Tiernan was a triple Australian U-20 champion (as a 17-year old): 1500 meters, 5000 meters, and cross country.  For the story of those victories, click HERE.

Here's this weekend's Q&A with Patrick Tiernan:

VR: Describe the process by which you were recruited by Villanova -- how/when you were contacted, what considerations you had to deal with, what concerns your parents had, etc.; Were you friends with any of the other guys from Australia (Jordy Williamsz, Matt Gibney, or Sam McEntee) before Villanova came onto your recruiting radar, and did you talk with them a lot before deciding to accept Villanova's offer?

PT: I think it was around January/February in 2012 when I was first contacted by Adrian [Blincoe] to discuss a possibly future at Villanova. I'd just come off a successful cross country season and was in reasonable shape heading into the upcoming outdoor track season back in Australia. I wasn't officially offered a contract here until late July/early August. I hadn't really given the whole idea much thought, as it had all seemed a bit surreal to me, but there were definitely some considerations I had to take in. I had just started a Bachelor of Exercise Science at university in Australia, and wasn't enjoying it as much as I thought I would, so I was going to start a new degree regardless of where I went, so that wasn't a major issue. I had developed quite a strong friend base over the 12-18 months before coming over though, and that was definitely tough for me to leave. The biggest thing for me however was leaving my family to go halfway around the world to complete a university degree. It's been tough, but we've been in contact fairly regularly since my arrival over here. As far as the transfer over here, I was glad that I'd met Jordan Williamsz, another Australian on the team, before coming over, so that thought of having a familiar face waiting for me to arrive was very comforting. I'd briefly talked to both Sam McEntee and Matt Gibney before coming over, but I'd never met either of them.

VR:  What were your biggest concerns in coming to the States to compete in the US collegiate system? Positives & Negatives? How important was it that Villanova has had a strong (and successful) Aussie/Kiwi contingent over the past 12 years?

PT: I didn't really have any concerns with the collegiate athletic system before coming over; it's a fantastic set up over here compared to the Australian college system, so for me it was all about the positive aspects! The three different seasons: cross country, indoor, and outdoor. The regular racing that is made available by the system. The range in competition is remarkable; there's always going to be a race that will consist of runners around your personal ability. Just in general, it's something that I've been very excited about over the last six months, and to finally be here is fantastic.  I cannot wait to put on that Villanova singlet in August to take part in it!

It was quite important that I'd seen the likes of Gibney and Sam have such great success over here at Villanova both athletically and academically. It definitely helps knowing that someone in the same situation as you're in has been able to have such great success, so that was a major influence on my decision to make the switch from Australia to Villanova.

VR:  What have been the 3-4 biggest surprises you've encountered about life in the USA -- oddities and unexpected things?

Tiernan won the 2012 Gold Coast 10K

PT:  Well for one, the weather was a major shock to my system! I'd been experiencing fantastic weather back home just before I came over. It was the middle of summer, hitting around 90-100 degrees F on a regular basis; shirts and shorts weather. When I got off the plane in Philadelphia, the low 30's and high 20's were definitely a big shock to me! I've been able to adjust pretty well though, although I won't deny the fact that summer couldn't come soon enough! Secondly, the whole driving on the right hand side of the road aspect still gets me. That one will probably take a little longer to adjust to. Lastly, I bought a pair of jeans for $30 the other day. . . I'd never dream of getting a good pair for less than $80 back home. Everything is so much cheaper!!

VR: How is your training progressing? What at this point in your career do you see as your optimal distance? -- is it 1500 or 5000, or both? Or do you see your strengths pointing most to XC?

PT:  Training's been going really well at the moment. It's very different to what I was doing back home, as a lot of this work is based on heart rates and what not, but I think Marcus is doing a fantastic job with it all. I've managed to get into some reasonable shape, but for me the focus is just keeping fit so I can come out firing in the cross country season in the fall. Cross country was probably my biggest strength back home for the duration that I was there, but I've managed to pick up a little bit of speed in the last 18 months.  So I'd like to try and do the 1500/5km double, but realistically I think the 5km is my optimal event, aside from cross country that is.

VR: Overall, how's school going at Villanova -- classes going well, etc? Are you acclimating to student life OK?

PT:  I love the university system over here in the sense that classes are much like high school back home, only in the set-up though, the work is definitely at a university standard. Not one of my classes consists of more than 25 people, and they're very much discussion-based as well, where as in Australia the whole lecture/tutorial routine just didn't suit me very well, so that's another positive note on moving here. I've managed to meet a fair few people in my classes and in my dorm, so the transfer over has been a pretty smooth one on most levels.

VR: Finally, which Australian food/beverages do you miss the most? What American foods are most over-rated?

PT:  I've been craving a meat pie and some pavlova since I got here. When I head back, I can guarantee you they will be my first choices of food upon arrival! Oh, and I miss the bread from Australia as well, I find it's all very sweet over here and doesn't quite have that same freshness. I'm not a massive fan of the famous fried onions either, maybe it's just my taste-buds, but the combination just doesn't work for me.

Bob Raemore Remembered as Mentor and Coach

Longtime coach left his mark on IUP athletes

By MIRZA ZUKIC moz@indianagazette.net

Doc Raemore

As a dentist by profession, Robert "Doc" Raemore had no choice but to get in people's faces.

But during his longtime coaching career at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, he preferred to stay behind the scenes and let his athletes shine in the spotlight.

Raemore, 71, an Indiana dentist who also coached the sprinters and hurdlers on the IUP track and field teams for 34 years, died early Saturday [February 9th] after a brief and sudden illness.

"It's hard to get through this," said former IUP track and field and cross country coach Ed Fry, who coached alongside Raemore for 34 seasons. "This was pretty sudden for everybody because he thought he just had the flu on Tuesday. He went (to work) the next day for a little bit, and he wasn't feeling great so he went home. But he didn't go to the hospital until Friday, and they took him right away to (UPMC). … By Friday night he was in pretty bad shape, and he died at 12:01 Saturday morning.

"I can't tell you how many calls I've received already. And these are people from faraway places. He will be missed by the entire IUP track family."

Raemore, much like Fry, is a legendary figure in IUP track and field annals, and he was respected by former athletes far and wide.

In May 2008, after Sean Strauman won the NCAA Division II national title in the 800-meter run, he dedicated the championship to Raemore and Fry.

"The one thing I said to Coach Fry after I finished the race and he was handing me the trophy was, 'This one is for you and Doc,'" Strauman said at the time. "It's really good for me to end my season like that, but it meant more to finish like that for those two guys."

On Saturday, Strauman wrote on his Facebook page: "You were such an incredible coach, mentor and friend. Thank you for pushing me to be the best person I could be. I truly hope every time I stepped out on the track to run, I made you proud. You will be missed forever."

Brian Spickler, IUP's head track and field coach from 2002 to 2008, blossomed under Raemore as an athlete in the late-1990s after arriving at IUP with the billing of being a marginal athlete at best. By his senior year in 1998, Spickler had blossomed into a contender for the national title in the decathlon. Spickler was a two-time All-America selection in 1997 and '98 and earned the PSAC Athlete of the Year award in 1997.

Raemore, Manion, Drayton, Budd

"(Raemore) was one of the integral reasons why I had the success I had," Spickler said this morning from his home in Denver, Colo. "He not only helped me become the best athlete I could be, but be the best person I could be -- and a lot of other athletes. ... If he wasn't my coach, I would never have had the success I did."

A standout track athlete in his own right at Williamsport High School in the 1950s and Villanova University in the 1960s, Raemore began his coaching career at IUP in 1973, serving as an assistant to Fry until 1980.

Then, he served as the head coach of the IUP men's track team for five seasons before returning to his role as an assistant from 1985 until his retirement in 2007. Being a little-known assistant behind the scenes was just fine with Raemore.

"He was just happy coaching the sprinters and the hurdlers, and he loved doing it," Fry said.

"And of course, he had great success with it. He really enjoyed it. He had a great sense of humor and employed that in all his work. He just loved to see the kids succeed, and they responded to his coaching style."

"Just seeing the outpouring of support from all the athletes he touched, it spans across generations," Spickler said. "Even guys I ran with, their parents ran for Coach Raemore. It shows the effect he had, not only as a coach, but a mentor and someone they could look up to. It's neat to see the responses online and how much people truly did care for the guy, myself included."

In 2007, Raemore was named the NCAA Division II Women's Assistant Track Coach of the Year and the East Region Assistant Coach of the Year by the U.S. Track and Field Coaches Association.

During his coaching tenure, Raemore coached three national-champion sprinters -- Amber Plowden in the 100-meter dash and Derek Brinkley in the 400 hurdles, both in 2001, and Bob Babiak in the decathlon in 1990 -- several All-America selections, numerous Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference champions and even one future Olympian.

Jim Wooding, a two time All-America selection in the decathlon under Raemore, was a member of the 1984 U.S. Olympic team. He finished seventh.

Raemore is a member of the Pennsylvania Track and Field Hall of Fame as well the West Branch Valley Hall of Fame.

Marcus O'Sullivan: 1986 European Outdoors 1500 (Heat 1)

Watch Marcus O'Sullivan run 3:39 to defeat Sebastian Coe, Jose Abascal, and others in heat 1 of the 1986 European Championships in Stuttgart, Germany.

Video: Sheila Reid Wins Millrose Games Wanamaker Mile

Place	Athlete Name		Affiliation	Time
1	Sheila Reid		Nike	4:27.02
2	Mary Cain		Bronxville, NY	4:28.25
3	Kate Grace		Oiselle	4:28.79
4	Emma Coburn		University of Colorado	4:29.86
5	Abbey D'Agostino		Dartmouth College	4:30.03
6	Hilary Stellingwerff		New Balance	4:30.50
7	Sarah Brown		New Balance	4:31.26
8	Emily Infeld		Nike Oregon TC	4:31.50
9	Renee Tomlin		Nike	4:35.99
10	Jordan Hasay		University of Oregon	4:36.21
11	Ashley Higginson		Saucony	4:36.63
DNF	Sara Vaughn		Bowerman AC

Video: Ben Malone Wins Millrose Games Prep Mile

Here is the video of Ben Malone's victory in the New Balance High School Mile at the Millrose Games.





New Balance High School Mile -- Millrose Games
 

 1.  Ben Malone        Pascack Valley, NJ      4:12.62              
 2.  Kris Moran        North Babylon, NY       4:13.86              
 3.  Jay Navin         Saratoga Springs, NY    4:15.80              
 4.  Tom Meehan        Eastport S. Manor, NY   4:16.14              
 5.  Chris Marco       Toms River South, NJ    4:16.51              
 6.  Eric Holt         Carmel, NY              4:16.95              
 7.  Stephen Shine     Briarcliff, NY          4:20.10              
 8.  Sibby Hanson      Arlington, NY           4:22.14              
 9.  Cillian Kirwan    St. Fintan's, Ireland   4:22.84              
10.  Jack Stevenson    Stuyvesant, NY          4:23.67              
11.  Jack Huemmler     Strath Haven, PA        4:26.13              
12.  Connor Harriman   Pennsbury, PA           4:27.24

Cummin Clancy, Villanova Olympian, Dead at Age 90

Cummin Clancy, 1948 Olympian

Legendary Villanova Olympian Cummin Clancy has died at the age of 90.  Clancy represented his native Ireland at the 1948 London Games, where he met Jumbo Elliott and Browning Ross and was recruited to attend Villanova University, from which he graduated in 1953.  He was among the first trio of Irishman (with Jimmy Reardon and John Joe Barry) who would start the so-called "Irish Pipeline" to Villanova.

While at Villanova, Clancy won the 1951 IC4A discus champion with a throw of 158' 3/8".  By the time he graduated, Clancy has established himself as the school record holder in the discus, and his school record of 161' 11" stood from April 1951 until April of 1973.  His toss still stands as the 5th best in school history, 62 years after the fact.

Below is a story about Cummin written just prior to the 2012 London Games, held 64 years after his own participation in a London Olympiad.

Oughterard's Olympian

By Mary Kyne

As London prepares to host the Olympic Games for the first time since 1948 the people of Oughterard and Glann would like to pay tribute to their Olympian hero, Cummin Clancy who participated in the 1948 Olympics. Cummin is the youngest child of the late Matt and Annie Sullivan Farravaun. He was born on the 9th November 1922, educated at Glann National School and then trained as a Garda.

Garda Ned Tobin, based in Galway noticed Cummin’s ability as an athlete when he competed at Ross, Cornamona and Seaneaglish sports to name a few in the forties. Ned was impressed at his sheer strength, skill and natural ability as a discus thrower.

Cummin stationed in Dublin, joined Donore Harriers Athletic Club. He broke the Irish record for discus throwing. In 1948 just a fortnight before the Olympic Games he won the British A.A.A. Championship. He was 26 years of age when he was chosen one of 73 Olympians (68 men and 5 women) to represent Ireland in London.

He said in an interview with Malachy Clerkin of the Irish Times Magazine, “I would have been the best in the British Isles. I would have been around fourth or fifth in the world in the discus at one point but I didn’t really come close to a medal in London.”

Wembley Stadium

In Wembley Stadium with 85,000 in the stands he walked out and took his place as the first person from County Galway to represent Ireland at the Olympics. And then it all went wrong, Cummin’s best throw came to 40.73 metres almost a full 4metres short of the distance needed to make it to the final. His one shot at the Olympics fizzled out as soon as it had begun.

Cummin’s Life Changed Forever

Even though he suffered disappointment his life changed forever on that trip to London. More than that, Irish athletics changed forever. While there Cummin and 400 metre runner Jimmy Reardon were approached by an American coach who asked if they would like to come and compete for his University on an athletics scholarship. The coach was Jumbo Elliott, the university was Villanova. Cummin and Reardon became the first Irish athletes to join up, beating a path that was followed down the decades by waves of recruits from Ronnie Delaney to Eamon Coughlan to Sonia O'Sullivan.

Success at Villanova

While there he represented his university with distinction. He graduated as a Bachelor of Science and Economics and went on to establish the brokerage firm of Clancy & Clancy in Garden City, New York.

Villanova was located right next door to Rosemont College, then a women-only university, where young Maureen O'Grady, the daughter of Irish immigrants was studying. This summer they will be married 58 years. Maureen said in an interview with Malachy Clerkin, “He told me that he was going back to Ireland but as time went on things changed. He got a good job with GM. We came up to New York and Cummin set up his own insurance agency, which was very successful. We were married eight years and had five children before my first visit to Ireland. We took the three older children, who were six, five and three at the time. We didn’t go the next year, but we have been back every year since, until this past year when it was a bit too much for Cummin.” Cummin never forgot his roots.

Life in New York 

The Clancy’s live in New York but they built a house in Glann in 1967. Although Cummin, who will turn 90 in November, never went to another Olympics, the sporting gene was passed along. His eldest son Seán, played a couple of seasons in the NFL for the Miami Dolphins and his nephew Kevin, son of Paddy and Mary played minor and senior football for Galway and Matthew, son of Kevin and Betty, won All Ireland football titles in U21 and Senior with Galway in 2001.

Villanova Happy to Play a Part in the Rise of the Aussie Miler

Miles milestone unmarked
A column by Len Johnson
Runner's Tribe, February 15, 2013, 3:01pm

As the USA approaches one four-minute milestone, it appears we here in Australia might have been asleep at the wheel as we passed another.

As of last weekend, 393 Americans had broken four minutes for the mile. Speculation is mounting as to who will be the 400th and when – other than soon – it will happen.

One of the reasons the four-minute mile retains such fascination almost 60 years after it was achieved is that it still accords with that urge for mathematical simplicity – four laps, one minute per lap, four minutes.

Four hundred resonates right in tune with those other fours.

The impending US 400 prompted a few of us to wonder how many Australians had run under four minutes since John Landy became the first to do so in Turku, Finland on 21 June, 1954.

It appears we have missed a significant milestone in our own mile history.

Sometime in the past couple of years, someone became our 50th sub-4 minute miler. Unless I missed it, he did so without fanfare or comment.

We now have 51, by my reckoning. This puts us far ahead of the US, on a per capita basis. The Americans have about eight times as many sub-4 minute milers as we have, but almost 14 times the population (314 million versus 23). So, we’re doing about twice as well against the USA as we should.

Our 51 sub-four minute milers includes three who - thus far - have only done it indoors. This is in line with the US list and a comprehensive world register maintained by the British NUTS (that’s National Union of Track Statisticians).

There is an argument that only outdoor performances should be considered, as some runners are advantaged by the banked bends of indoor tracks. That’s true, but just as many are disadvantaged, while probably as many more don’t even get to run indoors at all.

Matt Gibney

In any case, three of the four most recent additions to our sub-4 list – Sam McEntee, Matt Gibney and Ryan Foster, did so in indoor collegiate races in the US. And with opportunities to race over the mile drying up, you’ve got to count every race over the distance that you can.

So, who is number 50? According to the Australian all-time list on the Athletics Australia website, 48 Australians have broken four minutes outdoors (some of the 48 have done it indoors as well) while the above three have done so indoor.

In another statistical oddity, Matt Gibney’s 3:58.12 was run on an oversize track in Seattle. For record purposes, the maximum indoor track is 200 metres. It’s still a smaller track than the standard outdoor 400-metre oval, however, and all the sub-4 lists carry the performance.

Finally, I think (there’s always another ‘stats quirk’ you haven’t thought of), Brenton Rowe and Peter O’Donoghue are both included on the Australian all-time list, despite representing other nations at different stages of their careers.

Rowe’s 3:58.06 last year is listed, even though he now represents Austria internationally. Brenton first broke four minutes in 2009. He said in his Runners Tribe blog (http://www.runnerstribe.com/article/8797-RT-Journals-Brenton-Rowe-World-University-Games) that he made the decision to opt for Austria only in 2011, so his 2009 run is definitely a ridgy-didge Aussie sub-4.

Sam McEntee

O’Donoghue ran a sub-4 early in 1993. He also broke four minutes in both 1982 and 1984 and won a Commonwealth 1500 bronze for New Zealand in 1990. His 1993 sub-4 was in January and he ran for Australia all that year – world indoors, world cross-country and world championships). Definitely an Aussie that year, I would think.

Assuming both Rowe and O’Donoghue count, then our 50th sub-four minute miler was – James Kaan, who ran 3:58.19 in Dublin on 8 July, 2011.

If either Rowe or O’Donoghue doesn’t count, the honour would go to Sam McEntee with his 3:57.86 on the Pennsylvania State University indoor track on 28 January last year.

I like those two scenarios as, either way, the accolade goes to one of our up-and-coming middle-distance runners.

Actually, there is a nice symmetry with James Kaan, as his run was in the same Santry Stadium in which Herb Elliott set a world record of 3:54.5 back in 1958.

Elliott’s is one of two world record performances on the Australian all-time list. The other is John Landy’s 3:57.9 in 1954, the second sub-four minute mile ever run. Landy also broke the 1500 metres world record en route.

Jordy Williamsz is next?

In the unlikely scenario of neither Rowe nor O’Donoghue counting, our next sub-4 miler will be the 50th.

Of course, it’s no fun driving down memory lane unless you take a few detours, so let’s acknowledge a few more statistical oddities along the way:

-the current Australian record is held by Craig Mottram at 3:48.98.

-the first Australian under 3:50 was the previous holder of the record, Simon Doyle, at 3:49.91. The three fastest Australians all-time – Mottram, Doyle and Jeff Riseley (3:51.25) – all did their performances in Oslo’s famous Dream Mile.

-reflecting the diminishing number of races over the mile, perhaps, only one Australian in the all-time top 10 did his performance this decade. Ryan Gregson’s 3:52.24 in 2010 ranks him fifth.

-Ken Hall’s 3:55.2 in Gothenburg in 1975 was run behind New Zealand’s John Walker when Walker ran history’s first sub-3:50 mile.

-Harry Downes ran 3:59.7 in Bendigo in 1963 off the scratch mark in a handicap race. Running in the ‘pro’ ranks, and hence ineligible under the rules at the time to represent Australia, Downes twice broke four minutes on grass tracks under handicap conditions.

Note 1: You can see the NUTS sub-4 stats by going to their home page www.nuts.org.uk and following the link to the sub-4 chronicle under ‘What’s new’;

Note 2: My major source for Australians was the all-time rankings list as published on the Athletics Australia website. Apologies if I’ve missed anyone. All amendments welcome!

Runner's World Q&A with Millrose Games Champ Sheila Reid

The only woman to outgun Mary Cain in the Wanamaker Mile was Canadian Sheila Reid, a winner of multiple NCAA cross country and track titles at Villanova who is now a professional athlete. Reid ran last in the race for the first 600 meters, but moved up to the lead with two 200-meter laps remaining. She triumphed in 4:27.02 [the #1 mile time in the world this year]. And then, very graciously and knowingly, she took Cain’s hand and insisted they do a victory lap together. Which is just what the jubilant Armory crowd wanted.

We spoke to Reid after her mile win.

Were you worried at all early on? Was dropping to last place in the cards, in the race plan?

Sheila Reid: It was a good field and it went out quick. I’ve got a good feel on that sort of pace. In the back wasn’t slow, it was just not as fast as the front girls. But you should never bank on people coming back to you, so I did have to start cranking it up a notch.

Were the fractions along the way about what you expected?

SR: I think so. I kind of stopped looking after 800. I just wanted to be real comfortable, no quicker than 2:12 through the half. And then, from there on out, I was just trying to feel good, trying to feel out the other girls and how they were feeling.

Go HERE for the next 10 questions and answers from the Runner's World interview with Sheila Reid.

Updated NCAA Performance List for Top Cats

With the Big East championship weekend now past, we can update the top Villanova performers in the NCAA indoor performance lists. Keep in mind that the old style "qualifying standards" approach to making the NCAA D1 indoor championship meet has been scrapped in favor of a "Top 16" approach for each individual event and a "Top 12" approach for all relays. Specifically, qualification to the championships (March 8-9 in Fayetteville, Arkansas) is based on descending-order list for the season and adhering to the qualifying regulations/criteria published on NCAA.org. For each individual event contested, the top 16 declared student-athletes will be accepted into the competition. For each relay event contested, the top 12 declared relay teams will be accepted into the competition. The stated maximums are absolute and will not be extended as a result of ties.

Here are the Villanova athletes who currently sit among the top 50 performers in their respective events; as it stand today, only Sam McEntee (3000 meters), Sam Ellison (800 meters), and the DMR are qualified on the men's side. For the women, only the DMR squad -- #1 in the country -- is in an NCAA-qualifying position right now. More work to be done.

M E N

800 meters
13.  Sam Ellison        1:48.62
33.  Chris FitzSimons   1:49.86

Mile
22.  Rob Denault       4:00.04
23.  Jordy Williamsz   4:00.12

3000 meters
16.  Sam McEntee       7:54.34
46.  Jordy Williamsz   8:04.77

Distance Medley Relay
11.  O'Sullivan - Urschel - Tully - Williamsz   9:47.59

500 meters [non-championship event]
 4.  Sam Ellison    1:01.31
29.  Alex Reber     1:04.17 

1000 meters [non-championship event]
14.  Rob Denault        2:24.61
30.  Chris FitzSimons   2:25.83
50.  Dusty Solis        2:26.69

W O M E N

800 meters
33.  Nicky Akande      2:07.54
43.  Kelsey Margey     2:07.87

Mile
24.  Emily Lipari         4:39.36
29.  Angel Piccirillo     4:40.08
37.  Kelsey Margey        4:41.78
42.  Nicky Akande         4:32.34
45.  Stephanie Schappert  4:43.69

3000 meters
32.  Emily Lipari     9:20.07

5000 meters
45.  Summer Cook     16:28.70

Distance Medley Relay
 1.  Piccirillo - Wilkins - Akande - Lipari    10:56.74

Pole Vault
34.  Alex Wasik    13' 1.5"

Triple Jump
43.  Samantha Francis   40' 9"

500 meters  [non-championship event]
10.  Michaela Wilkins    1:13.28
14.  Faith Dismuke       1:13.51

1000 meters  [non-championship event]
 2.  Kelsey Margey         2:43.89
 6.  Stephanie Schappert   2:45.65  
 7.  Emily Lipari          2:46.19
 9.  Angel Piccirillo      2:46.33
17.  Ariann Neutts         2:48.53
28.  Shannon Browne        2:50.03

Schappert + Piccirillo + Akande + Lipari = 4x800 Big East Title

In a scenario that no longer surprises anyone, Emily Lipari yesterday unleashed a ferocious last lap kick to steal the Big East 4 x 800 meter title from Notre Dame. The Villanova quartet of Stephanie Schappert, Angel Piccirillo, Nicky Akande, and Emily Lipari took the title after Lipari -- rebuffed by Notre Dame anchor Rebecca Tracy on an attempted pass on the final turn -- stormed ahead over the final 10 meters of the race to cap a victorious 2:06.9 anchor. The winning time of 8:40.50 is the fastest time in the NCAA this season.

Women's 4x800 Meter Relay

  1 VILLANOVA                                           8:40.50S  10
     1) Stephanie Schappert SO          2) Angel Piccirillo FR
     3) Nicky Akande JR                 4) Emily Lipari JR
  2 NOTRE DAME                                          8:40.59S   8
     1) Kelly Curran JR                 2) McKinzie Schulz JR
     3) Danielle Aragon FR              4) Rebecca Tracy SR
  3 GEORGETOWN                                          8:41.36S   6
     1) Rachel Paul FR                  2) Shanique Dasilva JR
     3) Rachel Schneider SR             4) Andrea Keklak SO
  4 CONNECTICUT                                         8:43.31S   5
     1) Terra Briody SO                 2) Katherine Vodopia FR
     3) Ana Groff SR                    4) Brigitte Mania SR
  5 SYRACUSE                                            8:56.22S   4
     1) Brianna Nerud FR                2) Molly Malone JR
     3) Margo Malone FR                 4) Beth Wright SO
  6 LOUISVILLE                                          8:59.71E   3
     1) Michelle Molodynia SO           2) Maria Frigo JR
     3) Jordan Diaz JR                  4) Kelsey Cramsey FR
  7 DEPAUL                                              8:59.76E   2
     1) Nora Smith FR                   2) Erin McCoy FR
     3) Alex Muller JR                  4) Jacqueline Kasal SO
  8 PITTSBURGH                                          9:04.08E   1
     1) Cayla Del Piano FR              2) Morgan Perry SO
     3) Korinne Piper SR                4) Elizabeth Kline SR
  9 RUTGERS                                             9:04.93E
     1) Allison Payenski SO             2) Ashley Deckert JR
     3) Victoria Pontecorvo SR          4) Felicia O'Donnell SO
 10 MARQUETTE                                           9:05.60E
     1) Molly Hanson FR                 2) Nicole Ethier FR
     3) Katie Tolan SO                  4) Kayla Spencer FR
 11 ST. JOHN'S                                          9:07.19E
     1) Veronica Thompson FR            2) Michelle Duffy SR
     3) Stephanie Vanpelt FR            4) Kerri Butler FR
 12 PROVIDENCE                                          9:12.08E
     1) Jackie McCarthy JR              2) Katelyn Sischo FR
     3) Elizabeth DeVivo JR             4) Caile Kohlbrenner SO

Sam McEntee Wins 3000 Meter Crown at Big East Indoors

Sam McEntee doubled back from a 5th place finish (14:22.43) on Saturday in the 5000 meters to claim the 3000 meter title today at the Big East Indoor Championships in Geneva, Ohio. McEntee had to make a final lap charge to overcome both Andrew Springer of Georgetown and Martin Hehir of Syracuse to take the win in 8:03.95. His compatriot Jordy Williamsz (8:04.77) was third, less than a second in arrears. Villanova teammates Tom Trainer (8:30.79) and Brian Basili (8:33.24) came 19th and 22nd, respectively.

Men's 3000 Meter Final

  1 Sam McEntee               JR VILLANOVA              8:03.95I  10            
  2 Martin Hehir              SO SYRACUSE               8:04.33I   8            
  3 Jordan Williamsz          FR VILLANOVA              8:04.77I   6            
  4 Andrew Springer           JR GEORGETOWN             8:04.81I   5            
  5 Dominic Channon           SR PROVIDENCE             8:11.35I   4            
  6 Michael Clevenger         FR NOTRE DAME             8:12.59I   3            
  7 Ernest Kibet              FR LOUISVILLE             8:12.80I   2            
  8 Bobby Peavey              JR GEORGETOWN             8:12.96I   1            
  9 Jake Kildoo               SO NOTRE DAME             8:13.12I                
 10 Mark Dennin               SR GEORGETOWN             8:13.33I                
 11 Robert Molke              SR SYRACUSE               8:13.91I                
 12 Liam Hillery              SO PROVIDENCE             8:15.41I                
 13 Harvey Dixon              FR PROVIDENCE             8:16.92I                
 14 Bryan Fowler              SO CONNECTICUT            8:20.93I                
 15 Joseph Whelan             JR SYRACUSE               8:22.16I                
 16 Martin Grady              JR NOTRE DAME             8:23.55I                
 17 Luke Lovelace             SR LOUISVILLE             8:25.62I                
 18 Patrick Maag              SR MARQUETTE              8:28.47                 
 19 Thomas Trainer            SO VILLANOVA              8:30.79                 
 20 Ryan Urie                 SO SYRACUSE               8:31.10                 
 21 Walter Schafer            JR NOTRE DAME             8:31.99                 
 22 Brian Basili              JR VILLANOVA              8:33.24                 
 23 Tyler Byrne               SO LOUISVILLE             8:36.04                 
 24 Connor Callahan           SR MARQUETTE              8:36.76                 
 25 Lee Carey                 SR PROVIDENCE             8:40.02                 
 -- Collin Leibold            FR GEORGETOWN                 DNF

Rob Denault Wins Big East Indoor Mile Title

Rob Denault won the Big East title over one mile today in convincing fashion. Denault, who owns a 4:00.04 PR indoors, won this tactical race by almost two seconds, in 4:07.83. The race went out in 64.9 and 2:10, but Denault closed in 1:57 to take the win. Alex Tully came 6th (4:10.70), and Charles Bates was 12th (4:17.95).


Men's Mile Final

  1 Robert Denault            SO VILLANOVA              4:07.83I  10            
  2 Julian Oakley             FR PROVIDENCE             4:09.50I   8            
  3 DJ Thornton               JR NOTRE DAME             4:09.58I   6            
  4 Collin Leibold            FR GEORGETOWN             4:09.64I   5            
  5 Joe Clark                 SR CONNECTICUT            4:10.70I   4            
  6 Alex Tully                JR VILLANOVA              4:11.09I   3            
  7 Forrest Misenti           SO SYRACUSE               4:11.27I   2            
  8 Alex Wallace              SR PROVIDENCE             4:11.54I   1            
  9 Dylan Sorensen            JR GEORGETOWN             4:12.52I                
 10 Ryan Gil                  FR GEORGETOWN             4:15.78                 
 11 Matthew Howard            SO GEORGETOWN             4:16.30                 
 12 Charles Bates             SO VILLANOVA              4:17.95                 
 13 Andrew Stewart            SO LOUISVILLE             4:20.96>

Chris FitzSimons Captures Big East 800 Meter Crown

Chris FitzSimons claimed his first conference title today at the Big East Indoor Championship, after runner-up status at the 2012 conference outdoor meet. FitzSimons was third at the bell, but was able to pass on the outside and hold off any challenger to win in 1:51.56.

Men's 800 Meter Final

  1 Christopher FitzSimons    JR VILLANOVA              1:51.56I  10            
  2 Robert Rhodes             FR CONNECTICUT            1:51.71I   8
  3 Ahmed Bile                FR GEORGETOWN             1:51.71I   6
  4 Monroe Kearns             SR RUTGERS                1:52.02I   5            
  5 Eric Gebeke               FR NOTRE DAME             1:52.03I   4            
  6 Kyle Winter               SR MARQUETTE              1:52.43I   3            
  7 Anton Rice                FR MARQUETTE              1:53.43I   2            
  8 Samuel Negley             JR PITTSBURGH             1:54.51I   1 

Emily Lipari & Angel Piccirillo Go 1-2 at Big East Indoor 1000

Emily Lipari defended her Big East Indoor 1000 meter championship today, blowing past Georgetown's Rachel Schneider over the final 100 meters.  Freshman teammate Angel Piccirillo did as well, to provide a 1-2 Villanova finish.  Also scoring well for the Cats was Shannon Browne, who finished 4th.

Finals                                                                          
  1 Emily Lipari              JR VILLANOVA              2:46.19S  10            
  2 Angel Piccirillo          FR VILLANOVA              2:46.33S   8            
  3 Rachel Schneider          SR GEORGETOWN             2:46.86S   6            
  4 Shannon Browne            SR VILLANOVA              2:50.03E   5            
  5 Jacqueline Kasal          SO DEPAUL                 2:51.86E   4            
  6 Brianna Nerud             FR SYRACUSE               2:52.28E   3            
  7 McKinzie Schulz           JR NOTRE DAME             2:53.28E   2            
  8 Hannah Neczypor           SO GEORGETOWN             2:55.39E   1  

Ben Malone Takes Millrose Games New Balance Prep Mile

Villanova key men's recruit for 2013 Ben Malone won the prestigious New Balance high school mile at the Millrose Games. Malone, the 2012 prep indoor national champion over 800 meters, won rather easily and has seemingly made a strong recovery from injuries that scuttled his 2012 cross country season.

New Balance High School Mile -- Millrose Games

 1.  Ben Malone        Pascack Valley, NJ      4:12.62              
 2.  Kris Moran        North Babylon, NY       4:13.86              
 3.  Jay Navin         Saratoga Springs, NY    4:15.80              
 4.  Tom Meehan        Eastport S. Manor, NY   4:16.14              
 5.  Chris Marco       Toms River South, NJ    4:16.51              
 6.  Eric Holt         Carmel, NY              4:16.95              
 7.  Stephen Shine     Briarcliff, NY          4:20.10              
 8.  Sibby Hanson      Arlington, NY           4:22.14              
 9.  Cillian Kirwan    St. Fintan's, Ireland   4:22.84              
10.  Jack Stevenson    Stuyvesant, NY          4:23.67              
11.  Jack Huemmler     Strath Haven, PA        4:26.13              
12.  Connor Harriman   Pennsbury, PA           4:27.24

REID SEIZES WANAMAKER MILE AT MILLROSE GAMESSETS NEW CANADIAN NATIONAL RECORD OF 4:27.02

Sheila Reid won the Wanamaker Mile tonight at the Millrose Games in impressive fashion, erasing the Canadian National Record set way back in 1987. She also set a new record for the Armory, in running the #1 time in the world for 2013.

Place	Athlete Name		Affiliation	Time
1	Sheila Reid		Nike	4:27.02
2	Mary Cain		Bronxville, NY	4:28.25
3	Kate Grace		Oiselle	4:28.79
4	Emma Coburn		University of Colorado	4:29.86
5	Abbey D'Agostino		Dartmouth College	4:30.03
6	Hilary Stellingwerff		New Balance	4:30.50
7	Sarah Brown		New Balance	4:31.26
8	Emily Infeld		Nike Oregon TC	4:31.50
9	Renee Tomlin		Nike	4:35.99
10	Jordan Hasay		University of Oregon	4:36.21
11	Ashley Higginson		Saucony	4:36.63
DNF	Sara Vaughn		Bowerman AC