This past weekend, the Georgetown track and field team traveled to Annapolis, Md. to compete in the Navy Invitational. The event kicked off the indoor season for the Hoyas, who performed very well and set automatic Big East championship qualifying times in multiple events.

Director of Men’s and Women’s Track and Field Patrick Henner was very happy with his team’s performance, particularly with sophomores Michael Reher and Hansel Akers’ strong early-season statements.

“I felt like [Akers and Reher] stepped up and showed they will be big contributors this year,” Henner said. “If [Akers] comes out running like he did on Saturday, he is going to make a huge jump. [And] I think big things are in store for [Rehrer].”

Akers finished fourth overall in the men’s 400 meter with a Big East qualifying time of 48.92 seconds. Reher, meanwhile, won the men’s mile with his time of 4:13.67. This performance set a new personal record for Reher and automatically qualified him for the Big East championship.

Graduate student Toby Ulm joined Akers in the 400m and picked up right where he left off last spring with a very strong performance. Ulm clocked in at 48.54 seconds, which was good for third in the event and fast enough to qualify for the Big East championship as well.

Senior Brian Manning and freshman Miles Schoedler joined Reher in the mile. Both posted strong performances and qualified for the Big East championships as well, with Manning coming in second with a time of 4:14.14 and Schoedler finishing fifth with a time of 4:15.52.

“Toby got out a little slow, but finished well,” Henner said. “I thought Brian ran a good competitive race.”

The Blue and Gray also had a strong showing in the men’s 800m, as Georgetown runners grabbed three of the top six spots. Senior Theon O’Connor won the race with a time of 1:52.11, sophomore Billy Ledder came in right behind in second with a time of 1:52.40, and freshman Omar Kaddurah clocked in at sixth at 1:54.74. All three qualified for Big East with their times.

“Billy did a great job setting a fast pace, and Theon got banged up early in the race but had a great finish,” Henner said.

The Hoyas posted more Big East qualifying times in the men’s 200m as junior Christian Tobias and senior Austin Perron finished with identical 11th-place times of 22.52 seconds.

In the men’s 3000m run, junior Bobby Peavey joined the Big East qualifiers by placing second with his time of 8:23.84. Junior Dylan Sorenson finished third in the event with a time of 8:27.18, and sophomore Max Darrah came in fourth at 8:27.21.

Finally, Akers, O’Connor, Ledder and Ulm teamed up to win the men’s 4x400m in a time of 3:15.59 and capped a successful weekend for the Blue and Gray.

“Bobby got a little down with the pacing but had a really strong finish [in the 3000m],” Henner said. “We’re going to have some depth [in the 4x400m]. I’m very glad about what they can do.”

Georgetown will rest for the remainder of 2011, returning to action on Jan. 7 at George Mason’s Father Diamond Invitational in Fairfax, Va.