Georgetown track and field opened the outdoor portion of its 2007 schedule this weekend, with visits to both the Stanford Invitational and the George Mason spring opener.

The Hoyas sent a small contingent of 11 runners to Stanford, but posted eight NCAA regional qualifying times. Graduate student Fleet Hower, sophomore Andrew Bumbalough and redshirt freshman Levi iller were among the top 20 in the men’s 5,000 meter race, with times of 13:51.72, 13:55.92 and 13:56.96, respectively. Three other Hoyas had IC4A times in the 5,000m, as sophomore Justin Scheid ran 14:17.89, redshirt sophomore Michael Krisch ran 14:28.46 and senior Andre LaBoy finished in 14:30.91.

“Those three guys ran their fastest times ever,” said Director of Track and Field Ron Helmer. “Getting those regional qualifying times in the first meet is solid, it’s insuring to get those time early in the spring.”

Sophomore Alex Mason began the season with a regional qualifying time in the 3,000m steeplechase, running an impressive 9:04.05. Freshman Dan Gerber had an IC4A qualifying mark in the same event, finishing sixth in his heat in 9:15.14.

On the women’s side in Stanford, redshirt junior Elizabeth aloy led the way, finishing in third in the 5,000m in a regional qualifying time of 16:25.10.

Redshirt sophomore Melissa Grelli had an automatic regional mark in the 10,000m, crossing in 33:26.56. In the same race, sophomore Natasha LaBeaud posted a provisional regional time of 34:35.63. In the women’s 3,000m steeplechase, redshirt junior Joanna Rodgers was 13th in the Section One race with a regional mark of 10:41.74.

At George Mason, Georgetown achieved three additional NCAA regional qualifying marks and numerous other IC4A, ECAC and Big East times. In the women’s 800m, graduate student Hilary Bontz, senior Nana Hanson-Hall and freshman Renee Tomlin took the top three finishes. Bontz (2:08.55) and Hanson-Hall (2:09.63) had regional marks, while Tomlin had an ECAC time of 2:10.88.

Sophomore Buky Bamigboye attained the other regional mark in the 400m hurdles, crossing in 1:00.36 to finish second in the field. She was also second in the long jump with a distance of 5.79m and seventh in the 110m hurdles in 14.59 – both conference qualifiers.

Four Hoyas had qualifying marks in the women’s 400m, led by junior Ashley Hubbard at 55.73, placing third, and freshman Abigail Johnson at 55.95, placing fifth, both ECAC times. Senior Jayne Penn and junior Alex Baptiste were eighth and 11th at 56.60 and 57.20, respectively. Senior Nichole Torpey was fifth in the 200m at 25.04 and freshman Lauren Gregory was fourth in the 1,500m at 4:37.39, both conference marks.

In other success for the women, the 4x400m relay was first at 3:46.47 and the 4x100m relay was second at 48.07, both ECAC marks.

For the women in the field events, senior Ashley Mondie was fourth in the triple jump, covering an ECAC-qualifying distance of 11.96m, while Baptiste was sixth in a Big East-qualifying mark of 11.73m. Freshman Tanore Barrow was sixth in the shot put, tossing 12.98m, a conference qualifier.

For the men, sophomore Kenny Mitchell won the 100m, crossing in 10.66 in the finals, after a 10.62 showing in the prelims, which is an initial IC4A qualifier. Even more impressive, however, is that the two-sport Mitchell arrived at the meet after competing in a football scrimmage.

“[He] had a long but productive day,” Helmer said. “That run in the 100m may place him in the top three ever for a Georgetown runner.”

Freshman Ian Conyers had a Big East qualifier in the same event, finishing in fourth in 10.88.

Sophomore Terrell Gissendanner was second in the 110m hurdles with an IC4A time of 14.43. He also placed third in both the triple jump with a distance of 14.42m and long jump with 7m – both conference marks. Senior Stanley Lagrenade was also second in the 400m with a Big East qualifying time of 48.44.