TRACK Hoyas Gain More Qualifying Times Men Earn Qualifying Times Against No. 1 Tennessee By Scott Homa Hoya Staff Writer
For the men’s track and field team, last weekend’s Sea Ray Relays proved there is nothing like a little competition from the top team in the nation to help push you along in acquiring championship-qualifying marks.
Squaring off against No. 1 Tennessee, the men registered a season-high four NCAA qualifications, while junior Jill Laurendeau and senior Tyrona Heath added a pair on the women’s side. Another group of athletes competed at the Lou Ontesy/Milton G. Abramson Invitational at the University of Virginia, where both teams continued to pick up postseason qualifications.
“The men did a really nice job this weekend,” Director of Track and Field and Cross Country Ron Helmer said. “The women were a little tired and a little flat, but on both sides we had some really good performances.”
At the Sea Ray Relays, graduate student Josh Rollins and sophomore Jesse O’Connell pulled in two NCAA automatic qualifications, with Rollins recording 16.35m in the triple jump and O’Connell timing 1:47.50 in the 800m run.
O’Connell also ran the 1,200m leg of Georgetown’s winning distance medley relay, and Rollins added a fourth place finish in the long jump.
On the first day of competition at the Sea Ray Relays, junior James Graham provisionally qualified in the 400m hurdles, timing 50.78 to finish first among collegiate competitors and third overall.
Graham returned on the second day to join senior Jeff Reinhardt, junior Robert Wingate-Robinson and sophomore Ali Najjar to claim fifth in the 4 x 400m relay and meet another NCAA provisional mark.
Seniors Davin Williams and Corey Smith both posted personal records, with Williams logging 7.42m in the long jump and Smith timing 8:59.29 in the 3,000m steeplechase.
Juniors Dylan Welsh and Daniel Tebbano added Intercollegiate Association of Amateur Athletes of America qualifying performances in the 1,500m run, as Welsh clocked 3:48.24 for ninth and Tebbano recorded 9:50.46 for 15th.
The women also had a strong showing in the 1,500m, with junior Jill Laurendeau winning in an NCAA provisionally-qualifying time of 4:22.64, and junior Erin Sicher (4:25.05) and graduate student Emily Enstice (4:26.97) both following with ECAC qualifying marks.
Senior Tyrona Heath (2:06.92) led the Hoyas in the 800m, while graduate student Heather Blackard (2:08.58) and sophomore Treniere Clement (2:09.92) both picked up ECAC qualifications.
Senior Lorena Adams highlighted action in Virginia, claiming the top collegiate finishes in both the 1,500m and 3,000m runs. Junior arni Kruppa, the nation’s leading 10,000m runner, also logged top five finishes in both races.
Additionally, a group of Georgetown freshmen turned in some impressive performances at the Ontesy/Abramson Invitational.
Freshman Erica Derrickson cleared 11 feet, four inches in the pole vault to better the school record she set in the event in the indoor season by one inch.
Sophomore transfer Sarah Scholl won the 3,000m steeplechase, crossing the line in a Big East qualifying time of 11:04.36.
“That’s a brand-new event for her, but one Sarah should do very well in,” Helmer said.
On the men’s side, after redshirting his freshman season, sophomore Andrew Nolen ran an IC4A qualifying time of 21.80 in the 200m dash for fifth overall.
Freshman Teddy Presley added a Big East qualifying mark in the triple jump, winning the event with a leap of 14.19m.
“Teddy is a freshman that’s really coming along,” Helmer said. “He’s beginning to do some things that show us he has a big future in the triple jump.”
Next up for the Hoyas are the Mt. SAC relays in Walnut, Calif. and the Metro Invitational in Emmitsburgh, Md.
“I think what I’m seeing is the potential for us to be really good in the next three weeks,” Helmer said. “We started running fast early in the season, but are still moving ahead and getting work done. Things are beginning to shape up for an exciting last couple weeks.”
