VILLANOVA, Pa. – The Louisville Cardinals won the women’s BIG EAST Track and Field title, while the Notre Dame Fighting Irish won the men’s BIG EAST Track and Field title on the final day of the 2009 BIG EAST Outdoor Track and Field Championships hosted by Villanova.
Notre Dame claimed it sixth BIG EAST Outdoor Track and field title with 130.50 points. Louisville was right behind the Irish with 130 points for the runner-up position. The men of Georgetown placed third with 92 points, while Cincinnati placed fourth. Rutgers rounded out the top-five with 75.50 points.
Louisville finished with a team total of 138 points. This is the second consecutive year that the Cardinal women have won the title. Connecticut was runner-up with 102 points. Georgetown also placed third with 91 points, while Notre Dame finished with 85.5 points for fourth place. Host Villanova came in fifth with 80 points.
Senior Cory Thorne of Louisville was named the men’s Most Outstanding Track Performer. Thorne won both the 3,000 meter steeplechase and the 5,000 meter. In the steeplechase, Thorne finished in 8:43.50 to qualify for the NCAA Regionals. In the 5,000 meter, Thorne finished in 14:14.48 to qualify for the IC4A.
Louisville redshirt junior Tone Belt was named the men’s Most Outstanding Field Performer. Belt placed first in the long jump with a distance of 7.63 meters (25’-00.50”). Belt also took first place in the high jump with a height of 2.16 meters (7’-01.00”). The junior’s height was also an NCAA Regional qualifying height. This was the third high jump title for Belt after taking the crown in 2006 and 2007.
Sophomore Trisha-Ann Hawthorne of Connecticut was named the women’s Most Outstanding Track Performer. Hawthorne placed first in both the 100 and 200 meters. In the 100 meter, Hawthorne finished in 11.58 in the 100 meter and 23.73 in the 200 meter to qualify for the NCAA Regionals in both events.
Louisville senior Jere’ Summers was named the women’s Most Outstanding Field Performer for the second consecutive year. Summers won both the shot put (15.78) and hammer (60.12m) to qualify for NCAA Regionals in both events.
The Notre Dame coaching staff was selected as the men’s BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year, while the Louisville coaching staff was honored as the women’s BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year.
The NCAA Regionals will be held May 29-30 at four different sites with the finals to be held June 10-13 at John McDonnell Field at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, Ark.
Men’s Team Standings (final)
1) Notre Dame
130.50
2) Louisville
130
3) Georgetown
92
4) Cincinnati
84
5) Rutgers
75.50
6) Connecticut
69
7) USF
51
8) Villanova
50
9) Syracuse
49
10) Pittsburgh
42
11) Seton Hall
32
12) Providence
25
13) DePaul
20
14) Marquette
7
Men’s Individual Champions
100m
Antony Hobwana, Pitt
10.57
110m Hurdles
Chris Kinney, GU
13.96
200m
Bruce Owens, RU
21.44
400m
Elvis Lewis, VU
46.14
400m Hurdles
Glenn Fowler, USF
51.05
800m
Sean Tully, VU
1:50.08
1,500m
Liam Boylan-Pett, GU
3:41.47
3,000m Steeplechase
Cory Thorne, UofL
8:43.50
5,000m
Cory Thorne, UofL
14:14.48
10,000m
Patrick Smyth, ND
30:41.89
Long Jump
Tone Belt, UofL
7.63m (25’-00.50”)
Triple Jump
Eric Jones, Pitt
15.02m (49’-03.50”)
High Jump
Tone Belt, UofL
2.16m (7’-01.00”)
Pole Vault
Matt Schipper, ND
5.25m (17-02.75)
Shot Put
Steve Hnat, UofL
18.45m (60’-06.50”)
Discus
Josh Greenwald, UofL
55.38m (181’-08.00”)
Javelin
Jeremy Pennino, RU
65.80m (215’-10.00”)
Hammer Throw
Jeff Mensch, ND
58.79m (192’-10.00”)
Decathlon
Sean Smith, UConn
6,946 points
4x100m Relay
Cincinnati
41.15
4x400m Relay
Seton Hall
3:11.00
4x800m Relay
Villanova
7:25.85
Men’s Most Outstanding Track Performer: Cory Thorne, Louisville
Men’s Most Outstanding Field Performer: Tone Belt, Louisville
Men’s Coaching Staff of the Year: Notre Dame
Women’s Team Standings (final)
1) Louisville
138
2) Connecticut
102
3) Georgetown
91
4) Notre Dame
85.50
5) Villanova
80
6) Cincinnati
54
7) West Virginia
50
8) Pittsburgh
44
9) Seton Hall
36
10) USF
35
11) St. John's
34
12) Syracuse
31.50
13) Marquette
24
14) Rutgers
19
15) Providence
16
15) DePaul
16
Women’s Individual Champions
100m
Trisha-Ann Hawthorne, UConn
11.58
100m Hurdles
Mycaiah Clemons, Pitt
13.58
Chelsea Carrier, WVU
13.58
200m
Trisha-Ann Hawthorne, UConn
23.73
400m
Joanna Schultz, ND
53.12
400m Hurdles
London Finley, GU
58.20
800m
Clarrise Moh, SHU
2:06.37
1,500m
Maggie Infeld, GU
4:16.37*
3,000m Steeplechase
Sarah Morrison, VU
10:12.4
5,000m
Clara Grandt, WVU
16:07.55
10,000m
Danette Doetzel, PC
33:23.22
Long Jump
Rachel Gehret, UofL
6.23m (20’-05.25”)
Triple Jump
Seidre Forde, UofL
12.24m (40’-02.00”)
High Jump
Carin Knight, UConn
1.78m (5’-10.00”)
Pole Vault
Mary Saxer, ND
4.20m (13’-09.25”)*
Shot Put
Jere’ Summers, UofL
15.78m (51’-09.25”)
Discus
Jaclyn Espinoza, ND
50.80m (166’-08.00”)
Javelin
Amanda Martin, UConn
48.51m (159’-02.00”)
Hammer Throw
Jere’ Summers, UofL
60.12m (197’-03.00”)
Heptathlon
Uhunoma Osazuwa, SU
5,236 points
4x100m Relay
Connecticut
45.38
4x400m Relay
Seton Hall
3:35.66
4x800m Relay
Georgetown
8:42.40
* - meet record
Women’s Most Outstanding Track Performer: Trisha-Ann Hawthorne, Connecticut
Women’s Most Outstanding Field Performer: Jere’ Summers, Louisville
Courtesy: BIG EAST Conference
