NEW YORK, N.Y. - The Villanova women earned their first BIG EAST Indoor Track & Field Championship title in 10 years, using the day's second-to-last event to clinch the victory. With a meet-best five individual titles, the Notre Dame men's team earned a convincing victory, outscoring its closest competitor by 42.50 points. 

Down two points to Louisville and stacked with its best middle distance runners, Villanova used the 4x800 relay to capture the BIG EAST Championship. Freshman Ariann Neutts, senior Nicole Schappert, freshman Bogdana Mimic and junior Sheila Reid crossed the line just over 2 seconds quicker than Connecticut's contingent at 8:39.34, earning 10 points to finish with 115. Villanova captured four event titles, two individual and two relays.

After finishing second for two consecutive seasons, the Notre Dame men used five first-place finishes and six other top-three finishes to pull away from the rest of the pack and clinch the BIG EAST title. The Irish earned victories in the heptathlon, 800 meters, pole vault, 1,000 meters and triple jump en route to ND's third indoor championship and highest point tally in program history.

Led by head coach Gina Procaccio, the Villanova coaching staff was named 2010 Women's Indoor Track & Field Coaching Staff of the Year. With Joe Piane at the helm, the Notre Dame coaching staff earned 2010 Men's Indoor Track & Field Coaching Staff of the Year.

Junior Sheila Reid was named Women's Most Outstanding Track Performer following dominating performances in middle distance events and the 4x800 relay. The 2009 BIG EAST Cross Country Individual Champion was the first student-athlete since 2007 to earn three event titles in one BIG EAST Indoor Championship meet. The junior took the top times in the 1,000 meters at 2:45.02 and the mile at 4:51.33. She then teamed up to run the final leg of the 4x800 relay and finish with a first-place time of 8:39.34.

Louisville senior Rachel Gehret was named Women's Most Outstanding Field Performer after earning two first-places finishes and one second-place finish in jumping events. Gehret took the top spot in the triple jump with a mark of 12.36 meters and shared the long jump title with a leap of 6.07 meters. The senior placed second in the high jump with an NCAA provisional mark of 1.79 meters. This marks the first time Louisville has earned Women's Most Outstanding Field Performer recognition.

Junior Matt Bruce collected two first-place finishes for Louisville, earning Men's Most Outstanding Track Performer. Bruce took the top spot in the 3,000 meters with a time of 8:08.71, followed by a first-place NCAA provisional-qualifying time of 14:02.37 in the 5,000 meters. This also marks the first time Louisville has earned Men's Most Outstanding Track Performer recognition.

Notre Dame senior Eric Quick rounded out the list of awards after being named Men's Most Outstanding Field Performer. Quick took first place in the triple jump with a length of 15.46 meters. He also took fifth in the long jump with a mark of 7.44 meters.

Other key performances on the women's side include multiple individual event titles by West Virginia junior Chelsea Carrier and Connecticut junior Trisha-Ann Hawthorne. Carrier took first in the pentathlon with 3,994 points followed by the top time in the 60-meter hurdles at an NCAA provisional-qualifying mark of 8.31 seconds. For the second consecutive year, Hawthorne won both the 60 meters and 200 meters. She won the 60 meter crown with a time of 7.32 seconds, and the 200 meters in 23.55 seconds, both NCAA provisional-qualifying standards.

Hawthorne's teammate senior Carin Knight collected her third straight high jump title after hitting an NCAA provisional mark of 1.82 meters.

Villanova set a meet record in the women's distance medley relay with a time of 11:11.00.

On the men's side, Rutgers sophomore Aaron Younger notched the world's fastest time this season in the 500 meters, clocking in at 1:01.44 for the first-place finish. DePaul senior Brad Millar earned the school's first top finish in BIG EAST Indoor Championship history after hitting a mark of 20.80 meters in the weight throw.

Rutgers sophomore Adam Bergo earned his second consecutive high jump title with an NCAA provisional leap of 2.14 meters.

Women's Final Scores
1. Villanova, 115
2. Louisville, 107
3. Connecticut, 84
4. West Virginia, 76.50
5. Georgetown, 67'
6. Notre Dame, 58.50
7. Syracuse, 56
8. Seton Hall, 48
9. Cincinnati, 35
10. USF, 34.50
11. Rutgers, 27
12. Pittsburgh, 23
13. St. John's, 20
14. DePaul, 10
15. Marquette, 9.50
16. Providence, 9

Men's Final Scores
1. Notre Dame, 146.50
2. Georgetown, 104
3. Louisville, 93
4. Villanova, 76.50
5. Connecticut, 75.50
6. Rutgers, 68
7. Syracuse, 57
8. USF, 54
9. DePaul, 35
10. Pittsburgh, 31
11. Seton Hall, 29
12. Marquette, 4.50
13. Providence, 4

"