Saint Francis Women Shape a Day One Lead at NEC Championships;
Men Currently in Fourth
Landover, Md. – The Saint Francis University indoor track and field team returned to championship caliber form as the women’s squad shaped a Day One lead in the 2008 Northeast Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships. The Red Flash hold a seven and a half point lead over the next squad, Sacred Heart.
The men’s side sits in fourth place with 19 points, 17.5 points behind the leading Monmouth Hawks.
The Red Flash got off to a contending pace in Saturday’s field events by garnering first place points (10) in the women’s pole-vaulting competition and women’s shot put contest. Additionally, Saint Francis put together third place points (6) in the men’s high jump and fourth place points (5) in the men’s weight throwing challenge and the men’s long jump.
Out of the NEC Championships’ two final track events on Saturday, Saint Francis pulled in third place points (6) in the women’s 3,000-meter event. No points were awarded to the Red Flash in the men’s 3,000-meter.
Moreover, Saint Francis performed exceedingly well in many of Saturday’s preliminary events, setting them up well to hold steadfastly to their Day One lead.
Freshman Elizabeth DeMedal staked her claim to first place in the women’s pole-vaulting events by springing for a personal best 11-01.75 (3.40m), giving the Flash an early head start with 10 points. DeMedal earned her first individual NEC Indoor Championship in her early career with the Red Flash.
Another individual championship was awarded to senior Lisa Morse (Freedom, N.Y./Pioneer Central) after an event best of 48-01.25 (14.66m) in the women’s shot put event. Morse’s hurl was also good enough for an Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) qualifier.
Saint Francis junior William Velez (Staten Island, N.Y./Benedictine) fastened six points for his third place leap of 6-07.00 (2.01m) in the men’s long jump event.
Two fourth place finishes, good enough for give points each, were turned in by junior Ben Maderia’s (Summerhill, Pa./Forest Hills) lug of 56-06.00 (17.22m) in the men’s weight throw and junior Denis Eradiri (Sofia, Bulgaria/Vladislav Gramatik 73) leaped for a mark of 22-08.00 (6.91m). Madiera’s mark of 17.22m effortlessly eclipsed the IC4A qualifying mark of 16.80m.
Junior jumper Jill Albee (Ashley, Pa./Hanover) turned in a measurement of 16-02.25 (4.93m) in the women’s long jump, landing her out of points in 14th place. Senior Kora Hardy (Salisbury, Md./James M. Benett) ended up with a 22nd place finish after jumping for a mark of 14-08.05 (4.48m).
Saturday’s two other final competitions of the Northeast Conference Championships were the men and women’s 3,000-meter run. Sophomore distance expert Anna Hoffman (Enon Valley, Pa./Mohawk) bolted for a third place pace of 10:20.36, acquiring six points for SFU in the final scored event in Day 1 of the NEC Championships. For the men, senior John Balouris (Pittsburgh, Pa./Shaler) ran for a clip of 9:17.59 for 18th place. Senior harrier Jonathan Gibson (Cannonsburg, Pa./Cannon McMillan) finished one place behind his companion in 19th with a time of 9:19.68. Senior David Holliday (Stonington, Conn./Ledyard) landed in 24th after a clock of 9:45.04.
Fourteen preliminary events took place on Day 1 of competition, setting up for a thrilling conclusion to the 2008 Northeast Conference Championships. The Red Flash will send numerous contestants to the finals tomorrow on Sunday, February 10, to conclude the NEC Championships.
Balouris skedaddled for the fastest time in the men’s mile with a time of 4:27.01. For the women’s mile, senior harrier Shannon Kovack (Connellsville, Pa./Connellsville) came in third with a mark of 5:23.33, immediately followed by Hoffman’s fourth place effort of 5:18.36.
In the men’s 60-meter hurdles, freshman Jacob Librizzi secured a spot in the finals with his time of 8.68, fourth place overall.
Junior Jorden Davis (Mississauga, Ontario/Loyola Catholic) met the criteria for the IC4A with his winning preliminary time 48.62 in the men’s 400-meter dash. Senior Ian Butcher (Georgetown, Ontario/Christ the King) snuck into the finals with a time of 51.04, good enough for the last qualifying spot.
For the men’s 60-meter dash, senior sprinter James Bush (Baltimore, Md./St. Francis Prep) finished in second place with a tempo of 6.94, also a qualifying time for the IC4A.
Davis set another IC4A qualifying pace in the men’s 200-meter dash with a time of 22.13, finalizing him in second for the prelim. In fourth place, Bush scampered for a time of 22.38, securing his spot in Sunday’s finals.
The Red Flash will attempt to capture the 2008 Northeast Conference Indoor Track and Field Championship in Landover, Md. when the women’s weight throw finals commences at 9:30am, Day Two’s first event.
Saint Francis achieved the conference championship four years in a row from 2001-2004. The Red Flash hope to return to championship form with a strong Sunday performance.
The complete standings for both the men and women are as follows:
Men: 1.Monmouth (36.50), 2. Robert Morris (24), 3. Sacred Heart (23.50), 4. Saint Francis (Pa.) (19), 5. Quinnipiac (18), 6. Long Island (13), 7. Mount St. Mary's (6), 7. Wagner (6), 9. Fairleigh Dickinson (5), 10. Central Conn. St. (4), 11. St. Francis (N.Y.) (1)
Women: 1. Saint Francis (Pa.)(36.50), 2. Sacred Heart (29), 3. Monmouth (25.50), 4. Quinnipiac (17), 5. Robert Morris (15), 5. Wagner (15), 7. Mount St. Mary's (11), 8. Fairleigh Dickinson (5), 9. Long Island (2)