BIG EAST Track & Field Championships Set For Friday
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. – The lanes are set and all eight teams are ready for the 2016 BIG EAST Track & Field Championships Presented by the Jeep Brand which will be held Friday through Saturday, Feb. 26-27 at the new state-of-the-art Ocean Breeze Park Track and Field Center in Staten Island, N.Y.
The championships will be carried live on the BIG EAST Digital Network (BEDN), the BIG EAST’s branded channel on the FOX Sports Go mobile app. Pat O’Keefe and Cayleigh Griffin will call the action live from the finish line at Ocean Breeze. On Friday, the live feed will begin at 11:40 a.m., starting with the men’s 1,000-meter trials live on the track. Saturday’s meet coverage will begin at 10:05 a.m. with the mile finals for both the women and the men.
All multi-events and field events will be shown on tape delay during the program. Griffin will have live interviews with the winners as they step off the podium.
The full event schedule and meet program can be found on the
BIG EAST Track & Field Championship Central.
Live results can be found by clicking this
link.
On Saturday, the BIG EAST will present a championship trophy and a runner-up trophy as well as the Most Outstanding Track Performer (Male and Female), Most Outstanding Field Performer (Male and Female) and BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year. All-BIG EAST honorees will be announced on the Tuesday following the Championships. All league honors will be awarded to those individuals and relay teams who finish in the top three. The top six performances will get medals.
Friday’s events will feature the trials for the men’s 1000-meter event, as well as women’s and men’s heats for the 60-meter hurdles, 60-meters, 400-meters, 500-meters, 800-meters and 200-meters. Final events include the 5,000-meter run, the distance medley relay, pole vault, 20-lb. weight throw and long jump. The women’s pentathlon and men’s heptathlon will also compete.
Saturday’s events will all be finals starting with the mile and going through the 1,000-meters, 60-meter hurdles, 60-meters, 400-meters, 500-meters, 800-meters, 200-meters, 3,000-meters and 4x800-meter and 4x400-meter relays. Field events for Saturday include the shot put, triple jump and high jump. The heptathlon will finish on Saturday as well.
The awards ceremony is currently scheduled for 2:50 p.m.
At least seven individual event-winners from 2015 will return to defend their titles in their respective events. Each of the eight schools -- Butler, DePaul, Georgetown, Marquette, Providence, St. John’s, Villanova and Xavier – have marked a top or runner up performance in one of the championship events this season.
From
Butler, distance rules as Olivia Pratt boasted the second best time in the 3,000-meter run this season and Erik Peterson has the third best in the 5K.
DePaul’s Taylor Whittler has the top time in both the women’s 60-meter and 200-meter dashes. In the men’s 400 event, the Blue Demons boast the top three times with Sebastian Feyersinger, BIG EAST Indoor Champion in the men’s 200 last year, leading the pack. DePaul also boasts the top time in the 500-meters with Jarvis Hill.
Georgetown who has had runners lead the nation this indoor season has seven top performances over the course of the season. Joseph White, winner of the men’s 400 last year, has the top time going into the men’s 800-meter run. White also has the top time in the 1,000-meters but will not be competing in. Instead, defending champion Cole Williams will look to become a repeat champ. Andrea Keklak boasts the top times in the 1,000-meter and mile runs, while Jonathan Greene has the top performance in the 5K. The Hoyas boast the top three times in the men’s mile with Ahmed Bile leading the way. Georgetown has also boasted the top performances in both the men’s and women’s DMR.
Marquette traveled to Staten Island with four top performers: Brandon Bell in the 60-meter dash, Joel Swanberg in the 60-meter hurdles, Omo Tseuman for the women’s high jump and Monique Felix for the pentathlon. Felix was named BIG EAST Field Athlete of the Week twice this season and the Golden Eagles all together have had five athletes of the week for field events in 2015-16. The Golden Eagles were runners up in last year’s championship on both the men’s and women’s sides.
Providence boasted the top performances for both the 4x800-meter men’s and women’s relay teams as well as once again having the top time in the women’s 5,000-meter run with Sarah Collins.
Competing just on the women’s side,
St. John’s excelled again in the middle sprints with Claire Mooney having the lead time in both the 400-meter and 500-meter dashes. Last year’s 400-meter champion, Pariis Garcia returns again and currently has the second best time in the league this year. The Red Storm also clocked the best 4x400-meter time this season, while thrower Nyla Woods, who was twice-named BIG EAST Field Athlete of the Week has the top distance in the weight throw.
Villanova, who has won the BIG EAST indoor championship on both the men’s and women’s side for the last two years, comes into Friday’s championships with seven top performances. Sterling Pierce marked the fastest time in the 200-meter dash this year, while Patrick Tiernan and Angel Piccirillo represent the longer distances with top times in the 3K. Shanice Grant will be back on the track to defend her 60-meter hurdle title. Villanova also has the top performance in the men’s and women’s pole vault with James Deutemeyer and Catherine Walker. The Wildcat 4x400-meter men’s team also marked a top time during the last two and a half months of indoor competition.
Xavier’s Zachary Polk comes into the championships with top performances in both the high jump and the long jump. Polk has won the BIG EAST Indoor Weekly award for field events twice this season.