#BIGEASTtrack Sends 19 Hopefuls To Eugene To National Championships
NEW YORK, N.Y. – A total of 19 individual competitors spanning five BIG EAST member schools have qualified for the 2016 NCAA Division I Men’s and Women’s Outdoor Track & Field Championships with their performances at last weekend’s preliminary rounds in Jacksonville, Fla. and Lawrence, Kansas.
Student-athletes from Butler, Georgetown, Providence, St. John’s and Villanova will look to bring home gold June 8-11 as they compete at track & field’s grandest stage – Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore. The BIG EAST will be represented in 10 events by 10 women and nine men. Four of the BIG EAST competitors rank in the top five in their individual events.
ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU will have fully produced broadcasts each night, while ESPN3 will carry some additional event feeds throughout the days.
See below for the weekend outlook.
2016 Outdoor Track & Field Championship Central
Women’s Entry List |
Men’s Entry List |
Team Scores |
List of Athletes
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Wednesday, June 8
For the BIG EAST, the action starts on Wednesday, June 8 as the men compete in the semifinals of the 1,500-meters (7:46 p.m. ET); 3,000-meter Steeplechase (8:02 p.m. ET); 800-meter run (9:14 p.m. ET) and 10K final (10:08 p.m. ET).
The 1,500-meter national semifinal features two Villanova student-athletes, Ben Malone and Jordan Williamsz. The top five runners from each of the two heats and the next two fastest times will advance to the national championship race on Friday at 8:42 p.m. ET on ESPN. Malone ran a personal best in Jacksonville to qualify and is ranked 15th of the 24 competitors. Williamsz, ranked 23rd with a time of 3:46.81, finished fifth in the NCAA Championships in each of the past two seasons.
The 3,000-meter Steeple features three BIG EAST runners in a field of 24: Providence’s Jordan Mann who has the third best time in the group (8:38.28) and Georgetown’s Darren Fahy and Scott Carpenter. Mann is making his first appearance in Eugene. His entry time is a career best. Fahy is the 2016 BIG EAST steeple champion and is appearing in the steeple semis for the second year after earning All-America status in 2015. Fahy is ranked seventh in the semifinals (8:40.12), while Carpenter’s time ranks eighth (8:40.14). The 3,000-meter steeplechase semifinals are scheduled for 9:14 p.m. ET on Wednesday (ESPN2), with the finals on Friday at 6:54 p.m. ET on ESPN.
At 9:14 p.m. ET, Georgetown All-American Joseph White will compete in the 800-meter semifinals, repeating his appearance from 2015. White is ranked sixth with a time of 1:47.13. The sophomore is a two-time BIG EAST Outdoor 800-meter champion. He has won seven overall individual BIG EAST titles (four indoor, three outdoor). The finals of the 800 will take place Friday night at 9:47 p.m. on ESPN (ET).
Butler’s Erik Peterson and Georgetown’s Jonathan Green will compete in the first final event on Wednesday, the 10,000-meter run. Peterson and Green will step off with 24 other competitors racing for gold at 10:08 p.m. ET on ESPN2. Peterson is a two-time All-America honoree based on finishes at the NCAA Cross Country Championships. Last time he was in Eugene at the 2015 USA Track & Field Championships, he posted a time of 29:57.53 in the event. Green returns to the 10,000-meter field for the second time. The 2016 BIG EAST Outdoor Champion, he represents the fifth-straight Hoya to run in this race. Peterson is ranked 17th with a time of 30:04.21, Green is 21st at 30:05.52.
Watch Wednesday's events via ESPNU/Watch ESPN. 7:30 p.m. ET | After 8:30 p.m. ET
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Thursday, June 9
The women’s competition begins on Thursday with the BIG EAST women competing in the same semifinal and final events as the men from Wednesday: 1,500-meter semifinals (7:46 p.m. ET); 3,000-meter Steeplechase (8:02 p.m. ET); 800-meter run (9:14 p.m. ET) and 10,000-meter run final (10:08 p.m. ET).
St. John’s Stephanie Van Pelt and Georgetown’s Andrea Keklak will represent the conference in the 1,500-meter semifinals which will air on ESPN. Van Pelt enters the race with the fifth-fastest qualifying time of 4:15.68. Van Pelt qualified for the NCAA Championships after a pair of school-record breaking performances in the 1,500-meter race preliminary and quarterfinal rounds at the NCAA East Regional in Jacksonville. Keklak enters the race with the 17th-fastest time of 4:19.35. It is the first national appearance in the event, as she has previously competed in the 800-meter semifinals in 2014. The finals of the 1,500 will be on Saturday at 6:41 p.m. ET on ESPN3.
Providence’s Brianna Ilarda, the 2016 BIG EAST Outdoor Champion in the 3,000-meter steeple, will represent the league in the event at the women’s semifinal, which will start at 8:02 p.m. ET on ESPN. It is Ilarda’s first NCAA Outdoor Championship appearance , she has a run a personal best or close to it in every steeple she has competed in this season. Ilarda is ranked 11th heading into the event with a time of 10:00.12.
The 800-meter semifinal will feature five BIG EAST runners in the pack of 24, all in the top 13 of the race. Ranked in the top five are Georgetown’s Emma Keenan (3rd with a time of 2:03.33) and Villanova’s Siofra Cleirigh Buttner (5th – 2:03.72), the 2016 BIG EAST Outdoor Champion. Georgetown’s Sabrina Southerland and Sarah Schmidt rank sixth (2:03.74) and seventh (2:03.78) respectively, with St. John’s Claire Mooney ranked 13th (2:05.13) There will be three heats of the 800-meter semifinal, the top two finishers in each of the heats and the next two fastest times will move on to the national championship race. The semifinals of the 800 will start at 9:14 p.m. ET on ESPN. The finals will take place on Saturday, June 11 at 7:47 p.m. ET, also on ESPN.
Similar to Wednesday, the only final event taking place on Thursday is the women’s 10,000-meter run. Butler’s Olivia Pratt will represent the BIG EAST in the event after winning the league’s individual title in the outdoor championships nearly a month ago. Earlier this season, Pratt posted a school record with a time of 33:08.21 in the event. She qualified with a 16th-best overall time of 34:26.30. The race will step off at 10:08 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Watch Thursday’s events via ESPNU/Watch ESPN. 7:30 p.m. ET | After 8 p.m. ET
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Friday, June 10
Friday’s events for BIG EAST competitors start at 8:42 p.m. ET with the final of the 1,500-meter run should any of the runners qualify. Other final events are the 3,000-meter steeplechase (8:54 p.m. ET); the 800-meter run (9:47 p.m. ET) and the 5,000-meter run (10:25 p.m.)
Villanova’s Patrick Tiernan will be making his third consecutive appearance in the men’s 5,000-meter final. He has previously finished sixth at the NCAA Championships in 2014 and posted a 10th place finish last year. Tiernan comes into the meet with a sixth-fastest time of 14:10.26. The 5K final will air on ESPN at 10:25 p.m. ET.
Watch Friday’s events via ESPNU/Watch ESPN.
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Saturday, June 11
Saturday’s final events for BIG EAST competitors, should they qualify, will begin at 6:41 p.m. ET with the 1,500-meter women’s final. Other final events are the 3,000-meter steeplechase (6:54 p.m. ET); the 800-meter run (7:47 p.m. ET) and the 5,000-meter run (8:25 p.m. ET).
Georgetown All-American Katrina Coogan will compete in the women’s 5,000-meter finals, scheduled for 8:25 p.m. ET. A seasoned 3,000-meter competitor at the indoor championships, Coogan is ranked 19th in the event with a qualifying time of 16:16.59. Earlier this season, she marked the eighth best time in the event (15:50.51).
Watch Saturday’s events via ESPNU/Watch ESPN.
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FULL LIST OF COMPETITORS AND EVENTS
Men’s
1,500-meter run
Semifinal: Wednesday, June 8 at 7:46 p.m. ET (ESPN2)
Final: Friday, June 10 at 8:42 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Ben Malone, Villanova (3:44.15 – 15th)
Jordan Williamsz, Villanova (3:46.81 – 23rd)
3,000-meter Steeplechase
Semifinal: Wednesday, June 8 at 8:02 p.m. ET (ESPN2)
Final: Friday, June 10 at 6:54 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Jordan Mann, Providence (8:38.28 – 3rd)
Darren Fahy, Georgetown (8:40.12 – 7th)
Scott Carpenter, Georgetown (8:40.14 – 8th)
800-meter run
Semifinal: Wednesday, June 8 at 9:14 p.m. ET (ESPN2)
Final: Friday, June 10 at 9:47 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Joseph White, Georgetown (1:47.13 – 6th)
10,000-meter run
*Final Only: Wednesday, June 8 at 10:08 p.m. (ESPN2)
Erik Peterson, Butler (30:04.21 – 17th)
Jonathan Green, Georgetown (30:05.52 – 21st)
5,000-meter run
*Final Only: Friday, June 10 at 10:25 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Patrick Tiernan, Villanova (14:10.26 – 6th)
Women’s
1,500-meter run
Semifinal: Thursday, June 9 at 7:46 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Final: Saturday, June 11 at 6:41 p.m. ET (ESPN3)
Stephanie Van Pelt, St. John’s (4:15.68 – 5th)
Andrea Keklak, Georgetown (4:19.35 – 17th)
3,000-meter Steeplechase
Semifinal: Thursday, June 9 at 8:02 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Final: Saturday, June 11 at 6:54 p.m. (ESPN)
Brianna Ilarda, Providence (10:00.12 – 11th)
800-meter run
Semifinal: Thursday, June 9 at 9:14 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Final: Saturday, June 11 at 7:47 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Emma Keenan, Georgetown (2:03.33 – 3rd)
Siofra Cleirigh Buttner, Villanova (2:03.72 – 5th)
Sabrina Southerland, Georgetown (2:03.74 – 6th)
Sarah Schmidt, Georgetown (2:03.78 – 7th)
Claire Mooney, St. John’s (2:05.13 – 13th)
10,000-meter run
*Final Only: Thursday, June 9 at 10:08 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Olivia Pratt, Butler (34:26.30 – 16th)
5,000-meter run
*Final Only: Saturday, June 11 at 8:25 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Katrina Coogan, Georgetown (16:16.59 – 19th)