NEW YORK – The first day of the 2019 BIG EAST Outdoor Track & Field Championships presented by Jeep wrapped up on Friday evening at New York City’s Icahn Stadium with Villanova leading on the women’s side with 76 points, while the Wildcats and Marquette were knotted atop the leaderboard on the men’s side, also with 76 points. The Golden Eagles are in second place on the women’s side with 41 points, followed by St. John’s and DePaul in a tie for third with 34 points. Georgetown rounded out the top three on the men’s side with 62 points. The women’s side scored six events while the men saw seven events scored.
RESULTS
Championship Central
Heat Sheets
Schedule of Events
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In the first of two women’s running event finals, Providence’s Brianna Ilarda won her third BIG EAST 3,000-meter steeplechase title in four years, snapping the tape in 9:56.36 to win by more than 26 seconds. Ilarda’s top time this season (9:50.42) currently ranks third nationally. She is the second Friar to claim a trio of steeplechase titles after Roisin McGettigan won gold 2001-2003.
In the second running final, Caroline Alcorta became the first Villanova competitor to win the 10,000-meters since 2000 as the senior crossed the finish line in 34:42.28. Alcorta won by more than 90 seconds.
Villanova’s Taryn Ashby won her second straight javelin title with a gold-medal toss of 43.32m. The Wildcats have won five of the last six javelin crowns.
DePaul won its second consecutive gold medal in the women’s hammer throw as junior Rebecca Chouinard recorded a winning toss of 56.05m. Marquette was the big points earner in the event, tallying 15 by claiming the third-, fourth-, sixth- and eighth-place marks. Chouinard’s throw was .02m shy of her PR.
The Blue Demons brought home the long jump title for the first time since 2015 as Jade Nolan bested the field with a leap of 5.90m. The distance matches the senior’s PR, which currently ranks second in the BIG EAST this season. Teammate Sydnee Matthew took second-place honors (5.79m) while Villanova claimed third-, fourth- and sixth-place finishes.
Villanova used the pole vault to register 23 points with gold medalist Ashley Preston leading the way. Preston became the third Wildcat in five years to win the event, eclipsing the bar at 4.02m to be the only finisher to record a height above four meters. The height is the best in the BIG EAST this season and the tops at the league championships since 2015. Led by Rachel Seraphine’s 3.81m second-place mark, Marquette picked up 16 points in the pole vault.
The two scoring running events on Day 1 for the men were also the 10,000 meters and the 3,000-meter steeplechase. Barry Keane became Butler’s first BIG EAST 10K champion, besting the field in 30:33.95. Christian Liddell became the fifth Georgetown runner in six years to win the steeplechase, finishing more than 16 seconds ahead of the runner-up. Liddell’s time of 8:46.09 is the fastest at the BIG EAST Championships since 2011.
In the men’s long jump, Luke Russell became Butler’s first champion in the event with the best distance in the BIG EAST this season. The senior recorded a PR leap of 7.29 meters. The Bulldogs totaled 21 points in the event as Sam Robinson won the silver medal (7.25m) while Wade Walder placed sixth (6.96m). Villanova’s Jacob Kelly dethroned two-time BIG EAST high jump champion Daniel Armstrong of Marquette, as both eclipsed the bar at 2.11m but Kelly did it on his first attempt while Armstrong needed two shots at it.
In the hammer throw, Marquette’s Brendan McKinney won his second straight gold medal in the event, recording a toss of 56.19m. The Golden Eagles have won four of the last six BIG EAST hammer throw titles. MU tallied 21 points in the event as Terrance Howard followed in second place (53.84m) and Vinnie Voudrie in sixth (45.90m).
Villanova brought home the men’s pole vault gold for the first time since 2015 as Thomas Conboy eclipsed the bar at 4.85m, matching his PR which was previously recorded at the Penn Relays in April. The Wildcats and Marquette both earned 14 points in the event as James Keys placed fifth (4.30m) for the Wildcats, while the Golden Eagles saw Cameron Jemison claim silver medal honors (4.85m) and William Eggers snag bronze (4.65m).
Jack Judge repeated as the javelin champion as the Villanova senior recorded a winning toss of 62.62m. He is the first Wildcat to claim back-to-back javelin titles since Barry Flicker in 2000-01.
Day 2 on Randall’s Island begins at 9 a.m. ET with the final events of the decathlon and heptathlon. Marquette’s Joseph Keys (3773) and Butler’s Niki Ezeh (3166) are the current multis leaders. Field events begin at 11:30 a.m. with the women’s discus, while running events are slated for a noon start, beginning with the women’s 4x100-meter relays. The BIG EAST Digital Network, available on Twitter (@BIGEAST) and Caffeine.TV will begin coverage of the final day of the conference championships at 11:55 a.m.
Men’s Finals Results
10,000-Meter Run: Barry Keane, Butler – 30:33.95
3,000-Meter Steeplechase: Christian Liddell, Georgetown – 8:46.09
Hammer Throw: Brendan McKinney, Marquette – 56.19m
Long Jump: Luke Russell, Butler – 7.29m
Pole Vault: Thomas Conboy, Villanova – 4.85m
Javelin: Jack Judge, Villanova – 62.62m*
High Jump: Jacob Kelly, Villanova – 2.11m
Women’s Finals Results
10,000-Meter Run: Caroline Alcorta, Villanova – 34:42.28
3,000-Meter Steeplechase: Brianna Ilarda, Providence – 9:56.36^#
Hammer Throw: Rebecca Chouinard, DePaul – 56.05m
Long Jump: Jade Nolan, DePaul – 5.90m
Pole Vault: Ashley Preston, Villanova – 4.02m
Javelin: Taryn Ashby, Villanova – 43.32m*
*2018 champion
^2017 champion
#2016 champion