Villanova Men And Women Three-Repeat As #BIGEASTtrack Indoor Champions
Full Results | 2020 Individual & Relay Title Winners
GENEVA, Ohio – For the third time in three years, the Villanova men and women captured their respective titles at the BIG EAST Indoor Track & Field Championships presented by Jeep, which was held at the Spire Institute in Geneva, Ohio. The title race was won in the men’s and women’s 4x800-meter relay events as Villanova surpassed the rest of the field in points on both the men’s and women’s sides.
The Wildcat men’s 3,200-meter relay set a facility record with a 7:31.34 finish.
The Villanova men defeated runner up Marquette with 186 points. The Golden Eagles finished with 163 points. The Villanova women also outscored Marquette. The women’s scores were 134 and 112 respectively. Butler came in third on the women’s side with 99 points, with St. John’s just behind with 98 points. On the men’s side, DePaul came in third with 123 points.
St. John’s Leah Anderson was the High Point Performer of the Meet for the women with three event wins and 22.5 individual points. Anderson won the 200-meter, 400-meter and was the second leg of the Red Storm’s 4x400-meter champion relay. Anderson dethroned DePaul’s Kiersten Walker with her sub-54 finish in the 400. The junior’s time was 53.76. Walker was the 2019 indoor champion and finished second. Anderson also took over the top spot in the podium in the 200 from 2019 champion Trudy-Ann Williamson. Anderson crossed the finish line at 23.63. Williamson was second with a time of 23.72 and Walker took the final spot on the podium with a 24.33 finish.
Williamson defended her title in the 60-meter dash with a 7.41 finish. She has won that same event for the past three years.
The women’s awards for Most Outstanding Performer in Field Evens and Most Outstanding in Track Events were both split. DePaul’s Jade Gates and Butler’s Niki Ezeh were recognized for their performances in the field. Gates won the weight throw with a toss of 20.20 meters. Ezeh was the pentathlon champion. Both ladies earned their gold medals during Sunday’s competition. On the track, Providence’s Abbey Wheeler and St. John’s Anderson split the MOP award. Wheeler was also a multiple title winner at the championship, winning both the 3,000-meter and 5,000-meter distances. Wheeler finished the 3K at 9:25.32. On Saturday, she won the 5K at 15:49.65.
Georgetown won the most individual titles on the women’s side with five. Hoyas Olivia Arizin and Sami Corman were double-event winners as the pair both ran a leg of the winning 4x800-meter relay for Georgetown. Arizin also took the top spot in the 800-meter run with a time of 2:11.19. Corman was the mile winner at 4:55.38. The Hoyas also took gold in both the horizontal jumps with Aniella Delafosse wining the long jump (5.81 meters) and Eni Akinniyi winning the triple jump (11.79 meters).
Villanova, St. John’s and Providence won three events each. In addition to Williamson’s gold, the Wildcats also won the 60-meter hurdles with Jada Thomas’ time of 8.56 and the pole vault with Ashley Preston’s repeat victory (4.05 meters).
Marquette’s Lindsey Mirkes won the high jump title with a height of 1.68 meters. DePaul’s MacKenna Orie won the shot put (15.13 meters). The Friars won the distance medley relay on Sunday with a time of 11:41.69.
For the men, Butler won the most events at the meet with five. Wade Walder was named the men’s Most Outstanding Performer in Field Events and was also the Men’s High Point Performer of the Meet with 25.0 points). Walder was the champion in both the heptathlon (5,413 points) and pole vault (4.85 meters). His win in the heptathlon is the second in a row for the multi-event athlete. Walder also scored points in the men’s 60-meter hurdles with a sixth-place finish.
Bulldog teammate Euan Makepeace won the award for Most Outstanding Performer in Track Events. In addition to his 5,000-meter victory on Sunday, Makepeace raced to a first place time in the 3,000-meter run, defending his title with a mark of (8:15.63). Butler’s fifth title of the meet went to Sam Robinson in the long jump (7.38 meters).
Also highlighting the men’s competition was Marquette’s Daniel Armstrong who became a four-time champion in men’s high jump. Armstrong won the event with a height of 2.15 meters.
Georgetown’s Lawrence Leake retained his title in the men’s 200-meter dash, besting his time from last season with a 21.58 second finish. DePaul’s Henry Larkin took over the title from Leake in the 400-meter sprint with a time of 46.95. Leake finished third in the event with Villanova rookie Anthony Brodie finishing second.
The Blue Demons won both 60-meter events as Kyle Mastrangeli won the straight sprint with a time of 6.78 seconds. Teammate Ashton Colaire won the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 8.03 seconds. Jason Montano won the fourth title for DePaul with a winning shot put throw of 16.27 meters.
Villanova also won four titles in the men’s competition. The Wildcats won all three relays. Konrad Bayer became a double title winner for his part in both the 4x400-meter relay and distance medley relay. Malik Cunningham won the fourth title of the meet for the Wildcats with a triple jump of 15.39 meters.
Marquette’s Vinnie Voudrie won the men’s weight throw with a distance of 17.16 meters.
For full team scores see below.
Full results are here.
Final Women’s Team Results (18 Events Scored)
1. Villanova – 134 points
2. Marquette – 112
3. Butler – 99
4. St. John’s – 98
5. DePaul – 95
6. Georgetown – 84
7. Providence – 58
8. Xavier – 22
Final Men’s Team Results (18 events Scored)
1. Villanova – 186 points
2. Marquette – 163
3. DePaul – 123
4. Butler – 93
5. Georgetown – 91
6. Providence – 27
7. Xavier – 9
Men’s Coaching Staff of the Year: Villanova *
Men’s Most Outstanding Performer in Field Events: Wade Walder, Butler
Men’s Most Outstanding Performer in Track Events: Euan Makepeace, Butler *
Men’s High Point Performer of the Meet: Wade Walder, Butler (25.0 points)
Women’s Coaching Staff of the Year: Villanova *
Women’s Most Outstanding Co-Performers in Field Events: Jade Gates, DePaul and Niki Ezeh, Butler
Women’s Most Outstanding Co-Performers in Track Events: Abbey Wheeler, Providence and Leah Anderson St.
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Women’s High Point Performer of the Meet: Leah Anderson, St. John’s (22.5 points)
* denotes unanimous selection