It's the indoor track and field season's "Last Chance Weekend," as squads from across the nation strive to earn a spot at the 2010 NCAA National Indoor Championships on March 12-13 in Fayetteville, Ark. The DePaul men's and women's track and field te
CHICAGO - It's the indoor track and field season's "Last Chance Weekend," as squads from across the nation strive to earn a spot at the 2010 NCAA National Indoor Championships on March 12-13 in Fayetteville, Ark. The DePaul men's and women's track and field teams will be sending seven student-athletes to two different meets including the Alex Wilson Invitational on March 5-6, and Iowa State NCAA Qualifier on March 6.
2010 BIG EAST Conference weight throw champion Brad Millar, as well as all-conference shot putter Tim Nedow are set to attend ISU's meet inside the Lied Recreational Center on Saturday. The men's weight throw begins at 11:30 a.m. (CST), with the shot put to follow at 2:30 p.m.
Millar enters the meet ranked 12th in the nation, after his league championship winning throw of 20.80m. While only provisionally qualifying this season, the senior has put himself in a good position attend the national championship, as the NCAA maintains a minimum field size of 14 student-athletes for all events at national meet.
Nedow is coming off of a personal-record performance at the BIG EAST Championships, placing third behind a distance of 16.99m, and is currently looking for his first NCAA qualification mark.
Mary Cate Quiett, Kelly Pickering, Toni Salvatore, Terah Cheatham and Matthew Graham travel in the opposite direction, and will represent the Blue Demons at the Alex Wilson Invitational in Notre Dame, Ind. Graham gets things started on Friday night, at approximately 6:25 p.m. (CST), when the starting pistol sounds for the 5,000m.
The action continues on Saturday, with Cheatham entered in the 3,000m at 10:25 a.m., and the remainder of the Blue Demons running in the 800m at 11:45 a.m.
Quiett enters the competition with four NCAA provisional qualification times in the 800m, but will look to move up in the national standings to ensure a spot at next weekend's national championships. The junior most recently traveled to Albuquerque, N.M. for the USA Indoor Track & Field Championships, and placed 10th amongst the best half-mile runners in the nation.
Following the NCAA Championships next weekend, DePaul kicks off its outdoor season on March 18-20 for the 49 Classic in Charlotte, N.C.
MCQ vs. USA
Quiett earned an exclusive bid to the 2010 USA Indoor Track & Field Championships after clocking a time of 2:08.24 in the prelims of the BIG EAST Championship. The national meet featured Olympic veterens and hopefuls alike, in addition to NCAA Champions. Quiett, the only collegian in the 800m, placed fourth in her heat and 10th overall against the best half-mile runners in the country.
Best in the BIG EAST
Quiett took the 800m title at the BIG EAST Championships to become the first female to win a BIG EAST title in the indoor venue. Brad Millar breezed through the weight throw to earn his first indoor championship after placing second in the event during the previous two years. Millar is now a three-time champion overall, have claimed two outdoor titles in the hammer throw.
Gold, Silver and Bronze
Four Blue Demon student-athletes reached the podium during the league championships to earn all-conference honors. In addition to Quiett and Millar's championship performances, Joe Strawder placed second in the long jump, while Tim Nedow took third in the shot put. In addition, Strawder placed just off the podium in the triple jump, settling for fourth.
Pasalic Passes the Test
Edin Pasalic became the 20th Blue Demon to meet BIG EAST qualification standards during last weekend's ISU Classic. He joins Quiett and Terah Cheatham as the DePaul representatives in the half mile trek.
Quiett Riot
Mary Cate Quiett has owned the 600m, 800m, and 1,000m school records since her freshman campaign, and has continued to better those records every season. Her 800m time of 2:08.63 at the Meyo Invitational puts her on top of the BIG EAST performance list, and gives the junior her first NCAA provisional qualifying mark of the indoor season. Last season, Quiett placed fifth during the indoor league championships in the 800m.
First Time's A Charm
Tonderai Tomu, who was added to the roster in January, made his first appearance in a Blue Demon uniform at the Meyo Invitational. In his first trip out of the blocks, he broke DePaul's 300m record after clocking a time of 35.10. He followed up that performance with a 400m time of 49.21, good enough to qualify for the BIG EAST Championship on Feb. 20-21.
No Halting Holden
Freshman Lindsey Holden mirrored Tomu's performance for the women's squad, breaking Sherri Bean's 22-year-old 300m record with a time of 39.59. Holden continued on to tally her fourth BIG EAST qualifying mark in the 400m.
20 Kids and Counting
Edin Pasalic added his name to the list of BIG EAST qualifiers for DePaul during the final meet before the conference championships, bringing the total to 20. He ran a career-best 800m to become the men's squad's first qualifier in the event this season. Of the 20 student-athletes, 11 have qualified for multiple events including Terah Cheatham (Mile, 3,000m), Holden (200m, 400m), Alanna Kovacs (Shot Put, Weight Throw), Quiett (800m, Mile, 1,000m), Salvatore (800m, 1,000m), Matt Babicz (Shot put, Weight Throw), Matthew Graham (3,000m. 5,000m) Chris Kyles (60m, 200m) Greg Udzielak (Mile, 1,000m), Joe Strawder (Long and Triple Jump), and Tonderai Tomu (200m, 400m).
Millar Making Milestones... Again
Brad Millar was named BIG EAST Field Athlete of the Week for the second consecutive week and the third time in his illustrious career following the Indiana Relays. Millar once again dominated the weight throw, winning the competition after launching the weight a distance of 20.48m. He currently ranks 12th on the NCAA National performance list, and first on the BIG EAST's counter part by more than a meter.
Graham in Record Books at Home & Abroad
Matthew Graham, a native of Glasgow, Scotland, set two records after logging a 3,000m time of 8:18.22 at the Indiana Relays. Not only did the performance set a Blue Demon all-time best, but Graham now holds the under-20 Scottish National Record for the 3,000m.
Jumping Joe
Senior jumper Joe Strawder, who continues to extend his career-best in nearly every meet he has appeared in, laid claim to DePaul indoor triple jump record have landing a jump of 15.34m at the Indiana Relays. His distance broke Leornard Vance's 25-year-old record of 14.93m. Strawder now owns both the indoor and outdoor triple jump records. The very next meet, the Meyo Invitational, he almost replicated his record-breaking performance by landing a triple jump of 15.33m.
Topping the Podium
Millar, Time Vala and Matt Babicz were the top-three attached weight throwers at the Badger Track Classic, while Tim Nedow and Jim Theologes claimed two of the top-three spots in the men's shot put. Also earning first-place honors was Terah Cheatham (3,000m), who finished one-two along with Stacy Schmitz, Tyler Schmitt (1,000m), Toni Salvarore (1,000m), and Greg Udzielak (800m).
New in Blue
Nedow, a transfer from Tulsa who was added to the roster in January, has already made a statement in the BIG EAST after his first meet in a Blue Demon uniform. He shattered his previous indoor shot put PR by more than a meter with a distance of 16.94m at the Purdue Invitational. He has ranked in the top-three amongst BIG EAST student-athletes all season.
January's other addition is sprinter Tonderai Tomu. The Stevanage, England native made his debut at the Meyo Invitational and walked away with a DePaul Record and a BIG EAST qualification.
Looking Good At The Loftus Sports Center
The Blue Demons have competed at the Notre Dame facility three times so far this season, and have seen tremendous success when visiting our neighbors in Northwest Indiana. Four school records, as well as numerous BIG EAST qualifications and first-place finishes occurred on the Meyo Track located within the facility. The Blue Demons return to the Loftus Center one last time, for the Alex Wilson Invitational on Mar. 5-6.
Purdue Playback
The Blue Demons opened 2010 at the Purdue Invitational in West Lafayette, Ind. Highlighting the evening was Joe Strawder and Idia Omogiate, who picked up wins in the triple jump and 60m, respectively. Strawder eclipsed the BIG EAST standard in both the long and triple jumps, while Alanna Kovacs (shot put), Tim Vala (weight throw), and Kyles (60m) also earned a nod.
Strawder Making Strides
Strawder, a senior jumper from Houston, Texas, earned his third triple-jump win of the season at the Notre Dame Indoor Opener, nailing a career-best leap of 14.89m to come within just an inch-and-one-half short of the school record. Earlier this year, Strawder won the triple jump at the Blue and Gold Meet in dramatic fashion. Finding himself in last place after fouling on his first three passes down the runway, he landed a jump of 14.30m to claim the win. The heroic effort earned him BIG EAST Field Athlete of the Week honors.
Quiett Making Noise
Quiett, a junior from Mishawaka, Ind., got 2009-10 season off right, breaking her DePaul indoor 1,000m record for the third time in as many years at the Blue and Gold Meet held at Notre Dame. Her time of 2:52.83 was not only 10 seconds faster than the second-place runner, but it also met the BIG EAST qualification mark in the event. Quiett followed that up with two additional BIG EAST nods; one at the EIU Earlier Bird Classic, where she qualified in the mile, and an 800m qualification clocked at the Notre Dame Indoor Opener.
Week One Winner x2
Quiett and Strawder made Blue Demon history, claiming two of the four BIG EAST Indoor Track and Field Athlete of the Week Awards for their performances at the Blue and Gold Meet during the first week of competition. Not only is the honor a first for either student-athlete, but it is also the first time that DePaul has claimed more than one of the awards in a single week. Quiett and Strawder join thrower Brad Millar and cross country runner Matthew Graham on the elite list of Athlete of the Week awardees for the Blue Demons.
Kyles' a Keeper
In his first-ever collegiate race, freshman Chris Kyles broke the DePaul 60m record, clocking a time of 6.97 en route to a second-place finish at the Blue and Gold Meet. Kyles repeated his 6.97 performance during the preliminaries of the Eastern Illinois Early Bird Classic, and again at the ISU Classic.
Up Next:
Following the NCAA Championships next weekend, DePaul kicks off its outdoor season on March 18-20 for the 49 Classic in Charlotte, N.C.
