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Brad Millar Wins Third Title in Hammer Throw at BIG EAST Championship
CINCINNATI – Senior Brad Millar of the DePaul men’s and women’s track and field squad won his third title in the hammer throw today at the BIG EAST Conference Championships. In addition to Millar’s dominating performance, Melissa Fraser, Mary Cate Quiett and Tonderai Tomu had fourth-place finishes, while the women’s 4x400m relay squad took fifth place with a DePaul-record time. The men placed 10th overall with 37 points—the most points they have ever scored in BIG EAST Championship play. The women tallied a program-best 36 points for a an 11th place finish. All season long, Millar has been the one to beat in the hammer throw. He came into the championships with a season-best throw 66.13m, nearly nine meters ahead of his nearest competitor. Millar launched an opening throw of 59.46m, which would turn out to me enough to win the title. He continued, however, amidst rainy conditions and ended the morning with a distance of 64.45m. This is the senior’s third BIG EAST title in the hammer throw, and fourth overall following a win in the weight throw during the 2010 indoor championships. Jim Theologes launched a personal-best heave of 49.08m, to finish in 13th place. After qualifying second in the 800m, Quiett found herself in the middle of a grueling championship round. Out of the gate, she paced herself at the front of the pack during the first 400m and maintained a good position heading into the second 400m. A timely final kick from Shelia Reid dictated the final meters of the race, as the Villanova standout won in a time of 2:06.38. Quiett settled for fourth with a time of 2:07.95. Fraser, who won the javelin title yesterday, came into today’s hammer throw competition as the fifth seed. Even with the less than ideal conditions, the junior shined and place fourth behind a throw of 53.52m. The women closed the day with the 4x400m. Kelcie Daniels was quick out of the blocks during the opening leg put DePaul in fourth place at the exchange. Quiett took the baton and made her way once around the track to maintain position and put the race in the hands of Idia Omogiate. Omogiate attacked the opening 200m with a vengeance, and overtook two other runners during the final turn to put the Blue Demons in second place. Lindsey Holden ran a solid 400m and crossed the finish line in a DePaul-record time of 3:45.91—shattering the all-time best by three seconds. Tomu bettered his preliminary time of 48.03 to 47.41 and move up into fourth place. The sophomore also placed fourth during the indoor league championships. Joe Strawder scored two points for DePaul, bringing his two-day total to seven. He surpassed a distance of 14.87m m to place seventh overall. The men’s 4x400m relay squad wrapped up the day’s events as Gilbert Lifton, Max Clink, Tomu and Edin Pasalic each raced one time around the track in a collaborative time of 3:16.49. The men of Notre Dame won the team title with 123 points. On the women’s side, Louisville came out victorious with a total of 108 points. The Blue Demons return to action next weekend, May 7, for the Billy Hayes Invitational.
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