May 4, 2009

VILLANOVA, Penn. - The rain came pouring down all day long at the BIG EAST Championships held at Jumbo Elliott Track at Villanova University, Penn on Sunday, May 3, 2009. The Friars did not have any BIG EAST Champions, but two runners gave it their all and came up just short.

Sophomore David McCarthy (Waterford, Ireland) is no stranger to BIG EAST titles, having claimed the indoor track 3,000 meter title earlier this season. On Sunday, McCarthy raced the 1,500 meters, he led for most of the race, until the final stretch where Georgetown Senior Liam Boylan-Pett finally managed to pass McCarthy. McCarthy placed second with a personal-best and NCAA regional-qualifying time of 3:42.34. Teammate Dominic Channon (Nelson, New Zealand) finished sixth running a time of 3:47.82.

In the 800 meters, Senior Charles Dewey ran his final BIG EAST Championship with everything he had. Dewey stayed in the pack for the first lap, after coming through the first lap Dewey surged to the lead. He charged to the finish line, diving for second-place and a time of 1:50.15.

Dewey, McCarthy and Channon all returned for the 4 x 800 meter relay, joined by teammate Nick Berluti (Westwood, Mass.). The relay team claimed fifth in the event with a time of 7:31.20. In the 10,000 meters held Saturday, May 2, Senior Richard Yeates (Dublin, Ireland) placed seventh (30:53.57) in the slow tactical race. The men's team finished 12th-overall in the meet; Notre Dame claimed the men's team title.

On the women's side, Junior Krystal Douglas (Harpswall, Maine) placed seventh in the 5,000 meters in a time of 16:39.09. The women's 4 x 800 meter relay team was composed of senior Katherine Shock (Norwood, Mass.), senior Katie Elliott (Penfield, N.Y.), freshman Hannah Davidson (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.) and sophomore Emma Perron (West Hartford, Conn.). The relay team finished eighth with a time of 9:03.14. The women's team placed 15th-overall in the meet; the Louisville women won the team title.

The Friars compete next at the New England Championships on May 8-9, 2009 at the University of Massachusetts (Amherst, Mass.).