April 29, 2009
PHILADELPHIA---The Saint Joseph's cross country and track & field squads announced their respective individual awards at the annual banquet. Junior Nicole McMullen and redshirt senior Bobby Staten were tabbed the women's team and men's team MVP, respectively.
McMullen is currently the team's top athlete in the 200m as well as being a productive force in the 4x100m and 4x400m Relays. She has also posted the team's top time in the 400m indoors and qualified for the ECAC long jump indoors.
Staten has had a nearly injury-free season that's allowed him a breakthrough season of sorts. The redshirt senior is the team leader in the 100m, 200m for outdoors and was the top sprinter in the 55m/60m as well as the 200m.
Staten scored in the IC4As indoors and qualified for the NCAA Regionals with a school-record 10.48 in the 100m earlier this season. He enters this weekend as the Atlantic 10's top 100m sprinter.
In other awards presented at the teams' banquets went to Jessica Di Cicco and Brian Guterl for most improved; Amy Rhein and Will Rowland for most dedicated; Anna Casey and Kevin McDonnell for best freshmen; and Beth Getty and Steve Philbrook for best teammates.
Di Cicco lowered her 5,000m time by nearly 1:10 this season, while Guterl qualified for the NCAA Regionals in the 1,500m at Larry Ellis. He also ranks as the top time in that event while he's number two in the 800m run.
Casey has excelled in the 800m and 4x800m for the Hawks as a freshman. McDonnell was apart of the varsity seven all year during the cross country season that saw SJU finish fifth in the Mid-Atlantic Region, the team's highest finish in program history.
Rhein and Rowland served as team captains, respectively, for SJU's cross country teams and long distance crews during track. Rowland has already earned a place in the IC4A 5,000m and 10,000m runs later this month.
Getty is a jumping specialist performing in the long jump and triple jump for women's head coach Kevin Quinn. Men's head coach Mike Glavin presented the best teammate award to Philbrook, a junior hurdler and long sprinter whose best event is the 400m Hurdles.
Saint Joseph's will travel to Charlotte, site of the Atlantic 10 2009 Outdoor Track & Field Championships as both teams look for their first A-10 Championship. Both squads finished eighth a year ago at Massachusetts.
