May 2, 2009

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The Saint Joseph's men's track & field squad had two victories lead the team to fifth place after the first day at the Atlantic 10 Championships hosted by Charlotte.  Will Rowland won the 10,000m and the 4x800m Relay was victorious as both gold medals were done in A-10 record times.

Rowland completed a long first day, due in part by afternoon thunderstorms, with a dazzling display of long distance running, winning the 10,000m in a time of 24:46.66.  His career-best performance was four seconds better than second-place Josh Eddy of Duquesne, both of whom were under the pervious record of 30:04.87 set by Andrew McCann of UMass last year.

Jimmy Jennings was sixth in the 10,000m with a time of 30:58.55, while Kevin Donnelly was 13th in a time of 31.34.91. Both athletes ran career bests in the event with Jennings qualifying for the IC4As.

In the 4x800m, the team of Luke Fischer, Steve Young, Jesse Brooks and Brian Guterl combined forces to take gold in the event in 7:28.10.  Guterl out-kicked La Salle's Korey Edwards, Fordham's Brian Schmidt and Duquesne's Dave Farina for a meet record and the team's best time of the season. 

Kyle Murray ran an NCAA Regional qualifying time of 9:05.48 in the very competitive 3,000m Steeplechase, which earned him fifth place.  Murray bested his previous best by 10 seconds set last week at the Penn Relays.

Bobby Staten, the top 100m A-10 sprinter in 2009, easily qualified for the finals tomorrow by winning his heat in a time of 10.62, which tied him with Charlotte's Sam Jordan.  Both athletes will go head-to-head tomorrow in an anticipated race between two of the top sprinters in the Conference.

Day two of the A-10 Championships will begin at 9:00 a.m. tomorrow at the Irwin Belk Track & Field Center on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. 

INDIVIDUAL RESULTS

* -- IC4A Qualifying Time
% -- Meet Record
^ -- NCAA Regional Qualifying Time
# -- Qualified as Heat Winner
(10) – Points won

100 Meters Preliminaries
2. Bobby Staten    10.62 #
11. Tom DiNatale    11.03
20. Victor DiNoia    11.53

3,000-Meter Steeplechase
5. Kyle Murray    9:05.48 ^ (4)

10,000 Meters
1. Will Rowland    29:46.66 *% (10)
6. Jimmy Jennings    30:58.55 *(3)
13. Kevin Donnelly    31:34.91

4x800-Meter Relay
1. Luke Fischer, Steve Young        7:28.10 *% (10)
Jesse Brooks, Brian Guterl

Long Jump
15. Victor DiNoia    20-9

Men's Team Rankings After 9 Events Scored
1. Charlotte    75.50
2. Temple    62
3. Rhode Island 57
4. Duquesne    41
5. Saint Joseph's 27
6. Richmond    26
7. Fordham    20
8. Massachusetts 17.5
9. Xavier    14
10. La Salle    9
11. Saint Louis 2