Big East Outdoor Track and Field Meet -2006

[Nevada Hoya]

Will be held at UCONN starting tomorrow. The women have a chance to be top three. The men might expect a conference champ or two.

www.bigeast.org/sports/c-otrack/spec-rel/050206aab.html

[Nevada Hoya]

Buky Bamigboye had a good first day at the Big East meet in the heptathlon. She got two 3rds, a 6th, and won one event:

1. 100H place 3, 14.33, 932 points
2. HJ, 3rd, 5'6" 830 (must be a PR in this event)
3. SP, 6th, 34'6.75", 564
4. 200m, 1st, 25.31, 868.

[Nevada Hoya]

Buky won the Heptathlon setting a meet record and GU record, demolishing her old GU record by about 400 points, as she scored 5410 points in all. She was second going into the last event and beat the women who was in first by over 200 points in the 800m. She ran the 800m about six seconds faster than anybody in the field. Her 2nd day performances: LJ 19'4.75" (must be a PR),822 pts (1st); Javelin 107'05", 529 pts (4th); 800m 2:16.96, 865 pts (1st).

The rest of the results can be found at guhoyas.cstv.com/sports/m-track/recaps/050606aaa.html

Some of those not qualifying or scoring points that are not mentioned in the link above:

Although she qualified for the finals in the 400m, Kandance Ferguson missed qualifying in the 200m in 24.41; she was 10th. In the 800m, Nana Hanson-Hall qualified in a regional NCAA qualifier in 2:06.53, but Christine Whalen (10th in 2:13.8) and Meghan O'Neil (14th in 2:16.15) did not. Ashley Mondie did not scored in the LJ, as she went 18'0.25". In the 400H Sonya Sullivan was 10th in 1:02.87 and Buky was 15th (1:11.88) AND tired! As mentioned the women were 6th with 22 points, all but three scored by freshmen.

The men also 6th, but with 24 pts to L'ville's 61 pts.

Non-qualifiers or scorers: 200m, Kenny Mitchell, qualifying at 100m, just missed in the 200m at 21.70. We were shut out in the 800m (must be a first) with Stanley Lagrenade, our only runner, coming in 14th at 1:52.62. We got all three in the 1500m with Matt Debole running the best time of the day, 3:46.77, a regional qualifier. Rod Koborsi won the 10000m (for the 3rd time) and Steve Meinelt came in 6th, but Justine Scheid just missed scoring in 9th place with 31:25.38. We got two scorers in the 3000SC also with Brian Dalpiaz in 3rh and Shane Young in 8th (son of Olympic SC winner, Kip Keino, won the race), but Alex Mason ran to finish 15th in 9:34.60. Jesse Patterson jumped well, but was just out of the scoring with his 10th in 23'0.75".

[Nevada Hoya]

GU women, 7th place with 57 points as Pittsburgh won with 117 pts.
GU men, 8th place wtih 54 points with ND winning with 132 points.

guhoyas.cstv.com/sports/w-track/recaps/050706aaa.html

Some of the results not posted above:

Women 400m
10. Nicole Torpey 55.88
13. Ashley Hubbard 56.56
15. Jayne Penn 56.65
18. Alex Baptiste 57.24

1500m
10. Avril Ogrodnick

5000m
7. Erin Henry 17:14.47
8. Lise Ogrodnick 17:27.59

4x100
9.
GU 47.77

HJ
Claire Buckley, NH
TJ
10. Alex Baptiste 37'8"

Men
1500m
6. Matt Debole 3:50.33
8. Andrew Bumbalough 3:52.25
12. Brandon Bonsey 3:58.8

5000m
8. Dan Nunn 14:18.01
9. Andre Laboy 14:31.53

4x100
7. GU 42.07

4x400
9. GU 3:15.57

[DFW HOYA]

After unprecedented success in outdoor track in the 1990's, an 8th place finish has to be a troublesome number given the fact that GU has now gone five years without a win.

Georgetown's Big East Outdoor Track Finishes
1st: 1988, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001
2nd: 2002
3rd: 1989, 1994, 2000
4th: 2004
5th: 1984, 1985, 1987, 2003
6th: 1980, 1981, 2005
7th: 1986
8th: 1982, 1983, 2006

[Nevada Hoya]

dfw said:

After unprecedented success in outdoor track in the 1990's, an 8th place finish has to be a troublesome number given the fact that GU has now gone five years without a win.

Georgetown's Big East Outdoor Track Finishes
1st: 1988, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001
2nd: 2002
3rd: 1989, 1994, 2000
4th: 2004
5th: 1984, 1985, 1987, 2003
6th: 1980, 1981, 2005
7th: 1986
8th: 1982, 1983, 2006

I have to agree. Ties our worst ever showing. Another point to put the women's and the men's finishes in perspective. Because of Title IX and other factors, the Big East has 16 women's team, while only 11 men's teams.

[SargeantBussey]

dfw said:

After unprecedented success in outdoor track in the 1990's, an 8th place finish has to be a troublesome number given the fact that GU has now gone five years without a win.

Georgetown's Big East Outdoor Track Finishes
1st: 1988, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001
2nd: 2002
3rd: 1989, 1994, 2000
4th: 2004
5th: 1984, 1985, 1987, 2003
6th: 1980, 1981, 2005
7th: 1986
8th: 1982, 1983, 2006

I don't think it's fair to compare the current program with that of the 90's, it's apples and oranges. We don't have the facilities that we had in the 90's and without the facilities, it's difficult to field a complete track and field program that can compete for a major conference title. This past winter the women finished second, but at the indoor BE Championships, there are more middle distance events which better suits our strengths. It's not excuses, just the facts. It's not troublesome, just reality.

[CAHoya07]

sargeantbussey said:

It's not excuses, just the facts. It's not troublesome, just reality.

Well, it is troublesome that we used to be able to perform at such a high level, but now it seems we cannot. Hopefully the track program can stop the bleeding somehow, as I'm not sure what the problem is, i.e. whether it's really facilities like you say it is.

[DFW HOYA]

sargeantbussey said:

I don't think it's fair to compare the current program with that of the 90's, it's apples and oranges. We don't have the facilities that we had in the 90's and without the facilities, it's difficult to field a complete track and field program that can compete for a major conference title.

What facilities? Georgetown last hosted a meet at Kehoe circa 1993 and never had its own locker rooms.

The only true facilities that were lost was when North Kehoe Field was developed for soccer, eliminating its use as a practice area for field events.

[reformation]

Remember we also had coach Gags in the 90's.(its not solely a facilities thing) It will be interesting to see how(if) the new track affects recruiting. Maybe someone who has some more inside info could enlighten us--I know some of this yrs recruits are high elite and some are not--not sure if all the 90's recruits were elite or we just had more improvement while the kids were at GU.

I'm also not sure that I'd trade having a smaller number of athletes compete for NCAA champs and fare more poorly at the Big for a good showing at the BE and not have anyone who has a shot at NCAA's, world's, olympics etc. I know that winning conf champs and having NCAA contenders are not mutually exclusive, but there are probably some tradeoffs that are somewhat unique to tack being both an individual and a team sport.

[SargeantBussey]

Actually, the last time Georgetown hosted a track meet was a twi-light meet in the spring of 1996. It's true that the track program lost North Kehoe Field but they also lost the track as well. You don't think it's had an impact on recruiting? You don't think it would put an impact on how well you can practice? Through most of the 90's a consistent source of "big" points was in the hammer, when we lost North Kehoe Field, that meant hammer practice was taken outside the Beltway to George Mason. That impacted the event, in fact they haven't had a point scorer in the hammer since Sean Flynn graduated.

Then there's the track. Before the completion of the Duke Ellington Complex, the track team had to travel to Washington and Lee High School, up Wilson Boulevard in Arlington to train. I think it would be, for the most part, difficult, to recruit middle distance and distance runners when you have to do your workouts on a high school track some distance away from campus.

You can lament the "troublesome" trend that the track team has gone 5 years without a win but they have been taken out of position to do so. Maybe the Ellington Track Facility will enhance recruiting, time will tell.

And yes, if not going for the team titles in the Big East or IC4As, is traded in for Olympic Qualifiers, Penn Relay Championships, top-tier finishes in XC, and more All Americans....I guess I could accept that as a far trade, but as of yet, that hasn't happened...and I'd like to point out, in the 90s we had both.

This isn't a Gag vs. current coaching staff thing, because I believe that the current coaching staff is top rate....but the track program in general is not working under the same parameters that it was 10 years ago.

[TrueHoyaBlue]

dfw said:

After unprecedented success in outdoor track in the 1990's, an 8th place finish has to be a troublesome number given the fact that GU has now gone five years without a win.

Georgetown's Big East Outdoor Track Finishes
1st: 1988, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001
2nd: 2002
3rd: 1989, 1994, 2000
4th: 2004
5th: 1984, 1985, 1987, 2003
6th: 1980, 1981, 2005
7th: 1986
8th: 1982, 1983, 2006

Eighth place (of 13) is rough, but seems like last year may have been the real low point, with the men finishing 6th out of 10, and the women finished 10th out of 12!

The one sign of hope came in the success of frosh like Kenny Mitchell, Terrell Gissendamer, Buky, and the Ogrodniks, along with the fact that not a lot of the folks that placed are going to be out of eligibility for next year.

While the available facilities are far from state-of-the-art, they do present a better picture than the one that track coaches have been able to show for the last couple years, so hopefully the recruiting will pick up the slack.

[Nevada Hoya]

Definitely the facilities problem (or lack thereof) causes a decline in recruiting, especially in the long throws. CAHoya07's former teacher (?), Kevin McMahon, showed what a hammer thrower at GU can do with the right opportunities. He was important on the BE level AND the national (Olympic) level. I am sure that there are some coaches, who use our lack of facilites against us, in their recruiting battle. I think to stop some of the bleeding, our emphasis should be in the next couple of years at least, on our traditional bread and butter, the middle distances. I know first hand that this will be an emphasis this coming year.

The last track meet hosted by GU was in the spring of 1996?! I might have been there. I was in DC, for one of my infrequent visits east, when to my surprise and joy, I found out that there was a twilight meet during my stay (at the Marriott on campus). Hoya Heaven for me. Imagine I might have seen the last meet on campus!

[CAHoya07]

Yes, Nevada, Kevin McMahon was my former teacher at Bellarmine. Great man.

It's a shame that track and field isn't talked about more when we discuss athletic facilities. While the Ellington track is a nice, temporary fix, it's still not standard lap distance for a track. I know that if I were a collegiate runner, I would want to practice on a track that best prepared me for races, and a weird lap distance wouldn't necessarily prepare for the split times that I wanted in races.

I know that it isn't all about facilities, but I just feel that track & field, despite our past success, is one of those sports that is getting on by the University and the campus community, and that has got to change.