May 1, 2010
PHILADELPHIA - The La Salle track & field team is set to compete in the 2010 Atlantic 10 Outdoor Track & Field Championships, set for Saturday and Sunday (May 1-2) at the University of Massachusetts.
The Explorers bring a strong resume into the weekend's meet, highlighted by several top times in the Atlantic 10 and nationally ranked times as well.
The Explorers look to contend in the 800 meter run as Dave Laratta recorded the A-10's top time this season, a 1:50.89 at the Penn Invitational on April 3. His time is also 58th on the NCAA East Regional list. Terence McPeak registered the third-best time in the conference, a 1:51.61 also at Penn on 4/3. Both qualified for IC4A's with their times. The pair reached the medal stand at the indoor championship, with McPeak capturing silver and Laratta bronze in February's championship. Wayne Bartholomew also looks for a good time this weekend as he sits ninth on the conference list coming into the weekend with a season-best 1:54.00.
The 1,500 meter race is power-packed with Explorers, with Nick Crits and Korey Edwards holding the top and second-place times, respectively, in the conference this season. Crits earned his season-best and IC4A-qualifying time of 3:48.41 at Princeton's Sam Howell Invitational on April 2. Edwards clocked a 3:50.50 in earning an IC4A qualification at the Larry Ellis Invitational on April 16. Edwards also enters the weekend as the defending 800 meter champion after capturing gold at last year's outdoor meet, and won both the 1,000 meters and mile at this year's indoor championship.
The Explorers also bring some of the conference's top long distance runners. Dave Hausherr and Tyler Jones recorded the number six and eight times, respectively, in the 5K this season. Hausherr recorded a 14:38.69 at the Larry Ellis Invite and is within 12 seconds of the top time of the season posted by Xavier's Tommy Kauffman. Jones ran his season-best 5K of 14:40.22 at the Penn Relays.
The duo also rank high in the 10K, with Jones fourth and Hausherr sixth. Jones' season-best 10K time of 30:02.48 came at the Stanford Invitational on March 26, and ranks him 38th in the NCAA East Region and 76th nationally. Sean Ward also ran a top 10 time in the conference in the 10K with a 30:53.51 at the Sam Howell Invite.
The Explorers also bring their high-achieving 4x800 relay squad to Amherst this weekend. The relay squad posted a season-best 7:33.34 in the Championship of America race at the Penn Relays, and returns after last season's record-breaking performance. At the 2009 championship, the Explorers captured silver while breaking the previous 4x800 championship record. Two weeks later, they set two new school records at the IC4A Championship. The team is also the two-time defending indoor 4x800 champions.
The Explorer women also look to capitalize on a strong season. Samantha Gallagher boasts the conference's top 3,000 meter steeplechase time, a 10:31.05 attained at the Stanford Invite. Her time ranks her 14th in the entire East Region and 30th nationally, and is more than 11 seconds better than the second-best time posted in the A-10 this season. Gallagher also comes in with the ninth-best time in the 1,500 meter run, as she ran a 4:39.88 at the Larry Ellis Invite.
Meghan Lutz has also established a presence on the national list. Her 10K time of 35:40.87 from the Penn Relays is second in the conference, 30th in the East Region and 78th nationally.
Stephanie Bearish and Caitlin Storbeck bring in top five times in the 1,500 meters and Bearish adds a top five performance in the 5,000 meters. Bearish clocked a 4:36.71 in the 1,500 at the Larry Ellis Invite to put her in fourth in the conference and Storbeck comes in as the number five with a 4:37.25 at the Ellis Invite. Bearish's 5K time of 17:04.44 at Stanford marks the fourth best time in the conference this season.
Jalessa Graham looks to lead the Explorer sprinters as she comes into the weekend with the fifth-best 100 meter time, a 12.33 recorded at the Delaware Open on April 10.
The women's 4x800 meter relay also looks for the medal stand this weekend. They posted the second-best time in the A-10, a 9:01.80 at the Penn Relays that easily qualified for ECAC's.
For complete recaps and video highlights from the weekend, stay right here on GoExplorers.com
