May 13, 2010

PHILADELPHIA - The La Salle track team is back in action this weekend as the Explorers head to the IC4A and ECAC Championships at Princeton University. Eleven individuals and two relay teams are set to compete.

The qualifying individuals include Nick Crits and Korey Edwards in the 1500m, Terence McPeak and Dave Laratta in the 800m and Dave Hausherr, Sean Ward and Tyler Jones in the 10K. On the women's side, Caitlin Storbeck qualified in the 1500, Samantha Gallagher in the 3,000m steeplechase, Stephanie Bearish in the 5K and Meghan Lutz in the 10K. In addition, the men's and women's 4x800 relay squads will be in action.

The relay squads look to once again highlight. The men's team of Laratta, Trevon Rainford, Edwards and McPeak is coming off of a record-setting run at the Atlantic 10 Championship, where they not only took the conference crown but shattered the school, conference, and UMass facility record in the process with a blazing 7:23.95. The same quartet saw much success at last year's IC4A Championship as well, breaking a long-held school record not once, but twice.

The women's 4x800 relay squad also looks for another big time as the quartet of Wendy Hutchinson, Maureen Benner, Kellilyn Fierras and Caitlin Storbeck ran a season-best 8:54.37 for the Atlantic 10 bronze medal two weeks ago. The 4x800 squad has ran ECAC qualifying times in all three of its races this season, including Penn Relays and Raleigh Relays in addition to the Atlantic 10 time. The women's 4x800 is also the defending indoor ECAC bronze medalists.

On the individual side, McPeak earned two qualifying 800m times this season, including his Atlantic 10 title run (1:51.59). He also qualified at the Penn Invitational, where he ran a 1:51.61, which was the conference's third-best time heading into A-10's.

Laratta will also be in the race following his fourth place performance at A-10's. He ran the conference's best regular season time of 1:50.89 at the Penn Invitational to also earn his IC4A qualification.

Crits earned two qualifications in the 1500 meters this season, with a season best 3:48.41 at Princeton's Sam Howell Invitational. That time also marked the top time in the Atlantic 10 during the regular season. He also ran a qualifying time this past Monday at the Swarthmore Last Chance Meet, clocking a 3:49.03.

Edwards is listed as probable for running at IC4A's, after earning his qualifying time at the Larry Ellis Invitational in mid-April. His time of 3:50.50 marked the second-best time in the Atlantic 10 during the regular season.

Jones, Hausherr and Ward will represent the Explorers in the 10K race. Jones ran the league's fourth-best time this season, a 30:02.48 at the Stanford Invitational to earn his qualification. That time also ranks him 47th in the NCAA East Region and 94th in the nation. He ran the 5K at A-10's where he finished eighth.

Hausherr qualified twice, with his season best 30:40.49 coming at Princeton during the Sam Howell Invite which ranked him seventh in the conference's regualar season. He placed sixth at A-10's with a qualifying 30:43.46.

Ward rounds out the participants in the 10K, as he earned his qualifying time at Sam Howell as well. His season-best 30:53.51 ranked him 10th in the Atlantic 10 regular season, and he finished ninth in the 5K at A-10's.

On the women's side, Gallagher heads into the 3,000 meter steeplechase with the 20th best time in the NCAA East Region and 41st in the nation. She ran her season-best time of 10:31.05 at the Stanford Invitational, which marked the top time in the Atlantic 10 regular season. She finished sixth at A-10's.

Lutz heads into the ECAC 10K race with a regional ranking as well. She earned her ECAC qualification at the Penn Relays with a 35:40.87, which marks the 38th best time in the NCAA East Region and 88th nationally. Lutz finished fourth at A-10's with a 36:26.59.

Bearish returns to the track to compete in the 5K race after qualifying twice this season. She initially qualified with a season-best 17:04.44 at the Stanford Invite, which ranked her fourth in the A-10 regular season before running another qualifying time of 17:08.67 at the Penn Relays.

Storbeck will compete in the 1500m race on Saturday morning. She earned her qualifying time at the Sam Howell Invite, clocking a 4:30.20 which was the fifth best in the Atlantic 10 regular season.

Stay tuned to GoExplorers.com for complete recaps and video highlights from this year's IC4A and ECAC Championships.

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Schedule of Events
IC4A and ECAC Championships
Fri.-Sun. May 14-16 | Princeton University

Friday, May 14

7:00 PM: ECAC Steeplechase - Samantha Gallagher
7:40 PM: ECAC 5K - Stephanie Bearish
8:00 PM: ECAC 10K - Meghan Lutz
9:15 PM: IC4A 10K - Dave Hausherr, Tyler Jones, Sean Ward

Saturday, May 15

10:50 AM: ECAC 1500 Trials - Caitlin Storbeck
2:00 PM: ECAC 4x800 Trials
3:20 PM: IC4A 1500 Trials - Nick Crits, Korey Edwards (probable)
4:50 PM: IC4A 800 Trials - Dave Laratta, Terence McPeak
5:45 PM: IC4A 4x800 Trials

Sunday, May 16

12:15 PM: ECAC 1500 Final
12:20 PM: IC4A 1500 Final
1:40 PM: IC4A 800 Final
2:40 PM: ECAC 4x800 Final
2:50 PM: IC4A 4x800 Final