March 4, 2011
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The University of Notre Dame men’s track distance medley relay, comprised of Johnathan Shawel (Placentia, Calif./Troy), Patrick Feeney (Indianapolis, Ind./New Palestine), Jack Howard (Libertyville, Ill./Libertyville) and Jeremy Rae (Fort Erie, Ontario/Lakeshore Catholic) ran to a third-place finish in 9:31.99 on Friday at the Alex Wilson Invitational in the Loftus Sports Center in Notre Dame, Ind. The time qualified the team qualified for a berth at the Indoor National Championships, which is set to take place Friday, March 12 and Saturday, March 13 in College Station, Texas.
Unattached competitor Mark Hollis set a Meyo Track record, pole vaulting 5.63m to best his previous record of 5.51m set in 2010.
The Irish distance medley relay wasn’t the only team to qualify the Indoor National Championships. First-place finishing Minnesota ran 9:31.78 and New Mexico finished in 9:31.95 for second place, both automatically qualifying.
On the women’s side, Texas Tech’s distance medley relay automatically qualified for the Indoor NCAAs, finishing in 11:07.18.
Action continues tomorrow at the Loftus Sports Center, beginning with the women’s 60-meter hurdle trials and women’s shot put at 11:00 a.m. (ET).
Notre Dame Women’s Results:
5,000-meter run: Rachel Velarde finished 13th in 17:23.86.
Weight Throw: Madeline Casanova finished in sixth place (16.72m), Vivien Devaney followed and finished seventh (14.35m).
Men’s Results:
5,000-meter run: Dan Jackson finished ninth in 14:28.69, followed by Joe Miller in 10th place (14:52.70). Walter Schafer finished 11th in 15:09.48.
Distance Medley Relay: Notre Dame finished in third place in 9:31.99.
–ND–