March 14, 2009
COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Four Irish track and field student-athletes represented Notre Dame this weekend at the NCAA Indoor Championships with three garnering All-America honors.
Senior Patrick Smyth finished eighth with a time of 8:01.56 in the men’s 3000 meters to earn his sixth All-America honor. Smyth’s six combined All-America citations are tied for third most in Irish men’s track & field/cross country history behind only Ryan Shay (10), Luke Watson (eight) and Kurt Benninger (three).
Junior Joanna Schultz earned her first All-America nod in the women’s 400-meter dash after clocking in at 54.06 for an eighth-place finish.
Senior Mary Saxer cleared a height of 4.05 meters (13-3 1/2) to finish ninth in the women’s pole vault and earn her first All-America nod, while junior Matt Schipper finished 14th in the men’s pole vault.
The Irish will now turn their attention to the outdoor track and field season. Notre Dame will send student-athletes to the Arizona State Invitational and Stanford Invitational March 27-28.
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