Outdoor Track & Field Weekly Release #6

May 3, 2006

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Horizon League Outdoor Track & Field Athletes of the Week

Scott Overall

Butler, Jr., Twickenham, UK

Overall shaved 10 seconds off the school record in the 5000m at Stanford's Payton Jordan Cardinal Invitational, crossing the line in 13:38. His Horizon-League leading time is the fifth fastest run in the NCAA this year.  Overall was the first collegian finisher in the elite field, coming in second overall behind Olympian Alejandro Suarez of Team Mexico.

Jeanna Cunningham

Youngstown State, Sr. Warren, Ohio

Cunningham set the school record in the 400-meters and won two events at the Sparky Adams Invitational, leading the Penguins to the top overall team finish.  She ran a first-place time of 54.65 to just miss the NCAA Mideast Regional qualifying time of 54.61 in the 400m, and she added a first-place time of 24.19 in the 200m. Both times are the fastest run by a Horizon League student-athlete this season.

Other Top Performances

Gabe Wagoner

UW-Milwaukee, Sr., Peshtigo, Wis.

Wagoner took second in the 800m at the Drake Relays, while also running with the eighth-place 4x800m relay. In his individual event, he finished in a time of 1:51.27, while helping the relay corps to a time of 7:30.50.

Sean Conroy

Loyola, Sr., Cork, Ireland

Conroy posted a couple of top-five finishes last week for the Ramblers. He finished third in the 5,000-meter run earlier in the week at the Old Fashion Track Meet with a time of 15:47.40. Conroy then placed in a tie for seventh at the Drake Relays in the 1,500m at a time of 3:51.46.  He was also a member of the 4x1600 relay team that finished 12th with a time of 16:56.37.

Aaron Merrill

Youngstown State, Fr., Leetonia, Ohio

Merrill finished second in the shot put with a personal-best mark of 52-2 3/4 at the Sparky Adams Invitational. His mark ranks second in the Horizon League, and it moved him into second place on YSU's all-time list.

Eric Christy

Detroit, So., St. Clair, Mich.

Christy finished fourth in 400 meter hurdles at the Hillsdale Relays with a personal and Horizon League season-best time  of 53.44.  Christy also ran in the 110 meter hurdles and finished with a time of 15.09, third best in the League this season.

Jenni Saarinen

UW-Milwaukee, Fr., Lappeenranta, Finland

Saarinen broke the school record in the heptathlon on her way to eighth place at the Drake Relays. She also ran with the 4x100m shuttle hurdle relay that set a school mark, as well. In the heptathlon, she tallied 4,993 points to establish a Milwaukee mark by 104 points and miss an NCAA Provisional score by just seven points. In the shuttle relay, her and three teammates combined on a school-record time of 59.43 to finish third, the team's highest-ever relay finish at the Drake Relays.

Marcia Faustin

Loyola, Jr., Orland Park, Ill.                    

Faustin captured her fourth high jump win of the outdoor season after tying a her Horizon League-best leap of 5-07 at the Old Fashion Track Meet. At the Drake Relays, she finished in a tie for eighth place with the same mark and was a member of the 4x100 relay team that set a new school-record with a time of 49.12.

Ava Hutchinson

Butler, Sr., Fleet, U.K.

Hutchinson finished 8th in her 1500m section at the Payton Jordan Cardinal Invitational.  Her time of 4:28 was the less then a second off of the regional qualifying standard and is the fastest in the League this season.

Zanita Clipper

Detroit, So., Ypsilanti, Mich.

Clipper won the 100 meter race at Hillsdale. She finished with a time of 12.18, which was a personal record and second best time by a Titan female all-time.

Ten top times set in weekend competition

In addition to numerous individual wins, Horizon League student-athletes set ten new League top times in weekend competition. Three of those marks were set at the Drake Relays as UIC's Terell Williams set the standard in the decathlon with 6487 points, and UWM's Angie Huebner and Jenni Saarinen set marks in the 10,000m (36:44.33) and heptathlon (4993 points) respectively.  Youngstown State athletes set four new highs, with the men's 4x800 relay team finishing in 7:45.24 at the Penn Relays and the men's 4x100 squad and women's sprinter Jeanna Cunningham earning the top spots at the Sparky Adams Invitational.  Cunningham set two new top marks, crossing the line in the 200m in 24.19 and finishing the 400m in 54.65.  Butler's Scott Overall (5,000m) and Ava Hutchinson (1,500m) and Detroit's Eric Christy (400m hurdles) also recorded League-best scores this weekend.  To see a complete listing of all the top marks in the Horizon League this season, visit Horizon League Outdoor Track & Field on DirectAthletics.com.

2006 Outdoor Track & Field Championships set for May 11-12

The 2006 Horizon League Outdoor Track & Field Championships will be held May 11 and 12 in Indianapolis, Ind. The championship, hosted by Butler University, will be held at Michael Carroll Stadium on the IUPUI campus.  The UW-Milwaukee Panthers, also the winners of the 2006 indoor title, look to defend their 2005 outdoor crown, while the Youngstown State Penguins, runners-up at this year's indoor meet, will try to defend their 2005 women's title.  For more information on the 2006 Horizon League Outdoor Track & Field Championships, visit the 2006 Championship Page.

This Week's Schedule

Friday, May 5

Youngstown State @ Campbell Wright Open (Akron, Ohio)- All Day

Detroit @ Len Paddock Invitational (Ann Arbor, Mich.)- All Day

Wright State @ Rocket Open (Toledo, Ohio)- All Day

Saturday, May 6

Loyola @ Butler Twilight (Indianapolis, Ind.)- All Day

Butler @ Butler Twilight (Indianapolis, Ind.)- All Day

Youngstown State @ Campbell Wright Open (Akron, Ohio)- All Day

Detroit @ Len Paddock Invitational (Ann Arbor, Mich.)- All Day

UIC @ Wisconsin Twilight (Madison, Wis.)- 4 p.m.