Track & Field Set to Host Patriot League Championships
February 18, 2016 | Women's Track & Field
Schedule | Patriot League Championships Central | Live Results | Watch Sunday Live
The Boston University men's and women's track & field teams will host the Patriot League Championships at the Track and Tennis Center beginning Friday and continuing through Sunday. All nine of the league’s men's programs and each of the 10 women's teams will compete in the event.
The championship begins Friday at noon with the first four events in the men's heptathlon followed by the women's pentathlon. The action continues on Saturday with the conclusion of the heptathlon as well as the men and women's weight throw, long jump and high jump in the field and finals in the 5,000-meter runs and 4x800 relays. The championship will conclude on Sunday with 24 track finals as well as pole vault, triple jump and shot put in the field.
On the men’s side, the Terriers will be led by junior Cameron Williams who is the Patriot League’s top performer in the 200 meters with his school-record time of 20.88 set at the John Thomas Terrier Invite on Jan. 30th. Williams also enters the meet ranked third in the 60 meter dash with a time of 6.84.
Junior David Lagerberg is the league’s top performer in the 400 meter dash with a time of 46.88 which he set last week at the David Hemery Valentine Invite.
In addition to Lagerberg, three other top mid-distance and distance marks are held by BU athletes. Junior Ethan Homan has the top mark in the 800m (1:48.36), senior Alec Olson has a conference-best time in the 5,000m 14:15.72 and senior Kevin Thomas is the leader in the 3,000m (8:03.55) as well as the defending champion in the event.
Freshman Alexander Seal will look for another strong performance in the 1-mile event as he posted a personal-best time of 4:01.16 back on Feb. 6. Seal will battle Navy’s Stephen Schroeder, who ran a 4:00.77 on BU’s track last week at the David Hemery Valentine Invitational.
In the field, the Terriers will be led by junior David Oluwadara. The Boston, Mass. native won both the triple jump and long jumps at last year’s PL Championships and was named Patriot League Field Athlete of the Meet. Oluwadara currently is ranked first in the triple jump after his school record breaking mark of 16.06 meters (52'8.25") at last week’s David Hemery Invitational.
Also in the field, senior Reuben Horace leads the conference in the weight throw with a 18.86 mark while defending Patriot League Champion Ethan Knight will look to defend his crown in the shot put.
On the women’s side, the Terriers will look for a big performance from senior Christy Wood, who owns the top league time in three events, the 60m, 200m and 400m dash. Wood seems to be peaking a the right time as she set the top 400 meter time at the David Hemery Valentine Invitational last Friday (54.49) and was named Patriot League Female Track Athlete of the Week.
Junior Toria Levy also enters the championships leading the conference in multiple events with the best times in the 500 meter dash (1:13.95) and the 60 meter hurdles (8.73).
A pair of freshman competing in field events will bolster the Terriers’ chances. Kennedy Jones leads the league in the triple jump (12.32m, 40' 5") and classmate Lovie Burleson is first in the long jump (5.85m, 19' 2.5").
Two defending Patriot League Champions will look to defend their crowns. Senior Shelby Stableford will compete in the 5000m, which she won last year and Ally Saccone will race in the 60m hurdles after finishing first in the event last season.
Both teams will look to outperform this year’s preseason projections. The women were picked to finish second in the conference in the women's preseason poll behind Bucknell while the men were picked third behind Navy and Bucknell.
In addition to the Patriot League Championships this weekend, the Boston University men’s and women’s track & field teams will host their annual alumni weekend celebration. After Saturday's competition, the Terriers will hold their Wall of Honor inductions ceremony with a reception following. Boston University Hall of Famer David Hemery will be one of many Terrier greats on hand.
