May 3, 2009

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Redshirt senior Bobby Staten earned All-Conference honors in the 100m and 200m Dashes with school-record times, leading Saint Joseph's men's track & field to fifth place at the Atlantic 10 Championships hosted by Charlotte.  Staten won the 100m and finished second in the 200m, while sophomore Brian Guterl garnered second place in the 1,500m.

Staten bested his previous school-record in the 100m with a time of 10.45 for his first individual A-10 championship.  Having already qualified for the NCAA Regionals in the event, Staten's second-place showing in the 200m was run in a school-record time of 21.15, which also qualified him for the NCAA Regionals in the event.

The Hawks saw harriers finish in the top five in the 1,500m Run as Brian Guterl (3:54.43) and Ryan Birchmeier (3:56.25) earned second and fifth place, respectively. Yesterday, Guterl made a last second kick to win the 4x800m Relay, but finished in18th in the 800m.  Birchmeier, a freshman, scored his first points in any A-10 event with his fifth-place performance.

The fifth-place 4x400m Relay squad of Drew Brandt, Dylan Wenik, Brian Smith and Jared Sabre ran a time of 3:20.06. 

Two other Hawks, Brian Smith and Kevin McDonnell, were sixth in their respective events, the 400m Hurdles and 5,000m.  Smith completed his event in a time of 55.36, while McDonnell finished the 5,000m with a time of 15:00.76.

Saint Joseph's finished in fifth for the two-day event with 67 points in the 11-team competition.  With wins by the 4x800m Relay and Will Rowland (10,000m) yesterday and the victory by Staten, SJU brought home three gold medals altogether.  SJU will compete one more time prior to the IC4A Championships as the Hawks will take part in the Swarthmore Last Chance on May 11.

Individual Results
* -- IC4A Qualifying Time
% -- Meet Record
^ -- NCAA Regional Qualifying Time
# -- Heat Winner
@ -- School Record
(10) - Points won

100 Meters
1. Bobby Staten    10.45 ^@ (10)

200 Meters
2. Bobby Staten    21.15 ^@ (8)
13. Paul Barolette    22.20
14. Tom DiNatale    22.35

400 Meters
10. Drew Brandt    49.46
14. Jared Sabre    49.58
20. Dylan Wenik    50.22

400-Meter Hurdles
6. Brian Smith        55.36 (3)
12. Steven Philbrook    56.56

800 Meters
18. Brian Guterl    1:55.99
23. Logan Hohs    1:56.90
33. Jesse Brooks    2:01.56

1,500 Meters
2. Brian Guterl    3:54.43 * (8)
5. Ryan Birchmeier    3:56.25 #(4)
25. Murphy O'Donnell 4:09.94

5,000 Meters
6. Kevin McDonnell    15:00.76 (3)
9. Jonathan Sclafani    15:08.88
18. George Wittmann    16:05.06

4x100-Meter Relay
Tom DiNatale, Paul Barolette        DNF
Drew Brandt, Bobby Staten

4x400-Meter Relay
5. Drew Brandt, Dylan Wenik    3:20.06 (4)
Brian Smith, Jared Sabre