Distance medley relay sets record, seeks national title
By MOLLY McVOY
Assistant Sports Editor
The Notre Dame basketball team will not be the only team nervously awaiting the NCAA's decision as to who advances to the championships. Many members of the Irish track and field squad await Monday's announcement by the NCAA about who will advance to next weekend's indoor championships.
Going into the Alex Wilson Invitational, several of Notre Dame's top athletes were hoping to get the extra inch on their jumps or the few seconds off their times to make it to the national championships at the University of Arkansas next weekend.
After Saturday's meet, the only sure spot is held by the men's distance medley. The team broke the meet record of 9 minutes, 43.18 seconds with a time of 9:39.40, and missed tying the school record by one second.
The team of Phil Mishka, Chris Cochran, Tim Kober and Luke Watson is now ranked second in the nation and is looking to win the event at nationals.
"Running with competition, which we really haven't done yet, will definitely help," Cochran said. "Looking at the competition, we have to look to win. I think we're in striking distance of Stanford. Anyone can step up in a national meet. I think we can step up as much as anyone else."
Going into Saturday's meet, the team wanted to take a couple of seconds off its time to secure its spot in nationals.
"I think the main difference with Friday's performance was that we all knew we had to run a little better than last time to ensure getting in the national meet," Cochran said. "And we all had experience in the events.
Last time it was Watson's first time in his leg [of the race] and I'm sure the 1200 was new for Mishka."
Marshaun West was one of the long jumpers hoping to qualify on Saturday. He needed a jump of at least 25-foot-6 to ensure the championships, but only jumped 24-foot-5 on Saturday.
"It had to do with the level of competition and also my health wasn't 100 percent," West said. "I'm just going to concentrate on outdoors. I'm going to try and stay healthy and work on my technique and not get hurt."
He has a provisional qualifying mark in the long jump, but will have to be in the top 15 in the nation to go. It will be announced Monday evening who will advance.
Along with West, high jumper Jen Engelhardt and long jumper Tameisha King were hoping to get the distance needed to get into nationals.
Although Engelhardt's jump of 5-foot-9 and 3/4 was a provisional qualifying mark for the championships, it may not give her the necessary edge.
"I don't think Tameisha and Jenny will get in," fields coach Scott Winsor said.
Winsor believed that the competition is tougher this year than in previous years and that may affect who qualifies.
"[The field] is pretty competitive," Winsor said. "It's an unusual year, I would say. Usually it takes 180 [inches in high jump] to get in, but this year it took 182."
Head coach Joe Piane refuses to throw in the towel, however. Along with the jumpers, Ryan Shay qualified for the 5000, Phil Mishka and Tim Cover have marks in the 800, and Liz Grow may go in the 400. Patty Rice also has a qualifying time in the mile, and Alison Klemmer in the 3000.
"I hope they all go," he said.
Monday's announcement will tell if they'll be packing their bags for Kansas next weekend.
Piane believes the athletes have proven their abilities regardless of the outcome for nationals.
"There are 308 Division I schools, each with around five jumpers. That's over 1500 competitors," he said. "If you get a qualifying mark, you're in the top 20 in the nation. That's pretty good."
Aside from the men's distance medley that won their event, the Irish took the number one spot in many other events at Saturday's contest. Matt Thompson won the 35 lb. throw with a distance of 54-foot-1 and Quill Redwine took the triple jump with a distance of 46-foot-8.
King, West and Englehardt all won their respective events as well. Mishka won the 800m race with a time of 1:48.44 and Grow won the 400 at 54.16s. Cochran took the 200m dash with a time of 21.37s.
Regardless of who advances to nationals, the team will now shift its focus to the outdoor season, and the competition that lies ahead.
"We just have to get focused on the outdoor season," Winsor said."These people that don't get in, just have to regroup and make the outdoors a priority."
All Sports Stories for Monday, March 6, 2000
