MEN'S AND WOMEN'S INDOOR TRACK READY FOR NEC CHAMPIONSHIPS

February 17, 2010

BRYANT MEN'S AND WOMEN'S INDOOR TRACK READY FOR NEC CHAMPIONSHIPS

SMITHFIELD, R.I. - For the Bryant University men's and women's indoor track teams, this is the weekend that has been circled on the team's schedule since the season started last December.  For the Bulldogs, conference championship weekend is finally here.

Following perhaps the most successful overall regular season, the Bryant men and women head to Landover, Maryland this weekend to take part in the 2010 Northeast Conference Championships that will run this Saturday and Sunday. 

For the Bulldogs, it's a chance to improve on last year's performance in their first-ever Division I conference championship meet, as well as head into the New England Championships on a high note.

The 2010 championships will take place Feb. 21-22 at the Prince George's Sports & Learning Complex in Landover, Md. Tickets are $10 for adults, $3 for those under 18 and free for those 10 years old and younger.  All NEC students with proper school I.D. are also admitted free.

Last year, the Bryant men finished tied for sixth with Quinnipiac but look to move up in the standings with an experience and very well balanced team. The women placed 11th overall.

Thomas O'Connor

Standout sprinters Thomas O'Connor and Alex Engel look to make some serious noise this weekend.  Last year, O'Connor finished second in the final of the 400 meters (49.790) and Engel took home fourth (50.08) while both finished eighth and ninth respectively in the 200 meters. 

Junior Mike DiBella was fifth in the finals of the 500 meters in 1:07.30 while Anthony Monteiro had a great day in the 55 hurdles, narrowly missing the finals but looks to take it step further this year.  Monteiro is currently eighth in the NEC's top-10 list at 8.61 seconds.

Looking at the this year's top marks list in the NEC, O'Connor currently stands fifth in the 60 meters (6.96) while Engel has the conference's second-best mark in the 400 meters this season, running 48.61 at BU back on Jan. 29.  Engel is also ranked fourth in the 500m (1:04.15) with DiBella earning a top-10 conference time in 1:06.36.

The record-breaking 4x400 meter relay team will be fun to watch this weekend as they chase Long Island for the top spot.  The Bulldogs ran a school-record best time of 3:18.35 at BU earlier this season while LIU comes in having a season-best time of 3:14.80.

The Bulldogs will look to score points as well in the field events as Chris Brida is having an exceptional season in the long and triple jump.  In the triple, Brida is currently ranked fifth in the NEC with a mark of 45 feet, 7.25 inches.

The women look to score points from several newcomers including freshman standout Deirdre Doyle. Doyle has been competing very well as of late and comes into the conference championships this weekend with the NEC's second-best time in the 3,000 meters (9:55.93).  She'll be chasing leader Morgan Roche of Quinnipiac for the conference title.  Roche ran a season-best time of 9:55.31 at the BU Invitational earlier this season.