Lyon women wrap up 10th league crown in 11 years at NEWMAC meet, Wheaton athletes corral all-conference finishes in 19 events

April 26, 2008

NORTHAMPTON, MA- The Wheaton College women's track and field team won a conference title for the 10th time in 11 years on Saturday, edging Springfield College by two points for first place during the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Championship at Smith College. The Lyon men placed fifth.

Wheaton's women totaled 205 points in pacing a field of eight, while the Pride had 203. In the NEWMAC's 10-year history, the Blue and White women have won nine championships while taking 11 crowns in the program's 15 years of competing at a conference meet. The Lyon men tallied 71 points, placing ahead of only Babson College. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) captured first place with 240 points.

The Blue and White teams combined for all-conference placement in 19 events, led by the women's 13 honors. Juniors Chizoba Ezeigwe (Brockton, MA/Thayer Academy) and Morgan Jamiel (Warwick, RI/Toll Gate) and sophomore Renee Thompson (Hartford, CT/Weaver) led the way with three all-league accolades each.

Ezeigwe won both the 100- and 200-meter dashes, provisionally qualifying for the NCAA Championship during the 100M trials at 12.24 while falling just 0.09 seconds short of provisional status in the 200M. She also pushed the 4x100M relay quartet to victory, joining Jamiel, Thompson and freshman Laurenmaria Smith (Providence, RI/Hope) for a showing of 48.73, just 0.08 ticks shy of an NCAA time.

Thompson won the 400-meter dash while running for the 4x400M relay team, which finished in a NEWMAC meet-record 3:56.81, within 0.81 ticks of national meet qualification. Thompson joined juniors Lily Calderwood (Harvard, MA/Bromfield School) and Christine Moreau (Lincoln, RI/Lincoln) and sophomore Kelly Libert (New Haven, CT/James Hillhouse). Jamiel was the runner up in the 100M hurdles and javelin.

Three additional Lyons corralled victories, as senior Megan Brousseau (Attleboro, MA/Attleboro) won the 1,500-meter run, junior Amanda Rawson (Dudley, MA/Shepherd Hill Regional) topped the 5,000M field, and freshman Erin Neville (North Providence, RI/La Salle Academy) had the top high jump height. Neville's showing of 5' 6" provisionally qualified her for the NCAA Championship.

Freshman Diana Kornberg (Highland Mills, NY/Monroe-Woodbury) was five inches shy of NCAA status while placing second in the shot put, junior Natana Jules (Brooklyn, NY/Boys and Girls) was the runner up in the 400M, and sophomore Katie Pratt (Litchfield, CT/Litchfield) was second in the 3,000M steeplechase.

On the men's side, junior Albi Skenderi (Glendale, NY/Grover Cleveland), sophomore Merzudin Ibric (Revere, MA/Phillips Academy) and freshman Mark Williamson (Vienna, VA/James Madison) each drew three all-conference accolades. Two NEWMAC Championship records fell, with Williamson playing a hand in both.

Williamson provisionally qualified for the NCAA Championship in the 400-meter dash at 48.48 while eclipsing the league meet mark by 0.09 seconds. During the 4x100M relay, Williamson's quartet turned in a 42.45 showing, as he was joined by Ibric, sophomore Mark Cimino (Danbury, CT/Danbury) and freshman Raiyan Banaji (Bombay, India/American School of Bombay).

Ibric won the 200-meter dash and ran a leg for the second-place 4x400M relay team, joining Skenderi, Williamson and junior Jonathan Cunha (Lexington, MA/Lexington). Skenderi capped his day by winning the 110M hurdles and turning in a runner-up showing in the 400M hurdles race.

Wheaton's teams hit the track next Saturday at George Mason University's Mason Outdoor Invitational.

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