Feb. 19, 2011
Complete Results
Kingston, R.I. -
A wild finish came to pass at the 2011 Atlantic 10 Championship, which saw Fordham jump up the standings after an incredible performance on Saturday. The men's team edged out a third place finish by one point over Massachusetts and Temple, tying the team's best ever finish, while the women's team took eighth, behind two Atlantic 10 record performances from senior Kerri Gallagher.
In the men's competition, Rhode Island edged out Charlotte, 158.5-155.5, for the team championship, snapping Charlotte's three-year run as the Atlantic 10 Champion. The battle for third was just as tight, but it was Fordham, which snuck out the bronze finish with 88 points, followed by Massachusetts and Temple with 87. The rest of the field finished with La Salle in sixth (60), followed by Saint Louis (45), Saint Joseph's (37), Richmond (35), and Xavier (27).
The push by Fordham from ninth to third was highlighted by 32 points over the final three events, as well as three event champions in the 800 meters, 1,000 meters, and the 4x800 relay.
Senior Brian Schmidt began things by defending his A-10 title in the 800 meters, clocking in at 1:54.65. Sophomore John Cosgrove also scored in the event, taking fourth in 1:55.48.
Then, junior Kevin Fitzgerald led a trio of Rams in the 1,000 meters, winning the event in 2:29.02. Freshmen Brian Walter (2:30.32) and Ryan Polo (2:31.03) also finished well, taking fifth and sixth place, respectively.
The final event win came in the 4x800 relay, as Fordham made it a three-peat in event, as Cosgrove,
Michael Rossi, Schmidt and Fitzgerald won the race in a season-best time of 7:40.51.
Fordham also had big scoring performances by sophomores Sean Atkinson and Julian Saad, and freshman Kevin Harvey in the running events, as well as junior Kyle Kesses in the high jump. Atkinson took bronze in the 400 meters in 49.38 seconds, while Saad was fourth in the 3,000 meter run in a season-best time of 8:25.36. Harvey was also fifth in the mile, finishing in a personal-best time of 4:17.88, while Kesses took eighth in the high jump, clearing 6' ½".
The Rams also received a triple scoring effort in the men's heptathlon. Freshman Sam Houston finished second with a season-best score of 4,549 points, followed by senior Augustus Gleason with 4,407 points in fourth. Senior Vincent Servello also scored a crucial point, taking eighth with 3,907 points.
The final event to determine third place was the 4x400 relay, where Nick Delligatti, Michael Bongiorno, Atkinson, and Christopher Lyons, placed second in 3:19.99, sealing the bronze finish for Fordham.
In the women's competition, Dayton captured its first solo Atlantic 10 Championship, after sharing the title with Charlotte last year. Dayton scored 161 points to Charlotte's 159. Rhode Island took third with 105 points, followed by Duquesne (66), Saint Louis (65), Temple (61), Massachusetts (40), Fordham (32), La Salle (29), Saint Joseph's (24), Richmond (23), and Xavier (15).
Senior Kerri Gallagher stole the show in the women's competition, pulling off two event wins in Atlantic 10 record times. She started the day by winning the mile run in an Atlantic 10 record time of 4:48.60, breaking the old mark of 4:49.71 by La Salle's Toniann Razzi in 2000. Gallagher then doubled her pleasure by winning the 1,000 meter run in a conference record time of 2:51.43, breaking the 2006 record of 2:52.79, held by La Salle's Elizabeth Geiger.
Gallagher came back a third time in the women's 4x400 relay, joining Elisabeth Warren, Averie Sheppard, and Kelly Connolly, to take sixth place in a season-best time of 3:55.06.
In addition, the Rams scored in the 55 meter dash, the 500 meters and the high jump. A day after tying her own school record in the 55 meter dash, senior Sherilyn Groeninger placed eighth in the finals in a time of 7.48 seconds.
Later in the 500 meters, Connolly placed fifth overall in 1:16.60, while in the high jump, sophomore Courtnay Newman took seventh place, clearing 5' 5".
Fordham also had junior Nako Nakatsuka, freshman Taylor Jacob, and the women's 4x800 relay in the mix this afternoon. Nakatsuka was 19th in the mile run in a personal-best time of 5:27.80, while Jacob was 19th in the women's shot put with a mark of 36' 8 ½". The women's 4x800 relay, consisting of Diane Bain, Ashley Davis, Anisa Arsenault, and Kellen Fitzgerald, placed 11th in a season-best time of 9:36.33.
