Day Two Results | Atlantic 10 Interview with Fordham's Fajoyomi after winning the high jump event
Kingston, R.I. - (Feb. 18, 2012) - The 2012 Atlantic 10 Indoor Track & Field Championship has come to a close with the Rhode Island men's team and Charlotte women's team capturing the team titles. Fordham's men's team tied their best-ever finish at the Championship in third place, scoring 91.5 points (the team's best total at A-10's), while the women's team took ninth with 33.5 points.
"The team did a great job all day long. They knew what they had to, and did a tremendous job," said Fordham head coach Tom Dewey following the Championship. "The men were right there in the end, we got great performances from our seniors (Kevin) Fitzgerald and (Kelly) Connolly, and even minus Kerri Gallagher's 20 points from last year, the women dug deep and scored better this year than last year. Overall it was a great day."
In the men's competition, Rhode Island won the team competition with a score of 186.5, followed by Charlotte in second with 165.5 points. Fordham finished third, followed by Temple (82.5), La Salle (78), Saint Joseph's (65), Xavier (48), Massachusetts (36), Richmond (17) and Saint Louis (9).
Fordham's third place finish was highlighted by three event wins in the 1,000 meters, high jump, and 4x800 relay, as well as a school record performance in the men's heptathlon.
In the 1,000 meters, senior Kevin Fitzgerald earned Atlantic 10 Champion honors, placing first in a season-best time of 2:26.96, while teammate Ryan Polo also scored in fourth place (2:28.88).
The high jump saw sophomore David Fajoyomi win the Atlantic 10 title for Fordham, clearing 6' 10 1/4", while the 4x800 relay made it a four-peat, as Fitzgerald, Polo, John Cosgrove, and Daniel Green, won the event for the fourth consecutive year with a season-best and Atlantic 10 record time of 7:38.31.
In addition to the three event wins, Fordham saw one school record fall, while two others earned Second Team All-Atlantic 10 honors.
Sophomore Sam Houston placed third overall in the heptathlon with a school record score of 5,018 points, breaking Dan Tucker's 2006 record of 4,835 points. Houston ended the competition by placing fourth in the 60 meter hurdles (8.85 - career-best), tying for sixth in the pole vault (11' 7 3/4"), and taking second in the 1,000 meters (2:41.10 - career-best).
Juniors Sean Atkinson and Julian Saad joined Fitzgerald, Fajoyomi, and the 4x800 relay team on the All-Conference team, as each placed second in their respective events. Atkinson was second in the 500 meters in 1:03.94, while Saad was second in the 3,000 meters in 8:24.43. Nick Delligatti also scored with Atkinson in the 500 meters, placing sixth in 1:06.04.
Fordham also scored in five other events on day two. Cosgrove placed third in the 800 meters in 1:55.59, while Sean Collins was sixth in the 60 meter hurdles in 8.50 seconds. Kevin Harvey scored in the mile event with a sixth-place finish in 4:20.57, followed by freshman Austin Ruiz taking fifth in the shot put with a season-best mark of 47' 11 3/4". The men's 4x400 relay of Collins, Delligatti, Michael Rossi, and Atkinson was the final scorer for the Rams, placing fourth in 3:18.89.
In the women's championship, Charlotte won the team title with 161 points, followed by Dayton (106.5), Duquesne (97.5), Temple (83), Rhode Island (67.5), Richmond (62.5), Saint Louis (56), La Salle (42), Fordham, Xavier (33), Massachusetts (25.5), Saint Joseph's (12).
The Fordham women, who improved their scoring total from a year ago, scored in five events on day two led by the duo of Titi Fagade and Kelly Connolly in the 500 meter event. Fagade earned Second Team All-Atlantic 10 honors by placing second in 1:15.30, while Connolly was fifth in the event in 1:17.07.
Junior Courtnay Newman just missed joined the All-Conference team, as she tied for third in the high jump, clearing 5' 5".
Fordham also scored in the 3,000 meter run, as Erin Lunny took fifth overall in a career-best time of 9:55.50, qualifying her for the ECAC Championship, later this season. The Rams also earned fifth place finishes in the 4x400 relay, as Fagade, Averie Sheppard, Melissa Higgins, and Elisabeth Warren ran 3:56.56 and the 4x800 relay of Emily Osman, Connolly, Mara Lieberman, and Jillian Brooks posted a season-best time of 9:17.18.
The Fordham track & field team will next be in action on Friday, February 24th, as the Rams compete at the Last Chance Invitational, which will be held at the Armory Track & Field Center, beginning at 5:00 PM.
First Team All-Atlantic 10
Men's 1000 Meters - Kevin Fitzgerald
Men's High Jump - David Fajoyomi
Men's 4x800 Relay - Kevin Fitzgerald, Ryan Polo, John Cosgrove, Daniel Green - 7:38.31 (Atlantic 10 record)
Second Team All-Atlantic 10
Women's 500 Meters - Titi Fagade
Men's 500 Meters - Sean Atkinson
Men's 3,000 Meters - Julian Saad
School Records Broken
Men's Heptathlon - Sam Houston - 5,018 points
