Villanova Closes in On NCAA Championships Bid in Distance Medley Relay

Wildcats ran a time of 9:31.52 at the Alex Wilson Invitational on Friday night

Brian Tetreault led off the distance medley relay for Villanova on Friday night at the Alex Wilson Invitational.

March 3, 2012

SOUTH BEND, Ind. - Villanova ran its fastest distance medley relay of the season on Friday night at the Loftus Sports Center in the Alex Wilson Invitational and with a mark of 9:31.52 continue to close in on a bid to the NCAA Championships later this month. Unofficial results have the Wildcats with the ninth-fastest time in the nation this season. Friday night's time was only half a second over the automatic qualifying time of 9:31.00 and seemingly has Villanova in excellent shape to earn a championships bid.

The quartet of senior Brian Tetreault (Cinnaminson, N.J.), freshman Bryan Murphy (Teaneck, N.J.) and sophomores Samuel Ellison (Dresher, Pa.) and Samuel McEntee (Perth, Australia) came in fourth out of 18 relay squads in Friday night's race.

McEntee anchored the relay with an unofficial split of 3:57 over the final 1600 meters. He also anchored the relay in a winning performance at the Millrose Games last month and has established himself as a dominant closer for the team. Tetreault ran the opening 1200 meters in 2:57, Murphy took the 400 meters leg in 47.9 and Ellison turned in a time of 1:48.7 in the 800 meters.

As of the close of competition on Friday night there were unofficially six schools to have met the automatic qualifying time in the DMR and two other schools with times just ahead of the Wildcats, who earned All-America distinction with a seventh place finish in the relay at the NCAA Championships last year.

In addition to the relay that was in competition on Friday night Villanova also had senior Hugo Beamish (Havelock North, New Zealand) running in the 5000 meters at the Columbia Last Chance Invitational. Beamish, in only his second 5000 meters race of the season, came in first out of six runners with a time of 14:17.28.

COMPLETE VILLANOVA RESULTS

ALEX WILSON INVITATIONAL

Distance Medley Relay

Villanova                     4th of 14                9:31.52
Brian Tetreault               1200 Meters              2:57
Bryan Murphy                  400 Meters               47.9
Samuel Ellison                800 Meters               1:48.7
Samuel McEntee                1600 Meters              3:57

COLUMBIA LAST CHANCE MEET

5000 Meters

Hugo Beamish                  1st of 6                 14:17.28

Villanova University