April 27, 2004

DATES: April 30 - May 2

TIMES: 9 a.m. on Friday and Saturday; 11 a.m. on Sunday

LOCATION: Bauer Track & Field Complex - Piscataway, N.J.

The BIG EAST's silver anniversary in 2004 also marks the conference's 25th Outdoor Track & Field Championships. This year's event returns to the Bauer Track & Field Complex in Piscataway, N.J. Rutgers' track venue has also hosted the 2000 and '01 conference championships. Action begins on Friday, April 30 at 9 a.m. The event concludes on Sunday, May 2.

The Notre Dame men's squad and the Miami women's team will look to defend their league titles after winning in 2003.

Admission is free on Friday. On Saturday and Sunday, tickets cost $4.00 for adults and $2.00 for children 18 and under and senior citizens. Students from BIG EAST Conference institutions will be admitted free of charge with a valid school ID.

At the 2003 BIG EAST Outdoor Track and Field Championships at the George J. Sherman Family-Sports Complex in Storrs, Conn., the Villanova women finished tied for fifth place overall with 62 points, while the Wildcat men ended the competition in seventh place with 64 points. Villanova earned four Big East titles at the 2003 Championships with Carlos Bedoya (200m), Nic O'Brien (400m hurdles), and Tom Parlapiano (1,500m) talking the honors on the men's side, and the Wildcats 3,200m relay squad posting a Big East Championship on the women's side.

WOMEN'S PREVIEW

* Defending champion MIAMI returns its top two sprinters, junior Lauryn Williams and sophomore Charlette Greggs. Williams won the 100m dash at the 2003 BIG EAST Championships while Greggs claimed the 200m and 400m titles.

* PROVIDENCE is led by junior Kim Smith. Smith set a collegiate record in the 5,000m at the Mt. Sac Relays on April 23 with a time of 15:09.72. The previous mark was 15:23.03. After winning 3,000m and 5,000m titles at the 2004 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships, she was named US Track Coaches Association Indoor Female Athlete of the Year.

* Sophomores Molly Huddle and Jean Marianageli are NOTRE DAME's top distance performers. Huddle took the 5,000m crown at last year's BIG EAST event as the Fighting Irish finished second.

* Junior Megan Metcalfe is back for WEST VIRGINIA. She won the 10,000m last year as the Mountaineers finished seventh.

* Led by 2003 BIG EAST Most Outstanding Field Performer Tamara McGill, PITTSBURGH placed third in 2003. McGill won the heptathlon. The Panthers also return senior Elizabeth Bayne, who took the 400m hurdles title a year ago.

* Senior Treniere Clement of GEORGETOWN is seeking her second consecutive 1,500m title. The Hoyas finished fifth at the 2003 BIG EAST Championships.

MEN'S PREVIEW

* NOTRE DAME has won the last two BIG EAST Outdoor Championships. The Fighting Irish return 2003 individual champions junior Selim Nurudeen (110m hurdles) and senior Godwin Mbagwu (triple jump).

* Senior Paul Pisano of CONNECTICUT is looking to claim his third consecutive javelin crown. The Huskies finished less than three points behind Notre Dame last year.

* Sophomores Brian Mondschein and Spyridon Jullien led VIRGINIA TECH to a third-place finish in 2003. Mondschein won the pole vault while Jullien was the hammer throw champion.

* Junior Sam Segond returns for host RUTGERS to defend his discus title. The Scarlet Knights posted a fourthplace finish at last year's BIG EAST Championships.

* GEORGETOWN (fifth place in 2003) features a strong distance corps. Senior Jesse O'Connell and sophomores Chris Lukezic and Rod Koborsi will compete for the Hoyas in the distance events.

* Sprinter Obra Hogans of SETON HALL is back for his senior season. He won the 400m title last year en route to earning Most Outstanding Track Performer honors.

* VILLANOVA senior Carlos Bedoya won the 200m BIG EAST event in 2003. The Wildcats will be focusing on improving from a sixth-place finish a year ago.