Marquette men finish as runner-up at BIG EAST Outdoors

RESULTS (PDF) | KONOPKA INTERVIEW | KEYS INTERVIEW

NEW YORK – A total of five Marquette University men won individual league titles as MU's men's and women's track and field programs concluded action at the 2019 BIG EAST Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships, presented by Jeep, on Saturday at Icahn Stadium in New York.

The men finished as runner-up to Villanova (198 points) with 191 points, while the women placed fourth with 114 points. The Marquette men have placed in the top two of the last five BIG EAST Outdoor Championships, dating back to the 2015 campaign.

Following Brendan McKinney's hammer throw title on Friday, four other Marquette men claimed event crowns on Saturday in senior Terrance Howard (discus), sophomores Joe Keys (decathlon) and Samuel Johnson (triple jump) and freshman Ben Konopka (110-meter hurdles).

Howard finished as runner-up to McKinney in the hammer but placed one spot ahead of him to win the discus with a heave of 50.04 meters. Howard entered the meet ranked first in the event and came through with his first BIG EAST outdoor title. He also was the high-point scorer in the field events for all BIG EAST men.

Johnson captured the first-ever triple jump crown for a Golden Eagle at the BIG EAST Outdoor Championships on his way to BIG EAST Men's Most Outstanding Field Performer honors. Johnson recorded his best distance of 15.50 meters on his final jump of the day to top DePaul's Chirs Cadet. Johnson's leap is the longest at the BIG EAST meet since 2013 and places him 16th in the NCAA West Region and second all-time in Marquette history.

Konopka halted DePaul's Kyle Decker's stranglehold on the 1110 hurdles by posting a time of 14.61 seconds for his first BIG EAST crown. Decker had won each of the last three 110 hurdles league titles after Marcell KirkmanBey won MU's first title in the event in 2015.

Keys claimed a championship in the decathlon with 7,112 total points to finish ahead of teammate and 2016 decathlon champion William Eggers (6,841). In addition to Eggers, Keys also joins Marquette's Matt Piekarski as event champion. Piekarski won the decathlon at the 2006 BIG EAST Championships during MU's first season in the league. That was also MU's first BIG EAST title in any sport.

Keys, who also placed fifth on Friday in the javelin, recorded the highest point total in the event since UConn's Jesse Chapman reached 7,437 at the 2013 championships.

Senior Connor Boos had a hand in 22 points for the Golden Eagles on the track, following second-place finishes in the men's 200-meter dash (22.23 seconds) and the 4x100-meter relay. The Lake in the Hills, Illinois native also placed third in the men's 100 in 10.86 seconds. To make the podium in both the 100 and 200 he made quite the leap from his ranking on the league performance list entering the meet with a ninth-place ranking in the 100 and the 15th-fastest mark in the 200.

On the women's side, junior Breanne Marchan was a big point scorer for the Golden Eagles. The Pine River, Wisconsin native placed second in the women's 100 in 11.89 seconds to earn eight points. She also earned five points as part of the 4x100-meter relay squad and three in the women's high jump with a sixth-place finish.

Sophomore Lindsey Mirkes earned All-BIG EAST honors ahead of Marchan in the women's high jump with a second-place finish and, though she finished outside the podium in the 800, classmate Emma Moravec recorded a personal-best of 2:08.76 to finish fourth in that event.

The Golden Eagles will compete in a last chance meet on Wednesday, May 15 and Thursday, May 16 at North Central College's Gregory Invitational, as they attempt to push further up the NCAA West Region performance lists.

Keep up with the Marquette men's and women's track and field programs through social media by following on Twitter (@MUTFXC) and Instagram (@MUTFXC) and 'liking' on Facebook (/MUTFXC).

Women's Most Outstanding Field Performer: Jade Nolan, DePaul
Women's Most Outstanding Track Performer: Leah Anderson, St. John's
Men's Most Outstanding Field Performer: Samuel Johnson, Marquette
Men's Most Outstanding Track Performer: Brendan Voorhis, DePaul

High Point Performers – Women's: Jade Nolan, DePaul and Leah Anderson, St. John's
High Point Performers – Men's: Terrance Howard, Marquette and Brendan Van Voorhis, DePaul

MEN'S RESULTS
1. Villanova (198 points)
2. Marquette (191)
3. DePaul (168)
4. Butler (127)
5. Georgetown (92)
6. Providence (28)
7. Xavier (21)

WOMEN'S RESULTS
1. Villanova (217 points)
2. DePaul (159)
3. St. John's (141)
4. Marquette (114)
5. Georgetown (76)
6. Butler (69)
7. Providence (38)
8. Xavier (37)

SATURDAY EVENT FINALS – MARQUETTE ATHLETES
*All-BIG EAST performers

Men's 100
*3. Connor Boos (10.86 seconds)

Women's 100
*2. Breanne Marchan (11.89 seconds)

Men's 200
*2. Connor Boos (22.23 seconds)

Men's 400
6. Sam Sagan (49.52 seconds)

Women's 400
4. Arianna Mansavage (55.57 seconds)

Men's 800
5. Brad Eagan (1:51.40)

Women's 800
4. Emma Moravec (2:08.76)

Men's 1,500
10. Danny Peterson (4:02.67)

Women's 1,500
8. Emily Foley (4:39.93)
11. Lauren Neiheisel (4:46.03)

Women's 5,000
8. Caitlin McGauley (17:36.97)
10. Kendall Pfrimmer (17:50.38)
11. Lauren Neiheisel (18:05.71)
12. Emily Foley (18:14.30)

Men's 5,000
7. Daniel Pederson (14:43.12)
11. Henry Mierzwa (15:01.04)
12. Jon Klaiber (15:09.78)
13. Ryan Burd (15:20.88)
16. Paolo Tiongson (15:33.37)

Women's 100 Hurdles
7. Madison Ricciardi (15.04 seconds)

Men's 110 Hurdles
*1. Ben Konopka (14.61 seconds)
4. Mathew Peter (14.91)
6. Ross Bravo (15.04)

Women's 400 Hurdles
8. Adelaide Havens (1:04.42)

Men's 4x100 Relay
*2. Jay Whalen, Samuel Johnson, Connor Boos, AJ Catarozoli (41.79 seconds)

Women's 4x100 Relay
4. Madison Ricciardi, Kelsey Hunn, Adelaide Havens, Breanne Marchan (48.52 seconds)

Women's 4x400 Relay
4. Arianna Mansavage, Madison Marko, Grace Dargiewicz, Carley Hintz (3:51.82

Men's 4x400 Relay
6. Michael Oechsner, Sam Sagan, Kevin Sherwood, Brady Heller (3:18.40)

Women's 4x800 Relay
*3. Mary Hanson, Emma Moravec, Emily Noone, Amy Gasperlin (8:53.70)

Men's 4x800 Relay
4. Derek Gross, Alec Miller, Danny Peterson, Brad Eagan (7:32.86)

Decathlon
*1. Joe Keys (7,112 points)
*2. William Eggers (6,841)

Heptathlon
4. Madison Marko (4,294)

Women's High Jump
*2. Lindsey Mirkes (1.70 meters)
4. Marin McClowry (1.70)
6. Breanne Marchan (1.60)
10. Molly Evans (1.55)

Men's Triple Jump
*1. Samuel Johnson (15.50 meters)
6. Jefferson Osunkwo (13.29)

Women's Triple Jump
7. Allison Chmelik (11.25 meters)
9. Molly Evans (11.10)
11. Catherine Sherwood (10.83)

Men's Discus
*1. Terrance Howard (50.04 meters)
*2. Brendan McKinney (49.51)
8. Vinnie Voudrie (43.65)

Women's Discus
*2. Keely Knobbe (42.95 meters)
8. Lizzy Cagle (38.08)
10. Allie Flando (35.90)

Men's Shot Put
4. Terrance Howard (15.71 meters)
6. Brendan McKinney (13.49)

Women's Shot Put
7. Allie Flando (12.40 meters)
9. Keely Knobbe (12.07)
11. Monica Voudrie (11.56)
12. Lizzy Cagle (11.55)

MEN'S FINISHES SINCE REALIGNMENT (2014)
2019: Second (191 points)
2018: First (230.5)
2017: Second (183)
2016: First (246)
2015: Second (183)
2014: Fourth (150.5)

WOMEN'S FINISHES SINCE REALIGNMENT (2014)
2019: Fourth (114 points)
2018: Third (162)
2017: First (195)
2016: First (196)
2015: Second (138)
2014: Third (120)