MU Men and Women Place Second at BIG EAST Championships

GENEVA, Ohio – The Marquette men's and women's track & field teams earned runner-up finishes at the 2020 BIG EAST Indoor Track & Field Championships, presented by Jeep, which was held at the Spire Institute in Geneva, Ohio.

"I'm happy for our kids as they've been working really hard to make sure they're performing at their best for the postseason," Marquette head coach Bert Rogers said. "We had some really good performances, hit a ton of top-10 marks and broke a couple school and freshman records."

The Villanova men defeated runner-up Marquette (163) with 186 points. The Villanova women were also the only team to outscore the MU women, 134-112.

Daniel Armstrong (high jump), Lindsey Mirkes (high jump) and Vinnie Voudrie (weight throw) were the three Golden Eagles to take home individual event titles, but MU garnered 17 All-BIG EAST honors as well.

A senior out of Michigan City, Ind., Armstrong won his fourth straight indoor high jump conference championship.

"It just starts with working hard at practice every day," Armstrong said. "You just try to get better at practice every chance you get and continue to work hard every day. My coaches and teammates gave me so much support and helped me keep working for this."

Mirkes, who had come in second place in the high jump twice in her career at the outdoor championships, finally broke through and won her first individual conference title.

"Today was amazing and it felt like a long time coming," Mirkes said. "In the past it felt like second was my number, but I finally broke through and it feels really awesome."

The Golden Eagles also hit 11 top-10 all-time marks, three freshman records and one school record. Freshman Zachariah Murry broke the school record in the 400m (47.98) with his fourth-place finish in the finals this afternoon.

Julian Wright hit the freshman record in the 200m (21.78) today, edging out his former PR of 21.82 yesterday. This mark is also No. 2 all-time at MU. Wright's roommate, Imari Hurte, took second in the men's long jump (7.37 m/24-2.25 ft), setting a freshman record and the No. 2 all-time mark at MU on Sunday.

"There's a lot of positives to take away from this and we're excited to get back to work and try to bring a conference title back to Milwaukee this spring," Rogers said.

UP NEXT:
Qualifiers will participate in the 2020 NCAA Indoor Championships from March 13-14 in Albuquerque, N.M.

Women's Results:
1. Villanova – 134 pts.
2. Marquette – 112 pts.
3. Butler – 99
4. St. John's – 98
5. DePaul – 95
6. Georgetown – 84
7. Providence – 58
8. Xavier – 22

Men's Results:
1. Villanova – 186 pts.
2. Marquette – 163
3. DePaul – 123
4. Butler – 93
5. Georgetown – 91
6. Providence – 27
7. Xavier – 9

MEN'S FINISHES SINCE REALIGNMENT (2014)
2019: Second (169.5 points)
2018: Second (173)
2017: Second (135)
2016: Second (195)
2015: Second (171.5)
2014: Fourth (121)

WOMEN'S FINISHES SINCE REALIGNMENT (2014)
2019: Third (113 points)
2018: Second (148)
2017: First (173.5)
2016: First (168.5)
2015: Second (133.5)
2014: Third (114)

2020 BIG EAST Indoor Track & Field Awards
Men's Coaching Staff of the Year: Villanova
Men's Most Outstanding Performer in Field Events: Wade Walder, Butler
Men's Most Outstanding Performer in Track Events: Casey Comber, Villanova
Men's High Point Performer of the Meet: Lawrence Leake, Georgetown (22.5 points)

Women's Coaching Staff of the Year: Villanova *
Women's Most Outstanding Performer in Field Events: Jade Nolan, DePaul
Women's Most Outstanding Co-Performers in Track Events: Brianna Illarda, Providence & Trudy-Ann Williamson, Villanova
Women's High Point Co-Performers of the Meet: Jade Nolan, DePaul & Trudy-Ann Williamson, Villanova (20 points)

MU's BIG EAST Champions:
• Vinnie Voudrie won his first BIG EAST title by clinching the weight throw (17.16 m/56-3.75 ft) on Sunday.
• Daniel Armstrong won his fourth consecutive BIG EAST Indoor Championship in the high jump with a mark of 2.10 m/6-10.75 feet.
• Lindsey Mirkes won her first ever conference title by taking the high jump championship with a height of 1.68 m/5-6.00 ft.

All-BIG EAST Honorees:
Field:
• Imari Hurte took second in the men's long jump (7.37 m/24-2.25 ft), setting a freshman record and the #2AT mark at MU.
• Cameron Jemison took third in the men's pole vault (4.75 m/15-7 ft).
• Julie Clayton finished as the BIG EAST runner-up in the women's pole vault (3.85 m/12-7.5 ft).
• Emma Ludwig (1.65 m) and Marin McClowry (1.60 m) finished second and third, respectively, in the women's high jump.
• Lizzy Cagle earned runner-up honors in the women's weight throw with a PR of 17.39 m/57-11.25 ft, which is also #8AT.
• Madison Marko (5.77 m/18-11.25 ft) took second and Mila Pulseljic (5.64 m/18-6.00 ft) placed third in the women's long jump to earn all-conference accolades.
• Samuel Johnson hit a PR and the No. 4 mark all-time in a runner-up finish at the men's triple jump.

Track:
• Samuel Johnson placed third in the men's 60m (6.86) to earn his first-ever All-BIG EAST accoldade (sixth overall) on the track.
• Joe Keys took second in the men's 60m hurdles (8.17), which is the No. 3 time in program history for the event.
• Julian Wright placed second in the men's 200m with a time of 21.78 (#2AT), beating his preliminary time of 21.82 yesterday.
• Simon Werven (4,478 points) and Brady Heller (4,121) finished second and third, respectively, in the men's heptathlon.

ALL-TIME MARKS:
• Juru Okwaramoi (8.85) set a PR, freshman record and the No. 3 time in school history.
• Lizzy Cagle's mark in the women's weight throw was a PR of 17.39 m/57-11.25 ft, which is also #8AT.
• Samuel Johnson hit a PR and the No. 4 mark all-time in a runner-up finish at the men's triple jump.
• Julian Wright placed second in the men's 200m with a time of 21.78 (#2AT), beating his preliminary time of 21.82 yesterday. This is also a freshman indoor record for MU.
• Zachariah Murray's time of 47.98 in the 400m finals on Monday set the school record for the event.
• Imari Hurte set a freshman record and the #2AT mark at MU in the long jump (7.37 m/24-2.25 ft).
• Joe Keys took second in the men's 60m hurdles (8.17), which is the No. 3 time in program history for the event.
• Mary Hanson's 3,000m time of 9:36.64 is No. 7 all-time at MU.
• The women's DMR team of Lauren Neiheisel, Adelaide Havens, Kalina Gardiner and Mary Hanson took fourth with a time of 11:47.16, which ranks #7AT in program history.
• Marquette's relay team of Emma Moravec, Mary Rose Flood, Kalina Gardiner and Emily Noone's time of 9:00.49 in the women's 4x800 meter relay was No. 5 all-time in program history.
• The women's 4x400 team of Arianna Mansavage, Adelaide Havens, Mady Marko and Juru Okwaramoi's time of 3:47.74 ranks No. 3 all-time at MU.

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