BIG EAST Recap

Re-cap of Big East Conference Championships:

I would like to send out a big THANK YOU to everyone who was able to make it to the meet on Saturday. The conditions were not ideal, but that did not matter to the true Marquette fans. Also, thank you, thank you, thank you to all who volunteered during the meet. We could not have done it without you. Several coaches commented to me, that despite the nasty conditions, this was one of the best Big East Championships they had ever seen. The crowd support was absolutely fantastic and I think our athletes performed at a slightly higher level because of all the cheers! Thanks again!!

Men-
For the men, this was our best performance of the year. Each guy either had his best race of the season, or very close to his best race. Some of our guys are built a little better for those types of conditions, but all of them gave very gutsy efforts. We were pretty disappointed with our race at Pre-Nats and a lot of that disappointment had to do with the fact we got out way to slow. At conference, we were determined to put ourselves into it from the get-go and if we happend to fall back slightly, then so be it. However, our guys didn't fall back. Many of them picked people off as the race went on. Overall, it was a great effort and I was very proud of these young guys. Our top runner, Brice Cleland, is the only junior in the group. Everyone else is a freshman or sophomore. Here is the individual breakdown:

37. Brice Cleland- Junior. Best race of the season. Seems to be coming around at the right time. Small, but very strong guy. He was made for these muddy/sloppy conditions. Great race!!
43. Blake Johnson- Sophomore. Solid race for him, but not his best of the season. Had a rough 4th mile. Still improved a lot from last season's conference performance.
50. Dominick Rosario- Sophomore. Best race I have ever seen him run. Been having great workouts recently. Very proud of his progress. Placed in the 90's last year at this meet!
51. Peter Bolgert- Sophomore. Great race for this guy. Always gives it everything, always exciting to watch him race. Nobody has a kick like Peter Bolgert.
56. Connor Callahan- Freshman. He was disappointed with his race, but I thought he ran well. The muddy conditions didn't help him much, he is a finesse-type runner and the poor footing can be a problem for him. Overall, very solid effort for a freshman.
59. Keith Schueller- Sophomore. Very solid effort for this guy. He placed 95th in this race last year. Great improvement.
60. Anthony (AJ) Gedwill- Freshman. Best race I have ever seen him run. If you would have told me in August that he would be running this well, I would not have believed you. Awesome season for this young man.
93. Patrick Keeley- Sophomore. Only one that really struggled in this race. He's normally right around Keith. I think the long track season and the junior nationals experience in Eugene caused him to peak back in September. He'll be back and he'll be a force for us next season. Great kid!
95. Patrick Maag- Freshman. The muddy conditions definitely don't suit you when you're 6'5. Patrick has had a freshman season filled with ups and downs but I think he learned a lot and he's well on his way to having a great career at Marquette.

Women-
The women's group, as a whole, had a solid race on Saturday. We had some individuals who ran their best race of the season and we had some folks who did OK, but not great. We did a great job of working together and helping each other. Our team goal was to beat Louisville. We needed to do two things to accomplish that goal. Our top 3 had to race better with their top 3, and we had to put 7 runners ahead of their 4th. We easily accomplished the 2nd goal, but we weren't even close on the first goal. This women's team has been on somewhat of a roller-coaster throughout this season. I never really know who is going to be in our top 5. It all depends on who is having a good day and who is not. I feel like every girl has made improvements, but it hasn't always showed in the races(which has me a little frustrated). I won't over-analyze the situation because I usually end up more confused, but I'll definitely sit down after the season with all the women and figure out what we can do next year to be on top of our game when it matters the most. Here is the individual breakdown:

39. Jayne Grebinski- Senior. Solid race for this senior leader. Not quite where she wanted to finish in her last Big East competition, but a great race none-the-less.
51. Anna Weber- Senior. She ran about the same effort that she has been running all season. Thought she'd be a little higher up in the field, but I was pleased with her gutsy performance.
52. Laurie Dalrymple- Junior. By far the best race she has run all season. She's always a wild-card. I never really know what she'll do when the gun goes off. Today she stepped up and helped our team. About 4 weeks ago, she was in the hospital. When she is healthy, she is a fierce competitor.
53. Molly Arenberg- Junior. Very solid effort for our soccer player transplant. Laurie is always the wild-card, Molly is always reliable. Molly gives it 100% every time out and I couldn't be happier with her progress.
56. Maureen Keane- Junior. Best race of the season for this young lady. With all the ups and downs she's had throughout her career at MU, I'm so happy she had a good one in front of all her friends and family.
59. Olivia Johnson- Junior. If there is anyone who would be affected most by the sloppy/muddy conditions, it would be Olivia. She just doesn't run well in those types of conditions. Tough race for her.
62. Amanda Beggs- Senior. She has been running really well in practice recently, so I'm surprised by this race effort. Thought she'd be with Molly/Maureen. Still trying to get back to her old form. She'll race better at regionals.
85. Sarah Verdoliva- Senior. Not necessarily the way we hoped to end the season. She's better than this, but she is still intimidated by the 6k distance. However, all of this base-work will help her for track. Look out 800m school records!

Click here for women's results

Click here for men's results

Click here for the GoMarquette.com recap

Click here for the official Marquette Images photo gallery.

Click here for the BIG EAST Conference Cross Country page .