Feb. 20, 2000

Box Score

VILLANOVA, Pa. - In the closest meet in conference history , the Villanva University women's track & field team captured the 2000 Big East Indoor championship, edging out Georgetown by a score of 101-100.50. The title is Villanova's 11th Big East indoor championship and its first since 1997.

Villanova was led by the senior duo of Carrie Tollefson (Dawson, Minn.) and Carmen Douma (Cambridge, Ontario). After winning the 5,000 meter run yesterday in a sensational time of 16:04.05, Tollefson won her second title in as many days this afternoon by running 9:28.36 to win the 3,000 meter run. Her double championship effort makes Tollefson just the third female to ever win both the 3,000 and 5,000 meter races in the same championship. For her efforts, Tollefson was named the meet's Most Outstanding Track Performer.

Douma began her day by placing second in the 1,000 meter run in a time of 2:44.47. Both Douma's time and the clocking of first place finisher Chantee Earl of Pittsburgh, who was timed in 2:43.99, eclipsed the Big East record of 2:45.00 set by Georgetown's Suzanne Girard in 1984. About an hour later, Douma returned to the track to win the mile in 4:45.74. Running second to Douma in the mile was Villanova teammate Kristen Nicolini (Annapolis, Md.) who crossed the finish line in 4:49.37.

Junior Charmaine Walker (Plainfield, N.J.) also garnered a Big East title by winning the 60 meter high hurdles in an NCAA automatic qualifying time of 8.17. This rates as Walker's second career indoor Big East title. Walker also earned a sixth place finish in the 60 meter dash in a time of 7.58. Sophomore Sherese Price (Pleasantville, N.J.) scored valuable points for the Wildcats in the 60 meter high hurdles by placing fourth in 8.53.

The Wildcat 4x800 relay team of Lony'e Johnson (Wilmington, Del.), Tollefson, Liz Awtrey (Burke, Va.) and Douma ran 8:51.75 to finish second behind Miami who was timed in 8:50.80. In the triple jump, junior Marlena Robinson (Rochester, N.Y.) recorded a sixth place effort with a leap of 38'11.50.

For their efforts in leading the Wildcats to the Big East Championship, head coach Marcus O'Sullivan and his assistants, Gina Procaccio, Jim Tuppeny, Antony Williams and George Reynolds were named the Big East Conference Women's Coaching Staff of the Year.

FINAL TEAM STANDINGS

1.  Villanova           1012.  Georgetown          100.503.  Miami               95.504.  Seton Hall          865.  WVU                 856.  Notre Dame          68.597.  Pittsburgh          668.  Connecticut         469.  St. John's          36.5010. Syracuse            3411. Boston College      2512. Rutgers             2113. Providence          14