CHICAGO, Ill.—Senior sprinter Jane Livingston (Lancaster, Pa.) and senior middle distance runner Madison Martinez (Gahanna, Ohio) won gold medals in the 60 meters and the 800 meters, respectively, as Villanova wrapped up two days of competition at the 2023 BIG East Indoor Track & Field Championships presented by Jeep. Led by seven individual medals and a podium finish in the 4x800 meter relay for the weekend, the Wildcats finished fourth in the team standings with 89 points at Dr. Conrad Worrill Indoor Track and Field Center at Gately Park.
 
Livingston, Martinez, sophomore Maya Dorer (New York, N.Y.) and freshman Micah Trusty (Philadelphia, Pa.) were all individual medalists in Saturday's final day of action. Their performances include Livingston winning a silver medal in the 60 meter hurdles and then coming back a short time later to win gold in the 60 meters. Martinez won her first career individual conference title in the 800 meters and Dorer finished third in the same race, while Trusty was the bronze medalist in the 400 meters with her top time of the season.
 
Late in the afternoon Villanova finished third in the 4x800 relay, posting a time of 8:45.22 with a lineup that included sophomore Alex Stasichin (Massapequa, N.Y.) leading off ahead of Trusty, Dorer and Martinez. All four were racing for the second time on Saturday, as Stasichin joined Martinez and Dorer earlier in the final of the individual 800 meters.
 
It was a special moment for Livingston when she finished first in the final of the 60 meters. Ranked as one of the top hurdlers in the Wildcats all-time record book, she began the day as the favorite in the final of the 60 meter hurdles and matched her time from the preliminary heats a day earlier by crossing the finish line in 8.40. That was a close second to Jailya Ash of Connecticut who took the lead late in the race and won the title in 8.35. Livingston, however, edged Jetta Mays of DePaul and the rest of the field in a sterling 60 meters effort. Her winning time of 7.52 is her second PR in as many days and puts her into sole possession of second place on Villanova's all-time performance list.
 
"I just kept having the mindset that hurdlers are sprinters too, so I was telling myself that and I went after it," Livingston said of winning the 60 meters. "Any race is the same. Just go out there and compete. That is what you have to do to win and that's what you have to do to get better. I'm excited. I had a little bit of disappointment in the hurdles and getting a runner-up, so I used that as my motivation in this race. I am really excited and I just want to keep getting better at this event."
 
Being the BIG EAST champion in the 800 meters has been somewhat of a rite of passage for Wildcats middle distance runners in recent years. Martinez is the fourth different Villanova runner to win gold in the event over the last eight seasons, joining a lineage that includes former champions Angel Piccirillo (2015); Siofra Cleirigh Buttner (2017-18); and McKenna Keegan (2019, 2022). Martinez had placed third in the race last season and as a freshman in 2020. She had a winning time of 2:05.31 in Saturday's final, while Dorer came in third (2:08.92) and Stasichin was fifth (2:10.62).
 
"It's really special," Martinez said of winning the gold medal. "I was excited coming in here and getting ready to compete and run with all the girls. I am glad it turned out the way it did. Coming around the [final] turn I was thinking stay strong and finish it all the way through. Being my last indoor BIG EAST race it's special because it really helps push me to be better for my teammates and just get out there and get a few points for everyone."
 
In just her first collegiate season Trusty is already a school record holder and now a BIG EAST medalist. She set a school record in the 600 meters earlier this year when she ran 1:30.47 at Penn State. On Saturday, Trusty notched her best performance of the season in the 400 meters with a time of 55.27 in the two-section final. She came in second in her second and third overall to capture the bronze medal.
 
With the majority of conference meets around the country being held this weekend, teams will now turn their attention to selections for the NCAA Championships which will be announced this week. The top 16 declared athletes in all individual events and the top 12 declared relay teams qualify for the NCAA Championships which take place on March 10-11 in Albuquerque, New Mexico.