May 1, 2008

Patriot League Championship Page

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - The Navy women's track & field team will play host to the 2008 Patriot League Outdoor Championship this Friday and Saturday at Ingram Field, in hopes of winning its first title since 2003. The action will begin with the hammer throw at 12 noon at Hospital Point on Friday, followed by a 9 a.m. start with the heptathlon on Saturday.

There will be no admission charge for the Patriot League Championship, however, fans are encouraged to park at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium for $5 and take the free shuttle to Ingram Field. Fans without a Department of Defense decal or a temporary vehicle pass from the Pass & ID office will not be allowed to drive onto the United States Naval Academy. This weekend represents the first Patriot League Outdoor Championship held at Navy's Ingram Field.

Navy has finished third or better in each of its first-10 visits to the Patriot League Championship. Last season, the Midshipmen racked up 187 points to come just 20 points shy of matching first-place Bucknell's 207-point performance to win its fourth-straight crown.

The Midshipmen head into the weekend five ECAC Championship qualifying marks in four different events.

For Navy to have success on its home field this weekend, it will count upon its steady corps of distance runners to lead the way. In the 3,000-meter steeplechase, the Midshipmen own the three-fastest times on the year. Arwyn Becker (Sr./Vail, Colo.) finished in 10:50.95 at the Colonial Relays, the fourth-fastest time in school history, to qualify for the ECAC Championship. Maureen Dooley (Jr./Durham, N.C.) posted the fifth-best time in school history at the Larry Ellis Invitational with a time of 10:55.24 and Kayla Sax (So./Richland, Wash.) ranks third in the league with her season-best 11:25.75 clocking at Army.

Two Midshipmen distance runners have produced ECAC times in the 5,000-meter run. Erica Ziel (So./Saginaw, Mich.) crossed the finish line in 17:23.80 at Army, while Amy Watson (So./Hampstead, Md.) produced a 17:24.48 showing at the Larry Ellis Invitational. Watson also qualified for the ECAC Championship in the 10,000-meter run during Navy's lone home outdoor meet during the regular season with her time of 37:27.14.

Navy pole vaulter Jacqui Charnigo (Sr./Medina, Ohio) heads into the weekend ranked first in the Patriot League. The school record holder during the indoor campaign, cleared 11'11-3/4" (3.65 meters) at both the Colonial Relays and the Greyhound Invitational.

Following this weekend's conference championship, the Midshipmen will head to Princeton, N.J., for the ECAC Championship on May 9-11.