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Eagles Place 10 On All-Patriot League Indoor Track and Field Team
Akbar tabbed as Women’s Track Athlete of the Meet

February 28, 2003

Samia Akbar was named Patriot League Women's Track Athlete of the Meet.

WASHINGTON — Senior Samia Akbar (Herndon, Va./Oakton) leads 10 members of the American University Indoor Track and Field Team on the 2003 All-Patriot League squad. Six Eagles earned All-League recognition for the men while the AU women placed four on the squad.

Akbar, a repeat All-Patriot League selection, captured the individual title in the mile and anchored the 4x800-meter relay and distance medley relay (DMR) to victory. The women’s DMR established a new Patriot League record en route to winning the race. Joining Akbar on the All-League squad was freshman Keira Carlstrom (Oakton, Va./Oakton), who won the 1000m and also ran on the 4x8 and DMR squads.

Freshman Zaia Wharton (Elkins, W. Va./Elkins) also earned a spot on the All-Patriot League team after running on both relays and finishing second in the 800m. Sophomore Megan Simpson (Highland Lakes, N.J./Vernon Township) was the final member of the two relay squads and she earned a spot on the All-League team as well.

Sophomore Sean Duffy (Holmes, Pa./Cardinal O’Hara), junior Carlos Hunt (Waldorf, Md./Westlake) and senior Sean O’Brien (Tewksbury, Mass./Winnisquam Regional) all repeated for the men on the All-League team. Duffy repeated as the 1000m champion while also running on the winning 4x800-meter and DMR teams. O’Brien earned his second indoor title in the mile and also was a part of the relays. Hunt ran the leadoff leg for the 4x800 relay that repeated as the Patriot League champion.

Senior Andy Ellerhorst (Garrettsville, Ohio/James A. Garfield) captured the 500m to earn All-Patriot League recognition. Freshman Phil Gaeta (Herndon, Va./Oakton) earned his first All-League honor after winning the 800m and running on the 4x800m and DMR. Senior John Campbell (Trumbull, Conn./Trumbull) ran the 400m leg on the DMR to earn a spot on the All-Patriot League team.

Next weekend, the men’s DMR competes at the Alex Wilson Invitational hosted by Notre Dame. Currently ranked eighth in the country, the DMR will be in search of an automatic qualifying time for the NCAA Championships.

American University, which fields a 19-sport NCAA Division I athletics program featuring 10 women’s sports and nine for men, is in its second year of membership in the Patriot League. Since joining the Patriot League, the University has captured league championships in men’s cross country, women’s cross country, men’s soccer, women’s soccer, men’s tennis, women’s tennis and women’s volleyball, and regular-season titles in men’s basketball and women’s lacrosse.