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AU's 4xMile Places Fifth at Penn Relays in Championship of America
Eagles squad sets new school record

April 26, 2003

Sean Duffy anchored the AU 4xMile to a fifth place finish at the Penn Relays.

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. — Concluding their successful trip to the Penn Relays, the American University men's 4xMile squad of Sean Duffy, Phil Gaeta, Matt Seymour and Sean O'Brien ran a school record as the team finished fifth in a time of 16:34.35. The team broke last year's school record by over five seconds.

Gaeta ran the leadoff leg for AU as the race went out slow. The pack covered the first 800-meters in 2:12 as Gaeta kept the Eagles in the race. He handed the baton off in seventh, running 4:12.

O'Brien ran the second leg for AU, going out in his first lap in 56 seconds. He split 1:58 for the first 800m as he moved the relay up into fifth place following his leg of 4:03, matching his split from the distance medley relay yesterday.

Running the third leg for the Eagles, Seymour kept AU in the pack with Villanova, Georgetown, Michigan and Navy as the pack passed the Iona team that was previously in second place behind Arkansas. Seymour ran a solid leg of 4:10 as five schools handed off to the anchor leg at the same time.

Duffy ran the final mile for AU. 600m into the leg, Duffy took pace in the race, but could not drop any of the pack. In a kicker's finish with 200m left, the runners from Villanova, Georgetown and Michigan passed Duffy, but he kept it close, finishing just over a second out of third place, running 4:05 for his mile.

Every time AU stepped on the track at this Penn Relays, the Eagles set a school record. The track and field teams look to continue their successful seasons next Friday at the Patriot League Championships at Bucknell.

Event 226, Saturday, 12:30 pm
CM 4xMile Championship of America

1 16:16.22 Arkansas
2 16:31.63 Villanova
3 16:33.14 Georgetown
4 16:33.25 Michigan
5 16:34.35 American
6 16:36.34 Navy
7 16:41.56 William & Mary
8 16:44.19 Brown
9 16:44.59 North Carolina State
10 16:48.71 Clemson
11 16:49.34 Iona
12 16:58.41 Abilene Christian
13 17:06.07 Duke
14 17:19.87 Penn State