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American Heads to Patriot League Track and Field Championships
Eagles travel to Bucknell in search of PL gold

May 1, 2003

Samia Akbar and the AU track team compete in the Patriot League Championships this weekend.

WASHINGTON — The American University men's and women's track and field squads travel to Lewisburg, Pa. this weekend for the Patriot League Outdoor Track and Field Championships. The meet begins on Friday, May 2 and concludes on Saturday, May 3. Four Eagles return as All-League performers from last year's meet.

Because of the change in NCAA qualifying, this year's Patriot League meet promises to be more exciting than ever. The conference champion in every event automatically qualifies for the NCAA Regional Championships to be held at the end of May. Every event at the meet this year will be hotly contested as the athletes attempt to make it to the regional meet.

Samia Akbar enters as the three-time women's track athlete of the week for the league and as the defending champion in the 5000-meters as well as 1500m runner-up. She has already qualified for the NCAA Regional Championships in the 5000m with the fastest time in the league at 16:37.70 (PL Women's Top-15 List). Teammate Keira Carlstrom is second in the league in the event with a time of 16:45.72. She also is second in the 1500m.

Also ranked for the AU women is Zaia Wharton who is third in the 800m and sixth in the 1500m. Jen Baclawski has the sixth-fastest time in the 5000m.

For the men, Sean Duffy returns as defending champion in the 800m and 1500m. He holds the fastest time in the Patriot League this season in the 1500m, third-fastest in the 5000m and is fifth in the 800m (PL Men's Top-15 List). Sean O'Brien finished second to Duffy in the 800m last season and currently holds the No. 3 spot in the event. O'Brien is also second in the 5000m and fifth in the 1500m.

Matt Seymour returns as defending champion in the 5000m. He holds the seventh-fastest time in the league in 2003 as well as the No. 8 spot in the 1500m. Phil Gaeta will be making his first appearance at the outdoor Patriot League Championships and he owns the second-fastest time in the 800m and sixth-fastest in the 1500m. Andy Ellerhorst is seeded sixth in the 200m and the 400m.

Other AU athletes in the Patriot League top-15 are Carlos Hunt at seventh in the steeplechase, Frank Malpigli is 11th in the 1500m, Pat MacAdie is 10th in the 5000m while Danny Maurer is 14th. American also returns the defending champion squad in the 4x800m relay.

The competition begins on Friday at 4 p.m. with the 4x800m relay and the 10,000m being the only finals on the track for the first day. The final day of competition on Saturday begins at noon.