Men's and Women's Track & Field Athletes Earn 10 All-America Accolades at NCAAs

The Wheaton College men's and women's outdoor track & field teams had 15 athletes compete at last week's three-day NCAA Championship, which came to an end on Saturday, as the programs sent their largest combined contingent since 2002 to the national meet. During the championship, which occurred at Marietta College in Ohio, eight women qualified for All-America status in a total of four events. The Lyon women placed 23rd among 79 scoring squads, earning their highest finish since 2004.

Wheaton's best showing came in the 4×400-meter relay, as the Blue and White took third. Seniors Chizoba Ezeigwe (Brockton, MA/Thayer Academy) and Natana Jules (Brooklyn, NY/Boys and Girls), junior Renee Thompson (Hartford, CT/Weaver) and freshman Lauren Cardarelli (Cranston, RI/La Salle Academy) ran legs, as the three upperclassmen each earned an All-America finish in the event for the third straight season. Between indoor and outdoor competition, Jules nabbed her fourth career All-America nod, while Cardarelli collected her first. The Lyons had another foursome attain All-America status, with the 4×100M relay quartet taking seventh. Ezeigwe and Thompson were joined by sophomore Laurenmaria Smith (Providence, RI/Hope) and freshman Didine Jusme (Providence, RI/Classical). Ezeigwe completed her career with nine All-America accolades, Thompson boosted her resume to include six, while Jusme and Smith each earned their first. At her first outdoor national championship, freshman Mickey Jusme (Providence, RI/Classical) took seventh during the triple jump, placing second among freshmen. She had also corralled All-America honors in the event at the NCAA's indoor meet. Sophomore Erin Neville (North Providence, RI/La Salle Academy) tied for seventh in the high jump, notching her third career All-America finish, and the first outdoors.

Wheaton sent men to the meet for the first time since 2007, as seven competed in a total of six events. Sophomore Mark Williamson (Vienna, VA/James Madison) fell 0.13 ticks short of the last qualifier for the 400-meter dash finals while competing in the trials, and senior Michael Wright (Baldwin, NY/Uniondale) was within 0.10 seconds of the last finals qualifier in the 100M. In the preliminary round of the 4×400M relay, Williamson, juniors Merzudin Ibric (Revere, MA/Phillips Academy) and Howard Powell (Brooklyn, NY/Boys and Girls), and freshman Kyle Ricci (Warwick, RI/Bishop Hendricken) clocked in at 3:15.69, falling 0.70 seconds shy of the last finals quartet.