Christine Moreau

Lily Calderwood

Natana Jules

Recent graduates Lily Calderwood (Harvard, MA/Bromfield School), Natana Jules (Brooklyn, NY/Boys and Girls), Christine Moreau (Lincoln, RI/Lincoln) and Lauren Reddy (Walnut Creek, CA/Carondelet) were among 274 women from Division III to land on the USTFCCCA All-Academic team, while rising senior Merzudin Ibric (Revere, MA/Phillips Academy) was one of 186 men to draw an honor. To qualify, a student-athlete must have compiled a cumulative grade-point average of 3.30 and met an NCAA Championship automatic or provisional qualifying standard during the indoor or outdoor season.

Merzudin Ibric

Lauren Reddy

Jules capped her career with the award after reaching All-America status during the 4×400-meter relay at the outdoor NCAA Championship. Calderwood, who also earned a USTFCCCA All-Academic accolade following her junior year, joined Moreau and Reddy in reaching a qualifying time for the national meet in the distance medley relay during the indoor season. Moreau also ran for indoor and outdoor 4×400M relay quartets that met NCAA times. A second-time honoree, Ibric competed in both the 4×100M and 4×400M relays at the outdoor NCAA Championship.

With a 3.11 cumulative GPA, the Wheaton men's team was one of 51 Division III programs to earn USTFCCCA All-Academic status, while the women were among 100 squads honored thanks to their 3.11 GPA. To be nominated, a team must carry a minimum 3.10 GPA, with the top award going to the program that had the combination of best GPA and overall finish at the indoor or outdoor NCAA Championships.

Merzudin Ibric

NORTON, MA- Wheaton College track & field junior Merzudin Ibric (Revere, MA/Phillips Academy), who fled a war-torn Bosnia in the late 1990s, is one of 23 athletes from Divisions I, II and III featured in a permanent exhibit at the NCAA Hall of Champions, which was renovated before reopening on March 12 in Indianapolis.

The story of Ibric, a 2007 indoor All-American, is displayed within the "In My Own Words" segment of the outdoor track & field exhibit. Just prior to the 1995 genocide that took place in Srebrenica, where approximately 8,000 boys and men were killed, Ibric and his family left that city before arriving in the United States in 1998.

Merzudin Ibric and Co-Head Coach Marc Mangiacotti

A captain his junior year, Ibric has automatically qualified for the NCAA Championship in the 4×100-meter relay, as he looks to pick up his second career All-America honor. In addition to earning his fifth career all-league finish during April's New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) meet, Ibric ran a leg for 4×100M and 4×400M relay quartets that broke school records last weekend at the All New England Championship.

Beyond his success on the track, Ibric has been profiled by ESPN and is working on an autobiography. During fall 2007, the international relations major joined Boston-area genocide survivors in a march against genocide. Ibric represented Bosnia, spoke at the demonstration and lit a torch to encourage 2008 Olympics host China to use its influence and address the crisis in Sudan. Two years prior, Ibric was the keynote speaker in Cambridge at a 10th anniversary commemoration of the Srebrenica massacre.

The Hall of Champions reopened with 23 state-of-the-art sport-specific exhibits and several interactive displays after suffering fire and water damage on November 14, 2007. The occurrence provided an opportunity to update the multi-purpose facility, refocus its content and add more interactive displays. The building originally opened in March 2000, after the NCAA relocated to Indianapolis in 1999. Please visit www.ncaahallofchampions.com for additional information about the Hall of Champions.

Adam Gingras, Krystin Hickey, Nick Pecora,Jennie Pleat, Brian Dundon, Mickey Jusme

NORTON, MA- The Wheaton College Department of Athletics held its annual awards ceremony at Emerson Dining Hall on Tuesday night. Highlighting the evening was the announcement of the winners of the department's five major awards, as five seniors and one freshman representing four different Lyon programs were recognized. All six earned end-of-the-year honors for the first time.

Seniors Krystin Hickey (Manchester, NH/New Hampton School) and Nick Pecora (Highland Park, NJ/Immaculata) were recipients of the Dean Sue Alexander Senior Athlete Awards, classmate Adam Gingras (Woonsocket, RI/Woonsocket) was named Outstanding Male Athlete of the Year, while freshman Mickey Jusme (Providence, RI/Classical) was voted the school's top female athlete in receiving the Debi Field Athlete Award.

Seniors Brian Dundon (Mansfield, MA/Mansfield) and Jennie Pleat (Nashua, NH/Nashua South) received the Claudia Friese Special Recognition Award, which is intended to recognize behind-the-scenes dedication to the athletic program.

The senior athlete awards, which last year were renamed to acknowledge former Dean of Students Sue Alexander and her 21 years of support to Wheaton athletics, is presented to a male and female member of the graduating class who has made a significant contribution to the success of the Wheaton athletic program, including participating in intercollegiate athletics or intramural programs, displaying leadership ability, and providing commitment and relevant committee work.

Hickey, who became the women's basketball program's all-time leading scorer with 1,540 points and first four-time all-league selection earlier this year, led Wheaton to a 17-11 record while serving in a captain's role for the second straight season. A two-time all-region player and 2006 New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Rookie of the Year, Hickey helped lead the Lyons to consecutive trips to the league tournament championship game, including in 2007 when the program reached the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 13 seasons.

Among the conference's top 10 in five statistical categories her senior year, Hickey paced the team in scoring, field goal percentage, three-point shooting and free throw percentage. In addition to finishing her career first in program annals in points, field goals and three-point shooting, Hickey will graduate among the top 10 in eight other categories.

A three-year starter for the nationally-ranked baseball team, Pecora is in the midst of his best season to date, having already helped the Lyons claim their third regular season league title in his career. Looking to push Wheaton to a fifth consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament, Pecora is among the conference's elite in several categories, including leading the pack in hits, runs and doubles. He also stands second in total bases, fourth in slugging percentage, fifth in batting average, sixth in on-base percentage and tied for sixth in home runs.

Off the diamond, Pecora is a resident adviser in Metcalf Hall, where he spearheaded his team's participation in the White Ribbon Campaign (WRC), which is the largest effort in the world of men working to end violence against women. A member of the school's Sexual Assault Response Team (SART), Pecora was also the recent recipient of the Eliza Baylies Chapin Wheaton Leadership Award, which recognizes students who find or revitalize a program or office at Wheaton.

Gingras, who earlier today helped pitch the Lyons to victory, became the second baseball player in as many years to garner the Outstanding Male Athlete of the Year Award. An All-America and all-region selection as a junior, Gingras has been victorious in 13 of his last 15 decisions. The 2008 NEWMAC Pitcher of the Year is currently 5-2. Entering the week, the righthander ranked third in the conference in ERA, tied for third in wins, tied for sixth in starts, seventh in strikeouts and ninth in innings pitched. For his career, he is seventh in program history in wins, eighth in innings pitched and tied for 10th in complete games.

Jusme earned the distinction of becoming the first freshman to be honored with the Debi Field Athlete Award, which has been given annually since 1984. An All-America triple jumper during the NCAA indoor championship, Jusme finished third in the country at 39′ 3 3/4″ while also qualifying for the national meet in the long jump at 18′ 5″. Named Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Field Athlete of the Week four times thus far, she has provisionally qualified for the outdoor national championship in both the triple and long jumps. Jusme, who won the triple jump at Saturday's conference meet with a league-record leap of 39′ 3 3/4″, was named NEWMAC Field Athlete of the Year.

Dundon and Pleat served as the Wheaton Athletic Mentors (WAMs) Co-Presidents in their third year as members, with Dundon finishing up his second as co-president. Pleat handled secretary duties as a junior for the WAMs, which is the school's student-athlete advisory committee (SAAC). As an officer, Dundon had heavy involvement in the acquisition of funds for the Big Event, which is the WAMs' signature event, while Pleat organized many of the logistics for the event in addition to playing a large role in introducing superfan T-shirts. Additionally, Pleat was the recent recipient of the Caroline Cutler Metcalf Leadership Award The pair has also provided pivotal leadership roles in the current reorganization of the group's operating structure and constitution.

The Wheaton College men's and women's track & field teams each finished among the top 20 when the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Championship ended on March 7 before sending eight athletes to the two-day NCAA Championship at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in Indiana, where the women tied for 12th upon the meet's completion on Saturday. Three Lyons earned All-America honors by placing among the top eight in an event.

At the ECAC meet, Wheaton's women took seventh place out of 51 scoring teams, while the men tied for 19th among 50 squads. Sophomore Erin Neville (North Providence, RI/La Salle Academy) won the high jump with an NCAA Championship provisional qualifying mark, while the 4×400-meter relay quartet also met a provisional standard, as senior Natana Jules (Brooklyn, NY/Boys and Girls), junior Renee Thompson (Hartford, CT/Weaver), sophomore Laurenmaria Smith (Providence, RI/Hope) and freshman Didine Jusme (Providence, RI/Classical) placed third. For the men, sophomore Mark Williamson (Vienna, VA/James Madison) won the 400M while meeting a provisional time.

The Lyon women tied for 12th out of 68 teams at the NCAA meet, while the men tied for 66th among 74 squads. Neville and freshman Mickey Jusme (Providence, RI/Classical) were third in the high and triple jumps, respectively, as Neville earned her second All-America honor and Jusme her first. Wheaton's women had at least one field athlete record an All-America finish for the 11th straight indoor national championship, including for the sixth consecutive year in the high jump. Freshman Cailean Robinson (Newton, MA/Phillips Exeter Academy) was eighth in the 55-meter dash, as he drew his initial All-America finish. During Friday's trials, Robinson broke a school record by finishing in 6.39. Also competing at the NCAAs were freshman Lauren McGrath (Wading River, NY/Shoreham-Wading River) in the high jump, Mickey Jusme in the long jump, and Jules, Didine Jusme, Smith and freshman Lauren Cardarelli (Cranston, RI/La Salle Academy) in the 4×400M relay.

The men finished tied for 66th with one point, as freshman Cailean Robinson (Newton, MA/Phillips Exeter Academy) earned his first All-America accolade following an eighth-place showing in the 55-meter dash. His Saturday time of 6.43 came a day after he broke his own school record during the trials in 6.39. Robinson was the lone freshman to qualify for the final.

In the triple jump, Jusme was one of two underclassmen to reach the final, as she finished behind a pair of seniors with a personal-best leap of 39′ 3 3/4″, which was 2 1/4″ shy of the winner. Jusme advanced to the final after jumping 38′ 5 " in the trials.

The women's 4×400-meter relay team also competed, with senior Natana Jules (Brooklyn, NY/Boys and Girls) joining three Rhode Islanders to finish 10th, as Jules, sophomore Laurenmaria Smith (Providence, RI/Hope) and freshmen Lauren Cardarelli (Cranston, RI/La Salle Academy) and Didine Jusme (Providence, RI/Classical) posted a time of 3:56.94.

In addition to Mickey Jusme scoring six points, sophomore Erin Neville (North Providence, RI/La Salle Academy) earned six points during yesterday's high jump, as she placed third while garnering her second career All-America laurel.

Neville reached a height of 5′ 5 1/4″ while matching the placement she recorded in the event during the NCAA indoor meet as a freshman, ensuring the Lyons had at least one field athlete record an All-America finish for the 11th straight indoor national championship, including for the sixth consecutive year in the high jump. Freshman Lauren McGrath (Wading River, NY/Shoreham-Wading River) joined Neville in the 15-athlete field, as Wheaton was the lone team to have a pair of competitors in the event.

Two others Lyons competed on Friday, with freshman Cailean Robinson (Newton, MA/Phillips Exeter Academy) running to a school-record 6.39 during the men's 55-meter dash trials and classmate Mickey Jusme (Providence, RI/Classical) taking part in the women's long jump. Robinson, who eclipsed a mark he had set on February 27, qualified for the eight-runner final round by taking third in his seven-athlete field.

Jusme returns to action tomorrow during the second and final day of competition in the triple jump, which begins at 11:30 a.m. The 55M finals begin for Robinson at 3:25 p.m., while Wheaton's women's 4×400M relay quartet hits the track at 4:40 p.m.

Rose-Hulman Institute also hosted the national indoor meet in 2007, when the Lyon women finished ninth in the country. Three of the women's four events are in the field, with freshman Mickey Jusme (Providence, RI/Classical) qualifying in the long and triple jumps. Jusme enters the meet tied for fourth in the long and fifth in the triple, as her triple distance of 38′ 11 1/2″ was good for an automatic qualifying standard. In the long jump, Jusme posted a provisional mark of 18′ 5″.

Two Lyons are in the high jump field with provisional heights, as sophomore Erin Neville (North Providence, RI/La Salle Academy) and freshman Lauren McGrath (Wading River, NY/Shoreham-Wading River) stand fourth and tied for seventh, respectively. Clearing 5′ 6 1/2″, Neville picked up All-America honors as a freshman after finishing third in the nation. McGrath leapt to a height of 5′ 5 3/4″.

Wheaton also sends a 4×400-meter relay team, as the quartet looks to gain All-America form after just missing the accolade a year ago. Senior Natana Jules (Brooklyn, NY/Boys and Girls), junior Renee Thompson (Hartford, CT/Weaver) and freshmen Lauren Cardarelli (Cranston, RI/La Salle Academy) and Didine Jusme (Providence, RI/Classical) enter the weekend with the ninth-fastest time of 3:57.25, which surpassed a provisional time.

Freshman Cailean Robinson (Newton, MA/Phillips Exeter Academy) represents the men in the 55-meter dash, as his school-record time of 6.41 seconds stands 10th nationally. His time met a provisional standard.

The Lyon women finished the two-day meet in seventh place with 34 points out of 51 scoring teams, which included a pair of NCAA Championship provisional qualifying standards, while the men tied for 19th place with 17 points among 50 squads. The men also recorded a provisional mark, while the teams combined for two event victories. Saint Lawrence won the men's title, and Springfield College topped the field on the women's side.

Sophomore Erin Neville (North Providence, RI/La Salle Academy) was victorious in the high jump with a provisional mark of 5′ 5 3/4″. Wheaton's 4×400M relay also earned a provisional standard, as senior Natana Jules (Brooklyn, NY/Boys and Girls), junior Renee Thompson (Hartford, CT/Weaver), sophomore Laurenmaria Smith (Providence, RI/Hope) and freshman Didine Jusme (Providence, RI/Classical) placed third in 3:58.86.

Jusme landed an individual top-five time in the 55M hurdles, while freshman Tope Waheed (East Providence, RI/East Providence) was 10th in the weight throw. The Blue and White's 4×800M relay team, comprised of seniors Miriam Ledley (Needham, MA/Needham) and Lauren Reddy (Walnut Creek, CA/Carondelet), junior Katie Pratt (Litchfield, CT/Litchfield) and freshman Savannah Geasey (Portsmouth, RI/Portsmouth), also turned in a 10th-place finish.

For the men, sophomore Mark Williamson (Vienna, VA/James Madison) bested the field in the 400M dash while meeting a national meet provisional qualifying time of 49.61. Freshman Kyle Ricci (Warwick, RI/Bishop Hendricken) rounded out the top five placements by taking fifth in the 500M run.

Junior Mark Cimino (Danbury, CT/Danbury) was sixth in the 55M dash, while the men's 4×800M relay, consisting of sophomores Colin Fahey (Waltham, MA/Weston) and Nick Kacher (Waltham, MA/Waltham) and freshmen Jason Browne (Brooklyn, NY/Boys and Girls) and Dylan Treivush (Beverly Hills, CA/Harvard-Westlake School), came in ninth.

Traveling to next weekend's NCAA Championship at the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology for the second time in three years, the Lyons begin the two-day meet on Friday. Wheaton will learn on Monday which of its athletes qualify for the national competition.

The Wheaton College men's and women's track & field teams totaled two school records and four NCAA Championship provisional qualifying standards during last weekend's two-day All New England Championship, which came to an end on Saturday at Boston University. The men tied Division I Bryant University for 23rd place among 33 scoring schools, while the Lyon women took 25th out of 32 squads.

Freshman Cailean Robinson (Newton, MA/Phillips Exeter Academy) nipped senior Michael Wright's (Baldwin, NY/Uniondale) 55-meter dash school record by 0.01 seconds at 6.41 during Friday's trials. The time was also an NCAA qualifier, and Robinson later took fifth in the finals. Robinson and Wright joined junior Merzudin Ibric (Revere, MA/Phillips Academy) and sophomore Mark Williamson (Vienna, VA/James Madison) on the 4×400M relay quartet, which provisionally qualified for NCAAs, taking sixth among 27 teams. Wheaton's 4×800M relay foursome shaved nearly nine seconds off an 11-year-old school mark, as sophomores Colin Fahey (Waltham, MA/Weston) and Nick Kacher (Waltham, MA/Waltham) and freshmen Jason Browne (Brooklyn, NY/Boys and Girls) and Dylan Treivush (Beverly Hills, CA/Harvard-Westlake School) combined on a 7:55.73 finish.

Freshman Mickey Jusme (Providence, RI/Classical) was fifth in the triple jump while reaching an NCAA standard, as her leap of 38′1 1/2″ was second among Division III competitors. Classmate Ashley Dell'Aira (Shoreham, NY/Shoreham-Wading River) placed 10th. Wheaton's 4×400M relay team rounded out the squad's provisional qualifiers, as seniors Natana Jules (Brooklyn, NY/Boys and Girls) and Christine Moreau (Lincoln, RI/Lincoln), sophomore Laurenmaria Smith (Providence, RI/Hope) and freshman Didine Jusme (Providence, RI/Classical) captured eighth place. Sophomore Erin Neville (North Providence, RI/La Salle Academy) tied for eighth place in the high jump.

With seven points, the men tied Division I Bryant University for 23rd place among 33 scoring schools. On the women's side, the Lyons took 25th out of 32 squads with 5.33 points. The University of Connecticut captured both team titles.

Freshman Cailean Robinson (Newton, MA/Phillips Exeter Academy) nipped senior teammate Michael Wright's (Baldwin, NY/Uniondale) 2008 program record of 6.42 with a 6.41 finish during the 55M preliminaries on Friday. After a 6.48 time in the semifinal, Robinson took fifth in the final in 6.44, which tied for the fourth-fastest time. His top two marks also surpassed an NCAA meet provisional qualifying standard.

The Blue and White's 4×800M relay shattered an 11-year-old school mark, as sophomores Colin Fahey (Waltham, MA/Weston) and Nick Kacher (Waltham, MA/Waltham) and freshmen Jason Browne (Brooklyn, NY/Boys and Girls) and Dylan Treivush (Beverly Hills, CA/Harvard-Westlake School) shaved nearly nine seconds off the 1998 record, as the foursome came in 18th in 7:55.73.

Robinson and Wright formed half of Wheaton's provisional-qualifying 4×400M relay team, which also consisted of junior Merzudin Ibric (Revere, MA/Phillips Academy) and sophomore Mark Williamson (Vienna, VA/James Madison). The quartet placed sixth among 27 teams in 3:17.69, which was a mere 0.44 ticks shy of fourth.

The women also recorded a pair of NCAA provisional qualifying marks, with freshman Mickey Jusme (Providence, RI/Classical) earning a fifth-place performance in the triple jump, as her leap of 38′ 1 1/2″ was second among all Division III competitors. Classmate Ashley Dell'Aira (Shoreham, NY/Shoreham-Wading River) placed 10th in 35′ 11 1/4″.

Rounding out the NCAA provisional standards was Wheaton's 4×400M relay team, as seniors Natana Jules (Brooklyn, NY/Boys and Girls) and Christine Moreau (Lincoln, RI/Lincoln), sophomore Laurenmaria Smith (Providence, RI/Hope) and freshman Didine Jusme (Providence, RI/Classical) captured eighth place in 3:57.07.

Sophomore Erin Neville (North Providence, RI/La Salle Academy) tied with two others for eighth place in the high jump at 5′ 3″, while senior Lauren Reddy (Walnut Creek, CA/Carondelet) was 18th in the 5,000M run. The Lyon 4×800M relay, which consisted of senior Miriam Ledley (Needham, MA/Needham), junior Katie Pratt (Litchfield, CT/Litchfield) and freshmen Savannah Geasey (Portsmouth, RI/Portsmouth) and Kimberly Nash (Tempe, AZ/McClintock), also secured 20th.

The Lyons return to action next weekend for the two-day Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Championship at Tufts University. With ECACs concluding on Saturday, the men are also slated to compete in the two-day IC4A Championship at BU, which runs from Saturday to Sunday.