Qualified Keydets from the Institute's track and field teams will travel to Princeton, N.J. this weekend to take part in the IC4A/ECAC Championships, which begin Friday afternoon. VMIKeydets.com will be on hand with coverage live from the event.

The coverage will include a live blog, utilizing the technology made popular by the web site, coveritlive.com. Twitter updates will also be featured, as well as the traditional photos and videos, provided such things are feasible. Fans can also follow along with live results, available at the link above courtesy of Lancer Timing.

The highlight of the meet for VMI could very well be the men's 800-meters, where Felix Kitur will bid to become a two-time IC4A champion. His competition could include Casimir Loxsom of Penn State, who has spent a good chunk of time atop the NCAA performance list as a freshman.

Previews of the 800, and all other events for which VMI has a qualifier, are below with just one exception. VMI will enter a team in the 4X800-meter relay, but little is known regarding what other teams will run that event. The Keydets, however, will send Dean Gonsalves, Ian McGinn, Ermin Mujezinovic and Jason Thorpe to compete in the race.

Fans should note that final entries have not yet been finalized or published, so these lists are projections based off of who is eligible to run, utilizing the information available here and here. The lists below will almost certainly not completely reflect actual competitors. 

IC4A 100-Meter Dash (Trials - Saturday, 4:30 p.m./Finals - Sunday, 1:25 p.m.) –

VMI Qualifiers - James Alexander, Jr., 10.71

National Leader - Marcus Rowland, So., Auburn - 10.03

East Region Leader - Rowland

Athletes to Watch (regional rank in parentheses) -

Kenny Mitchell, Sr., Georgetown (23) - 10.39
Aaron Anderson, Jr., Hampton (28) - 10.42
Michael LeBlanc, Sr., Syracuse (30) - 10.43
Rachaunn Ruffin, So., George Mason (33) - 10.45
Larrone Moore, Jr., Delaware State (35) - 10.46
Reggie Dixon, So., Hampton (37) - 10.47

This is an odd-looking race, as only three of the region's top-30 are from IC4A schools. VMI's James Alexander has spent most of the season focusing on the 200, but has clocked in under 11 seconds in two of his three efforts at this shorter distance, with his 10.71 in early April being a seasonal and lifetime best.

Georgetown's Kenny Mitchell was second at the recent Big East Championships, but the Hoyas are not the lone school with two athletes on our watch list. That institution is Hampton, as Aaron Anderson and Reggie Dixon both ran top-40 regional times at last weekend's MEAC Outdoor Championships, and could contend for scoring honors here. Larrone Moore of Delaware State, the 55 and 200-meter champion at the indoor IC4A meet, could battle the two Pirates. Michael LeBlanc of Syracuse, third on the Big East Performance list, could be a factor, while the same is true of Rachaunn Ruffin of George Mason.

IC4A 200-Meter Dash (Trials - Saturday, 5:25 p.m./Finals - Sunday, 2:20 p.m.) –

VMI Qualifiers - James Alexander, Jr., 21.44

National Leader - Maurice Mitchell, So., Florida State - 20.25

East Region Leader - Mitchell

Athletes to Watch (regional rank in parentheses) -

Rachaunn Ruffin, So., George Mason (18) - 20.78
Aaron Anderson, Jr., Hampton (30) - 20.92
Larrone Moore, Jr., Delaware State (35) - 20.94
Kenny Mitchell, Sr., Georgetown (38) - 20.98
Bruce Owens, Sr., Rutgers (50) - 21.13

Last year at this meet, VMI's Alexander finished third in this event. This year will see Moore of Delaware State will look to back up his double in the short sprints from the indoor IC4A's, as he has the 35th fastest time in the region in the 200 this year, but did not finish the finals of this event at the MEAC Championships. Alexander actually beat Moore in the preliminary round last season, as the Keydet junior ran a 21.43 to finish third in qualifications, so anything truly can happen here.

Ruffin of George Mason, who was DQ's at indoor IC's, ran a 20.78 at the Raleigh Relays and will be one of the favorites here. Bruce Owens of Rutgers was the champion at last year's IC4A's, and is a sleeper here despite being low on the performance list regionally.

IC4A 800-Meter Run (Trials - Saturday, 4:50 p.m./Finals - Sunday, 1:40 p.m.) -

VMI Qualifiers - Felix Kitur, Jr., 1:47.78 (tied-5th regionally and tied-9th nationally)

National Leader - Cory Primm, Jr., UCLA - 1:46.63

East Region Leader - Casimir Loxsom, Fr., Penn State - 1:46.74

Athletes to Watch (regional rank in parentheses) -

Casimir Loxsom, Fr., Penn State (1) – 1:46.74
Robby Andrews, Fr., Virginia (3) – 1:47.73
Ryan Foster, Jr., Penn St. (t-5) – 1:47.78
Jeff Moriarty, Jr., Columbia (7) – 1:48.21
Lance Roller, So., Virginia (9) – 1:48.36
Darryll Oliver, Jr., Penn (10) – 1:48.41
Alex Hudak, So., Manhattan (20) - 1:49.16
Donte Holmes, Jr., Delaware State (28) - 1:49.69
Nick Wade, Fr., Cornell (35) - 1:49.99

This may be the highlight of the entire meet, as Kitur bids to become a two-time IC4A champion, following his title win indoors earlier this year. Loxsom, who had the top time in the country for a brief stint earlier this year, is a national title threat, as is Andrews, who edged out Kitur in an epic battle at the Liberty Twilight Qualifier in late April. Should they choose to run, the pair, plus Kitur and Foster, could form one of the better 800-meter races of this NCAA outdoor season. 

Even if Loxsom and Andrews are not involved, Nick Wade of Cornell was second to Kitur at the indoor IC4A's, while Alex Hudak of Manhattan was third. Both are talented runners who are solidly in position to advance to the upcoming First Round of the NCAA Championships, as is Donte Holmes, who has faced Kitur multiple times and could be a player here.  

IC4A 3,000-Meter Steeplechase (Friday, 7:20 p.m.) –

VMI Qualifiers - Matt Sagar, Sr., 9:09.88 and Matt Satterwhite, Sr., 9:13.25

National Leader - Hillary Bor, Jr., Iowa State - 8:38.05

East Region Leader - Matt Hughes, Jr., Louisville - 8:41.98

Athletes to Watch (regional rank in parentheses) -

Evans Kigen, Jr., Liberty (4) - 8:46.53
Daniel Lewis, Sr., Villanova (8) - 8:48.28
Donn Cabral, So., Princeton (11) - 8:48.92
Trevor Van Ackeren, So., Princeton (12) - 8:49.95
Harry Miller, Sr., William and Mary (16) - 8:53.54
Stephen Finley, Jr., Virginia (20) - 8:56.11
Adrien Dannemiller, So., Cornell (21) - 8:56.24

A familiar face could be the target for Matt Satterwhite and Matt Sagar here, as Evans Kigen of Liberty may very well be the favorite in this race. Kigen, who has the fourth-fastest time in the region this year, is the current Big South champion and conference record holder in this event. He defeated Sagar and Satterwhite at the Big South Championships in April, when the VMI seniors finished second and third. Both Sagar and Satterwhite will be making their first career individual appearances at the IC4A's.

Daniel Lewis of Villanova may be one of the more improved steeplechasers in the field, as he has improved his personal best by 16 seconds this year alone. The runner-up at the Big East Championships, thanks to his 8:48.28 clocking. Lewis should be joined by two Princeton runners, Donn Cabral and Trevor Van Ackeren, the top two steeplechasers in the Ivy League. Also potentially in this field are Stephen Finley of Virginia, who was second here last year, and Adrien Dannemiller of Cornell, whom the Keydets have seen before.

IC4A Long Jump (Saturday, 3 p.m.) -

VMI Qualifier - Ademola Titcombe, So., 7.24 M/23'9"

National Leader - Bryce Lamb, Fr., Texas Tech - 8.05 M/26'5"

East Region Leader - Marlon Woods, Sr., Florida State - 7.99 M/26'2 3/4"

Athletes to Watch (regional rank in parentheses) -

Duane Teixeira, Sr., Cornell (3) - 7.87 M/25'10"
Tim Boeni, Sr., Temple (5) - 7.82 M/25'8"
Albert Johnson, So., Manhattan (9) - 7.72 M/25'4"
Brian Richards, Fr., Long Island (11) - 7.64 M/25'0 3/4"
Clarence Powell, Jr., Liberty (17) - 7.56 M/24'9 3/4"
Joshua Kirkpatrick, Sr., Cornell (22) - 7.54 M/24'9"
Ted Lesher, Sr., Dartmouth (25) - 7.51 M/24'7 3/4"

The IC4A indoor champion, Brian Richards of Long Island, was fifth in the Eastern section of the Penn Relays long jump, and holds the top mark in the NEC this year with his effort at that event (7.64 M/25'0 ¾”). Tim Boeni of Temple, who was second in that same section at Penn, could also be in the field here, as could Big South staple Clarence Powell of Liberty and last year's IC4A champ, Albert Johnson of Manhattan.

IC4A Triple Jump (Sunday, 11 a.m.) –

VMI Qualifier - Ademola Titcombe, So., 14.57 M/47'9 3/4"

National Leader - Alphonso Jordan, Sr., Georgia Tech, 16.62 M/54'6 1/2"

East Region Leader - Jordan

Athletes to Watch (regional rank in parentheses) -

Marcus Robinson, Jr., Virginia (8) - 15.78 M/51'9 1/4"
Reginald Cole, Sr., Brown (17) - 15.57 M/51'1"
Gary Jones, Sr., Cornell (19) - 15.54 M/51'0"
Kosta Randjic, Sr., Manhattan (21) - 15.48 M/50'9 1/2"
Victor Gilreath, Sr., UMBC (22) - 15.45 M/50'8 1/4"
Kyle Anthony, Sr., Bucknell (25) - 15.40 M/50'6 1/4"

Titcombe returns here for a battle against a field expected to be cluttered with upperclassmen. As you see above the majority of the favorites are either seniors or juniors, and the field appears to be wide-open. That is thanks in part to the fact that indoor champion Nasim Siddeeq of Albany has, according to DirectAthletics, competed in just one event this outdoor season. That cracks open the door for such competitors as Victor Gilreath of UMBC, who finished second at this year's indoor IC4A meet. Gilreath, the America East champion, ranks 22nd in the East region so far this season.

The favorite, however, may be Marcus Robinson, a junior out of Virginia, who was the third-place finisher at this year's ACC Outdoor Championships. Reginald Cole and Gary Jones, the top-two finishers at the Ivy League Outdoor meet, are also high-level contenders.

IC4A Discus Throw (Saturday, 4 p.m.)

VMI Qualifier - Chad Lawson, Jr., 48.60 M/155'11"

National Leader - Julian Wruck, Fr., Texas Tech - 61.02 M/200'2"

East Region Leader - Adonson Shallow, Sr., Southeast Louisiana - 59.77 M/196'1"

Athletes to Watch (regional rank in parentheses) -

James Plummer, So., Rutgers (2) - 59.10 M/193'11"
Bryan Powlen, Sr., Brown (12) - 54.88 M/180'1"
Austin Gamble, Fr., Duke (14) - 54.70 M/179'5"
Michael Levine, Fr., Yale (16) - 54.41 M/178'6"

VMI's Chad Lawson qualified for this event after a third-place effort at the Big South Championships, and a personal best at the Liberty Twilight Qualifier in late April. After leaning more towards the hammer his first two outdoor seasons, Lawson has shifted his focus a bit more towards the discus in 2010, with the successes noted above.

Among other competitors, only four of the top 25 discus throwers in the region attend IC4A institutions, a fact which would appear to make James Plummer of Rutgers the odds-on favorite. Plummer, who currently ranks second regionally and leads the Big East with the throw listed above, also prevailed at the Penn Relays. Michael Levine of Yale was third at that meet, and seems to be improving as the season goes along, as his previous best throw was nearly two meters shy of his Penn Relays effort.

Meanwhile, Powlen is a two-time Ivy League champion in this event, while Gamble has just five career meets under his belt, but was third at the ACC Championships.    

IC4A Shot Put - (Sunday, 1 p.m.)

VMI Qualifier - Cody Davis, Jr. - 15.94 M/52'3 3/4"

National Leader - Ryan Whiting, Jr., Arizona State - 21.71 M/71'2 3/4"

East Region Leader - Kemel Mesic, Jr., Florida - 19.38 M/63'7"

Athletes to Watch (regional rank in parentheses) -

Joe Kovacs, So., Penn State (4) - 18.73 M/61'5 1/2"
Nate Hunter, Sr., Northeastern (8) - 18.41 M/60'5"
Eric Plummer, Sr., Princeton (9) - 18.30 M/60'0 1/2"
Robert Golabek, Jr., Buffalo (10) - 18.28 M/59'11 3/4"
Brice Paey, Jr., New Hampshire (14) - 18.10 M/59'4 3/4"

The top three athletes in this event in the East Region are not from IC4A schools; however, there is no shortage of talent to be had here. VMI's Cody Davis has certainly been one of the most improved Keydets this year, and he'll make his first career appearance at the outdoor IC4A's. He has shattered his personal best marks in every throwing event this year, and tossed in a second-place finish at the Big South Championships to help highlight his year.

Davis should be joined by Penn State's Joe Kovacs, who is #4 regionally. Kovacs is the best shot putter at Penn State in many years, as his mark last year at Penn Relays (18.53 M/60'9 ½”) was the best by a Nittany Lion in 20 seasons and finished in the top 15 of the NCAA's. He went on to finish 14th at last year's regional, but showed great improvement at this year's NCAA Indoor meet, where he came home third. Kovacs has continued to grow into his skills this year, as evidenced by his toss of 61'5 ½” (18.73) in late April.

Nate Hunter was the champion of this event indoors, and he leads the CAA's performance list by an unbelievable amount, nearly 3.5 meters. He also had the second longest toss in the country during this year's indoor season, a 19.49 throw (63'11 ½”). Eric Plummer of Princeton won the Ivy League title, while Robert Golabek of Buffalo and Brice Paey of New Hampshire, who was third at the Indoor IC4A's, are also possible contenders.

IC4A High Jump (Sunday, 1 p.m.) –

VMI Qualifier - Dennis James, Jr., 2.04 M/6'8 1/4"

National Leader - Ricky Robertson, Fr., Mississippi - 2.28 M/7'5 3/4"

East Region Leader - Robertson

Athletes to Watch (regional rank in parentheses) -

Ryan Fritz, Sr., Penn State (8) - 2.20 M/7'2 1/2"
Justin Frick, Sr., Princeton (9) - 2.18 M/7'1 3/4"
Adam Bergo, So., Rutgers (11) - 2.16 M/7'1"
Josue Louis, Sr., Temple (t-16) - 2.14 M/7'0 1/4"
Brian Miller, Sr., UMass (t-16) - 2.14/7'0 1/4"

The Keydets will send Dennis James into one of the more closely contested events at the IC4A's, after James cleared 2.04 M during the indoor season. There is no clear-cut favorite in the event, and in fact, the likely top five contenders all have seasonal bests within 2.5 inches of each other.

Indoor IC4A champion Clarence Powell of Liberty ranks only 29th on the outdoor performance list in the region, leaving this meet's title likely up for grabs. Ryan Fritz of Penn State was third at the Big 10 Championships after redshirting at the indoor season, and Justin Frick will be trying to win the title as a senior on his home track, which cannot be overlooked. The favorite, however, could be sophomore Adam Bergo of Rutgers. Bergo was third at the indoor IC4A's, but won the Big East title just under two weeks ago, was second at this meet last year and was an NCAA qualifier as a freshman.

VMI Qualifier - Chandale Williams, Sr., 55.67

National Leader - Joanna Atkins, Jr., Auburn - 52.52

East Region Leader - Atkins

Athletes to Watch (regional rank in parentheses) -

Sharay Hale, So., Columbia (4) - 52.61
Fawn Dorr, Sr., Penn State (6) - 52.73
Tiara Swindell, Sr., George Mason (8) - 52.94
Mandela Graves-Fulgham, Sr., UConn (10) - 53.30
Francena McCorory, Sr., Hampton (12) - 53.39
Jamie Watson, Sr., Liberty (15) - 53.61
Cierra McGee, So., George Mason (21) - 53.83
Nijgia Snapp, Fr., Seton Hall (25) - 53.97

Chandale Williams wraps up her storied VMI career in Princeton, after going under 56 seconds for the first time at the Big South Championships. Williams has broken the VMI record countless times, setting and resetting the mark repeatedly throughout her time at the Institute, and now will attempt to finish out her collegiate stay with a bang.

It is worth noting that despite a list of very impressive times above, Williams' 55.67 would have been good for seventh at this year's Indoor ECAC Championships. Regardless, Sharay Hale of Columbia is one of the favorites here, and has quite the impressive resume. Hale was the fastest freshman in the country at this distance last year, and added an Ivy League title during a year where she posted the 10th-quickest time in the country. She has stepped down to the 200 on occasion this year, but did run the fourth-fastest time in the East Region (52.61) on April 16 during a meet at Auburn.

George Mason teammates Tiara Swindell and Cierra McGee could battle Hale in this race, as the pair went 1-2 at the CAA Championships the last weekend of April. Swindell was also fifth in this event at this year's indoor ECAC Championships, and no doubt hopes to improve upon that finish this time around.

Speaking of the indoor ECAC's, three of the top four finishers were from Seton Hall. None of those three are in the East Region's top-25, but one of their teammates, Nijgia Snapp, is. Snapp was fifth at the Big East Championships, two spots behind Mandela Graves-Fulgham of UConn.

ECAC Pole Vault (Saturday, 11 a.m.) -

VMI Qualifier - Kate Collins, Fr.

National Leader - Kylie Hudson, Sr., Indiana State - 4.51 M/14'9 1/2"

East Region Leader - Hudson

Athletes to Watch (regional rank in parentheses) -

Rita Ciambra, Jr., New Hampshire (6) - 4.11 M/13'5 3/4"
Amy Fryt, Jr., Duke (7) - 4.10 M/13'5 1/2"
Natalie Gengel, Sr., Cornell (t-15) - 4.00 M/13'1 1/2"
Nicole Kazuba, Sr., William and Mary (t-15) - 4.00 M/13'1 1/2"
Ashyn Llerandi, Jr., Villanova (t-15) - 4.00 M/13'1 1/2"
Tory Worthen, Fr., Princeton (t-15) - 4.00 M/13'1 1/2"

The traditional hallmark of this event at the ECAC's is the difficulty of the opening height. 15 competitors did not record a clearance at last year's outdoor meet, a total that comprised more than half the field. Nine of 23 no-heighted at the ECAC indoor meet this year, including VMI representative Kate Collins. Collins has enjoyed a banner freshman season, including setting new school records both indoor and outdoor, and now caps her year with her first career appearance at the outdoor ECAC Championships. She will face a field that should include this year's indoor champion, Tory Worthen of Princeton.

Also among the list of possible competitors are Rita Ciambra of New Hampshire, a 2008 NCAA qualifier who has finished third and fifth at this event the last two seasons, and Amy Fryt of Duke, a two-time ACC champ and 2008 ECAC champion indoors.