The quartet of sophomore Peter Novick (Rockville, Md./Walter Johnson), junior Allen Carr (Yorktown, Va./York), sophomore Dave Baxter (Warwick, N.Y./Warwick Valley), and senior Evan Kays (Batesville, Ark./Stuarts Draft (Va.)) qualified for the IC4A championships with a time of seven minutes and 44.26 seconds. The qualifying standard for the IC4A meet is 7:51.00.
The distance medley relay team also came close to qualifying with its fourth-place time of 10:19.26. On the track for the Dukes in the event were sophomore C.W. Moran (Potomac Falls, Potomac Falls), junior Chris Greer (Annandale, Va./Annandale), freshman Chris Ward (Chesapeake, Va./Hickory) and senior Ted Herbert (Virginia Beach, Va./Cox). The time of 10:18.70 must be bettered in order to punch a ticket to the championships in Boston, March 4-6.
Carr turned in one of the top individual performances in Blacksburg by placing fourth among 31 entries in the 1,000-meter run. Carr completed the loop in 2:30.32 to come within less than a half second of meeting the IC4A-qualifying mark of 2:29.86. The race was won by Matt Debole, who raced unattached and clocked in at 2:25.33.
In addition to Carr, the Dukes had five other runners in the 1000. Baxter was the only other JMU entry to crack the top 10, placing ninth in 2:32.03.
JMU also had a fourth-place registered in the high jump by Dan Kiely (Old Tappan, N.J./North Valley). He cleared a personal-best 1.95 meters, topping his fifth-place height of 1.88 meters the previous week at Bucknell.
The Dukes' other top 10 finishes were put up by freshman Andrew Waring (Vienna, Va./James Madison) and sophomore Josh White (Nokesville, Va./Brentsville). Waring was ninth to the finish line in the 5,000-meter race, coming across ahead of 14 other entries with his time of 15:45.06. White set a season-best with a leap of 13.83 meters to tie for seventh in the triple jump.
Junior Pat Barron (Johnstown, Pa./Westmont Hilltop) improved upon his pole vault height from the previous week with a clearance of 4.60 meters, good for a tie for 11th among the 22 competitors. He had finished fourth at Bucknell, but that was with a height of 4.42 meters.
This Saturday, Jan. 22, the Dukes travel to Annapolis, Md. where the U.S. Naval Academy will host the Dukes and the La Salle Explorers in a rare tri-meet. The competition gets underway at noon at the Halsey Fieldhouse.