Tribe Men Aim for Third-Consecutive CAA Championship

WILLIAMSBURG, VA - William and Mary men's track and field will be aiming for its third-consecutive conference title this weekend as it contests the CAA Championship April 22-23 in Fairfax, VA, at George Mason University. The Tribe, which has won a total of four CAA crowns, repeated as champion in 2004 on the strength of eight individual titlists and 16 All-CAA performances. However, only two of those champions are projected to defend their titles, with 2004 CAA Rookie of the Year Keith Bechtol (Alexandria, VA) aiming for his second-consecutive 5,000m title and junior Matt Wolak (Richmond, VA) racing for his second-straight 800m title. Last season Bechtol impressed by winning the 5,000m as a freshman in the 13th time in 15 years a Tribe athlete had captured the crown while Wolak earned a hard-fought gun-to-wire win in the 800m. 2004 saw a well-balanced attack in the Tribe's title defense with 33 of its 35 competitors scoring, as the College swept the throwing events and also boasted at least two scorers in every distance event (800m and up) with three champions among those scorers.

Three-time All-American Ed Moran (Dayton, NJ) makes his return to the CAAs after redshirting last season. The 2003 CAA Athlete of the Year, Moran has never won an individual CAA crown on the track (although he has earned two in cross country) in perhaps the only omission from the exceptional resume of the decorated graduate student. He enters the Championships on a roll having twice earned CAA Athlete of the Week honors, for his NCAA Regional qualification in the 5,000m at the Raleigh Relays and 3,000m meet record victory (8:06.13) at the Duke Invitational. All-American Christo Landry (Falls Church, VA) will make his debut at CAAs in his freshman season, and should be a threat for one if not several distance titles while fellow freshman Dave Mock (Johnstown, PA) is another champion seeking his first CAA crown after winning the inaugural junior NACAC Cross Country Championship in March.