The seasons follow in chronological order but you may click on one of the following to move immediately to that season:
Cross Country, 2003-- On September 13th, former Cherokee star, Keith Krieger ('03), now a freshman at Duke, began his collegiate career in outstanding fashion. In the Lou Onesty Invitational at the University of Virginia, Keith ran 25:13 on the muddy, hilly 8k cross country course. Keith placed 12th overall and 4th for the Blue Devils as they upset William and Mary, the 15th ranked team in the nation. For more information on the meet go to: Go Duke
-- On the weekend of September 27th, the 2003 Cherokee team will travel to the Great American Cross Country Festival in Raleigh, NC to participate in the Invitational Boys Seeded Race. While there, they expect to watch several former members of the team, including Marc Pelerin ('02) of Villanova and Keith Krieger ('03) of Duke, compete on their college teams. For more information go to: Great American Cross Country Festival
-- Former Group IV Cross Country State Champion and Cherokee graduate, Joe Halin ('00), is off and running again this season. After taking a year off from the Appalachian State team, Joe is back. On September 5th, he placed 4th (26:10) overall and 3rd for ASU in the Covered Bridge Open at Appalachian State; and on September 20th, he placed 6th (25:47) in the Wintrop Invitational at Rock Hill, SC (2nd for ASU) as his team finished a close 2nd to High Point University. For more information go to: Go ASU!
-- On September 20, 2003, Cherokee grad Matt Mueller ('02) took first place in the Division II/III race and led Stockton College of NJ to a win in the Delaware Cross Country Invitational at White Clay Creek State Park. For meet results go to: University of Delaware Sports Information
-- Battle of the Alums, I. . . . On September 26th, the team witnessed the first head-to-head battle between former Cherokee teammates Keith Krieger ('03) and Marc Pelerin ('02) at the Great American Cross Country Festival in Raleigh, NC, and this time, Krieger emerged the winner. Keith finished the 8k course in 44th (2nd on the Duke team) at 26:45.5; while Marc finished in 73rd (6th on the Villanova team) at 27:24.5. Further results can be had at: Great American Results
-- Cherokee has a large representation on the Cross Country team at Stockton College of New Jersey. Sophomore Matt Mueller ('02) is already a team leader and his contributions are touted in an article on the school's website. Sophomores Dan Schules ('02) and Dan Shektman ('03), and Freshman Jim Dolan ('03) are also members of the Ospreys.
Picture of Matt Mueller from the Stockton Athletic Department:
-- On October 3rd, slogging in rainy, muddy and cold conditions at the 48th Annual Notre Dame Invitational, Keith Krieger ('03) took 35th place in 25:26 (3rd on his team) and helped Duke University finish 4th in the race. Twenty three teams competed and Keith was the second freshman to finish. For full results: Notre Dame Invitational
-- On October 4, 2003, four of Cherokee's distance Alums were involved in Cross Country activities:
Two former Chiefs ran in the 30th Annual Lehigh University Paul Short Run. Marc Pelerin ('02) of Villanova University took 27th place (Division 1) in 25:10. Coach O'Sullivan sat out several runners and Marc finished 2nd for the team, helping it to place 8th out of 23 teams in the meet. Perhaps the most noticeable circumstance for us at this meet was Marc's defeat of his long-time nemesis Brian Dalpiaz (25:15), now of Georgetown University! Also in the race, Kevin Hurley ('01) of the University of Maryland, Baltimore Campus finished in 27:12. For further information: Paul Short Run
At the Blue Ridge Open in Boone, North Carolina, Alum Joe Halin ('00) finished 1st on his Applachian State University team (4th overall) in 25:21. ASU placed four in the top ten and won the meet by 39 points, besting a field that included UNC, Chapel Hill and Virginia Tech. Additional results can be found at: ASU Track and Field Results
On October 4th, Matt Mueller finished 4th (overall, 2nd on his team) in 27:55 at the Belmont Classic Cross Country Invitational in Philadelphia. Competing against ten other Division III teams, the Stockton College team took 1st place in the meet. Results at: Belmont Classic
-- On October 8th, Joe Halin ('00) was named the Southern Conference's Cross Country Runner of the Week as a result of his fine performance at the Blue Ridge Open on October 4th. Article at Southern Conference
-- On October 11th, Alum Mike Caputi ('00), running for the University of Maryland-Baltimore County's Cross Country "B" team in the Mid-Atlantic Classic at Goucher College, took 7th place overall and 3rd on his team to help "The Retrievers" to a 1st place victory. UMBC placed four runners in the top ten, scoring 35 points, three more than runner-up Rowan University. Mike covered the 8K course in 28:45. Results at: UMBC
-- On October 18th, 2003, three of Cherokee's Alums were involved in Cross Country activities:
Battle of the Alums, II . . . The unofficial Battle of the Alums continued when Marc Pelerin and Keith Krieger met again at the NCAA Pre-Nationals at Northern Iowa University: this time Pelerin came out on top! Finishing as the 5th man for Villanova University, Marc took 83rd place in 24:45, helping the Villanova team to take 5th place (out of 35 teams) in the highly competitive "purple" race. Keith finished 124th in 25:08, placed 4th on the Duke University team, and helped his team take 18th place. Complete results can be found at: NCAA Pre-Nationals. Also, Go Duke has an article on Duke's performance.
The Appalachian State University Cross Country team competed in the Clemson Invitational. Alum Joe Halin ('00), running 3rd on his team, finished in 20th place (overall) in 25:56 and helped his team take 3rd place in the event. Results at: Clemson
-- On Friday, October 31st, Villanova was one of 14 teams competing in the Big East Cross Country Championships at Van Cortlandt Park in NYC. They took third place with 67 points behind Georgetown (29 pts) and Notre Dame (66 pts). Villanova Senior Jon Fasulo took first place in 24:25, while Alum Marc Pelerin took 33rd overall and 6th on the team in 26:09. In passing, Brian Dalpiaz of Georgetown finished in 31st place in 26:06. Complete results at: Villanova Cross Country
-- On Saturday, November 1st, two Cheroke Alums participated in Conference Championship Meets:
Alum Joe Halin, running 26:16.6 for the Applachian State University Montaineers, took 9th overall and 2nd for his team, to help them take second at the Southern Conference Championships at Davidson University in Davidson, North Carolina. Although they held the Conference title for three years, the Mountaineers were overcome by a strong Chattanooga team, 52 - 59. Further results can be found at: Southern Conference Sports
Also on Saturday, November 1st, Alum Keith Krieger participated in the Atlantic Coast Conference Cross Country Championships at Wake Forest University in Winston Salem, NC. Missing team leader, Michael Hatch, the Duke Blue Devils, finished a disappointing 9th in the event. Keith finished 48th overall and 4th on his team in 26:15, behind former New Jersey rivals Pete Hess (6th in 24:35) and Adam Ambrus (20th in 25:20). Complete results: The ACC
-- On November 15th, the NCAA Regional Championships were held at nine different sites, and from each of these the top two teams automatically qualify for the NCAA National Championships in Waterloo, Iowa on November 24th. Several of our Alums were busy at their respective "regionals."
In the Mid-Atlantic Regionals at Bucknell University, Villanova edged Georgetown 55 - 57 and placed 1st! Alum Marc Pelerin, running 31:21 in the 10K race, finished 28th and played a critical role as the fifth man on the team.
In the Southeast Regionals at East Carolina University in Greenville, NC, two Alums battled for their respective universities. Joe Halin of Appalachian State University finished 41st overall and 2nd on his team in 31:24 to help ASU take 10th place; while Keith Krieger of Duke University finished 77th overall and 7th on his team in 32:19. Duke took 9th place in the meet. Unfortunately, neither team qualified for the nationals.
This picture showing both Joe and Keith at the Regionals is from Kip Sloan Photography
Complete results on all the regionals can be found at: NCAA Sports
-- On November 22nd, Cherokee's Varsity competed in the State Meet of Champions and, while there, the team spotted a Kevin Hurley ('01) look-alike, only this guy, correctly dressed in a UMBC sweatshirt, was far more unkempt than the natty Kevin of old. Decide for yourselves . . .!
-- On November 24th, the 2003 NCAA Division I National Cross Country Championships were held -- apparently to insure that no one, spectators or participants, actually enjoyed the experience -- at the University of Northern Iowa. For those of you who are a little weak on geography, the university is in Cedar Falls, about 100 miles south of the Minnosota border. In November, it can be an unpleasant place for a cross country race. Indeed, at race time, the wind gusted to 35 mph and the temperature held steady at a brisk 20 degrees! And next year, we may assume, the race will be held at the North Pole!
Despite all of that, Alum Marc Pelerin finished 6th on the Villanova team (145th overall out of 254 runners) in a respectable time of 31:31.5. Villanova finished 11th out of 31 teams. Full results at: NCAA Nationals. Click on the thumbnails for larger pictures from Trackshark showing Marc in the race:
-- Congratulations to Alum Keith Krieger ('03) who was named the Cross Country "Freshman of the Year" by the coaches at Duke University!
-- On December 7th, 2003, Alum Marc Pelerin ('02) of Villanova University began the winter season at the low-key First Annual Jack Pyrah Invitational Indoor Track and Field Meet at Haverford College. Marc took second in the 5K, 3 seconds behind teammate Tom Parlapiano, in 14:48.00. Full results at: Villanova Sports
-- On January 10, 2004, Alum Keith Krieger ('03) of Duke University began his first collegiate winter season at the North Carolina Big 12 Track and Field Meet in Chapel Hill, NC. Keith finished 5th in the 3K in 8:55.65, close behind teammates Dan Daly (3rd in 8:51.57) and Cameron Bell (4th in 8:55.44). Full results at: Results
-- On January 17, 2004, two of our Alums were involved in track activities.
Alum Marc Pelerin ('02) competed for Villanova University in the U.S. Coaches Association Series Indoor Track Meet at Penn State University. Marc took 2nd place in the Mile with a PR of 4:12.01! Also in the race were well-known South Jersey champion from last year, Pete Hess of Maryland (4:14.48) and former nemesis Brian Dalpiaz of Georgetown (4:18.15). Full results at: Penn State Results
Alum Matt Dalessio ('03) competed in his first collegiate track meet for The College of New Jersey. Matt "put" the shot at the Delaware Invitational Track and Field Meet and took 4th with a throw of 12.47m or 40.91 feet. Matt's throw helped TCNJ take first place in the Division II/ Division III competition. Complete results at: Delaware Results
-- On January 18, 2004, Alums Mike Caputi ('00) and Kevin Hurley ('01), running for the University of Maryland at Baltimore, participated in the Great Dane Classic at the New York Armory. Mike ran 2:00.38 in the 800M finishing 9th, and Kevin ran 8:53.00 in the 3K finishing 8th. Also running in the 3K for UMBC was former elite South Jersey runner, Adam Driscoll ('00) who finished 2nd in 8:39.92. UMBC finished second to Northeastern University in the ten-school event. Complete results at: Armory Track
-- On January 23, 2004, Alum Keith Krieger ('03) helped Duke University sweep 2nd through 5th place in the 5K at the Virginia Tech Indoor Invitational. Separated by only 6 seconds, the Duke athletes ran between 15:08 and 15:14, with Keith finishing officially in 15:14.41. Full results at: Hokie Sports
-- On January 24, 2004, a busy day for our Alums, three graduates were involved in separate meets around the country.
Alum Matt Dalessio ('03) of The College of New Jersey participated in the Princeton Relays where he threw the shot 13.17m or 43.21 feet. TCNJ finished fifth in a field of ten teams. Full results at: Go Princeton Tigers
Alum Joe Halin ('00) of Appalachian State University began his winter season at the Niswonger Foundation Track and Field Meet at East Tennessee State. Joe finished 8th in the 5K at 15:20.67. Full results at: Niswonger Results
And Alum Marc Pelerin ('02) of Villanova entered the 800m as a workout at the Haverford Invitational and took second behind his teammate Kippy Keino. Kippy ran 1:55.52 while Marc finished with a PR of 1:56.77! To indicate how tight things were at the finish, two others finished within 2/10ths of a second of Marc's time! Complete results at: Haverford Results
-- On February 1, 2004, several alums participated in two different meets:
Alum Matt Dalessio ('03) of The College of New Jersey participated in the Bison Open at Bucknell University, throwing for the first time the 35 lb. weight! Matt finished 26th in the competition at 9.21m or 30.22 feet. Full results at: Bucknell Athletics
Alum Marc Pelerin ('02) of Villanova University participated in the Penn State National Indoor Track and Field Meet where he ran the mile in a relatively sedate 4:14.90 and finished 13th out of 41 competitors. Full results at: Go PSU
Alums Mike Caputi ('00) and Kevin Hurley ('01), both of the University of Maryland, Baltimore, also competed in the Penn State meet. Mike ran the 800 in a disappointing 2:04.36 but returned in the 4 X 800 (no time available) to help his team take 6th in the event. Kevin ran the 3K in 9:11.11, taking 50th in the event. Full results at: Go PSU
-- On February 7, 2004, three Alums competed in three different meets:
Alum Joe Halin ('00) of Appalachian State University participated in the Carolina Classic at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, where he ran the 3K in 8:34.04 and finished 2nd out of 35 runners. Full results at: Flash Results
Alum Kevin Hurley ('01) of the University of Maryland, Baltimore competed in the Colegiate Open at George Mason University and ran 9:24.42 in the 3K. Full results at: GMU Sports
Alum Matt Dalessio ('03) of The College of New Jersey, competed in an unusual winter dual meet against Division I Rider University as part of the 2004 Mercer County Duals at Lawrenceville Prep. Matt threw the shot 13.20 meters or 43.30 feet, taking 7th for the New Jersey Lions. Full Results at: TCNJ Athletics
-- On February 8, 2004, Alum Keith Krieger ('03) placed 23rd at the USATF Junior National Cross Country Championships in Indianapolis, Indiana. He competed against 45 others for a chance to represent the United States at the Junior World Cross Cross Country Championships in Brussels, Belgium. The course was snow-covered, and the temperature at race time was in the 20s, with winds making it feel like 10 degrees! Keith ran 25:46 in the 8K race against some of the top young (the race is limited to athletes 19 and under) runners in the country. Full results at: USATF
-- On February 14, 2004, three Alums competed in two different meets:
Two alumni participated in the New Balance Armory Collegiate Invitational in NYC. Alum Marc Pelerin ('02) of Villanova University ran a PR of 1:53.58 in the Championship 800, taking 5th in his heat and 12th overall in the event. And later, Alum Mike Caputi ('00) of the University of Maryland, Baltimore ran 1:59.67 in the University 800, taking 9th in his heat and 49th overall in the event. For full results: Leone Timing
Alum Dave Sitzer ('00) of Oklahoma Baptist University is coming back from ankle surgery in August and he is eager to again make his mark on the national scene. Back on January 23, 2004, he participated in the Razonback Invitational at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, where he ran a 3:02 split in the 1200 leg of the Distance Medley, helping his team take 4th in the event. Then on February 14, 2004, at the Adidas Classic in Lincoln, Nebraska, he ran 1:53.46 in the 800, taking 4th! That time is the second-best qualifying time for the up-coming NAIA Championships in March! Click on the links for full results at the Razonback Invitational, and at the Adidas Classic
-- The extended weekend between February 20th and February 22nd, 2004, saw six of Cherokee's Alums in action :
Alum Keith Krieger ('03) of Duke University scored for his team by taking 8th place in the 5K at the Atlantic Coast Conference Championships at Clemson University. Keith dropped his PR in the event by almost 15 seconds, finishing the race in 14:59.76 (sub-15!). Also in the race was former South Jersey standout, and now a sophomore at the University of Maryland, Adam Ambrus, who finished in 13th at 15:18.01. (Pictures from PrettySporty.com) Full results at: ACC Championships
Alum Mike Caputi ('00) of the University of Maryland, Baltimore also scored points for his team! Competing in the 800m at the America East Conference Championships at Boston University, Mike finished in 7th place, running 1:57.28. Meet results at: America East Championships
Alum Marc Pelerin ('02) of Villanova University competed in the Big East Indoor Track and Field Championships at Syracuse University. Marc ran the 3K in 8:26.06 and finished 9th in the race. In 10th, less than a second later, was old-time rival Brian Dalpiaz of Georgetown University. Full results at: Big East Results
Alum Matt Dalessio ('03) of The College of New Jersey competed in two events at the New Jersey Athletic Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships at the Armory, and helped his team win the conference championship for the 7th straight year. In the weight throw, Matt took 7th with a throw of 11.77m or 38 feet, 7.50 inches. In the shot, he took 6th place with a throw of 12.33m or 40 feet, 5.50 inches. Complete results at: NJAC Results
Alum Dave Sitzer ('00) of Oklahoma Baptist University competed in the 800m at the Sooner Indoor Track and Field Meet at Norman, Oklahoma. Dave finished in 2nd place in 1:56.49. Results at: Sooner Sports Results
Alum Joe Halin ('00) of Appalachian State University usually runs the 3K or the 5K but he dropped down to the mile in the Mountaineer Open at Appalachian State as a tune-up for the up-coming Southern Conference Championships. Joe ran a PR of 4:20.47 and finished 1st in the race! Full results at: ASU Mountaineer Open
-- On February 28, 2004, Alum Joe Halin ('00) of Appalachian State University competed in the Southern Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships at East Tennessee State University. Joe scored for his team, taking 4th in the 3K in a PR time of 8:31.76! Full results at: SoCon Results
Click on the thumbnail for a larger version.
-- On March 4th through the 6th, 2004, Alum Dave Sitzer ('00) of Oklahoma Baptist University participated in the NAIA Indoor Track and Field Championships at East Tennessee State University:
On the 4th, in the preliminary round of the 4 X 800 Relay, Dave ran in the third position and helped his team to qualify in 4th place (7:47.54) for the finals on the 5th.
In the afternoon of the 5th, Dave ran the preliminary round of the Open 800, winning his heat in 1:55.33 and establishing himself as the top seed going into the finals on the 6th. That evening, Dave anchored the 4 X 800 Relay Finals to a second place in 7:42.23.
In the afternoon of the 6th, Dave took second place in the 800 Finals, finishing in 1:54.23. The winner ran only 1.41 seconds faster than Dave, while the third place finisher was only .02 of a second slower than he! That evening, Dave was thrown into a make-shift Final of the DMR as the lead-off man (their miler had just learned of a family tragedy and had to leave). Dave reported that his five 800s in the three days were all "tactical" efforts to conserve energy!
Of the 39 teams competing in the meet, Oklahoma Baptist University finished third overall, with only one third of a point separating OBU from the second place team! See the complete results at: NAIA Championships
A few pictures are available by Alums Joe Halin and Dave. Click on the thumbnail for a larger version.
-- On March 13, 2004, Coach Shaklee participated in the St. Baldrick's Day head-shaving event at The Plough and Stars in Philadelphia to raise money for the National Childhood Cancer Foundation. Alumni witnesses included Tim Haggerty ('96), Matt Jacobs ('96) and Shawnee Alum Jason Douglas ('92). His efforts resulted in a $3,000 contribution to the foundation! For more information, see: St. Baldrick's
-- On March 20th, 2004, the Spring season opened for several of our Alums:
Alum Joe Halin ('00) of Appalachian State University competed in the Charlotte 49er Classic at the University of North Carolina, Charlotte, taking 2nd in the 3K at 8:32.61, less than a second slower than his indoor PR! Full results are available at: Flash Results
Meanwhile, Alum Keith Krieger ('03) of Duke University was at the Tar Heel Opener at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, where he too ran the 3K. Keith finished in 6th place with an 8:42.93. Full results at: C.F.P.I Results
And finally, Alums Mike Caputi ('00) and Kevin Hurley ('01) competed in the Ram Invitational at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond. Mike ran the 1500m in 4:12.57, finishing 33rd out of 56 competitors, while Kevin ran the 5K in 16:12.17, taking 26th in a field of 37 competitors. Full results at: Ram Invitational.
-- On March 26th , 2004, Alum Joe Halin ('00) of Appalachian State University competed in the Raleigh Relays at NC State. Joe ran the 5K in 14:44.99, (a 16 second PR!) taking 6th in the Section 1 race and 29th overall in the event. Incidentally, post-college runner, Tim Callinan, the younger brother of Coach Chris Callinan, was in the same race, taking 20th place (45th overall) in 15:05.17. Another of Coach Callinan's brothers, Ted, was also in a 5K at the meet but DNF. For details, see: Raleigh Relays.
-- The weekend of April 3rd and 4th, 2004, saw several of our Alums in action:
Alum Keith Krieger ('03) of Duke University competed in the 5K at the Duke Invitational in Durham. Keith ran an outstanding 14:26.94, taking 6th place and easily meeting the 5K qualifying time of 14:35 for the IC4A Championships in May! Complete results at: Duke Invitational
Alums Kevin Hurley ('01) and Mike Caputi ('00), both from the University of Maryland, Baltimore, also competed at the Duke Invitational, with Kevin running 15:47.24 in the 5K and taking 11th in his Section; while Mike ran 2:01.97 in the 800, taking 11th in his Section. Complete results at: Duke Invitational
Meanwhile, Alum Matt Dalessio ('03) of The College of New Jersey was throwing the shot at the Sam Howell Invitational at Princeton University. Matt took 8th place in the competition, putting the shot 12.68m or 41-07.25 feet. Complete results at: Princeton Results
Also, Alum Dave Sitzer ('00) of Oklahoma Baptist University anchored the College Sprint Medley at the Texas Relays in Austin. The team finished in 7th place in 3:29.28. No individual splits are available. Complete results at: Texas Relays
Finally, Alum Marc Pelerin ('02) of Villanova University won the 5K at the Penn Invitational at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. Under reportedly difficult conditions, Marc won the race by more than six seconds over his nearest competitor, finishing in 14:45.91. Complete results at: Penn Invitational
Anyone else looking forward to the 5k at the Penn Relays . . . with maybe Joe, Keith and Marc all in the same race! Cool!
-- On April 10th, 2004, five of our Alums saw action at four different sites:
Alum Matt Dalessio ('03) of The College of New Jersey competed in the Delaware Invitational at the University of Delaware and took 5th in the shot put, helping his team take 2nd in the meet. Matt threw 13.89m, which in English converts to 45.57 feet (or 546.84 inches!). Complete results at: Delaware Results
Alums Kevin Hurley ('01) and Mike Caputi ('00) of The University of Maryland, Baltimore competed in the Lou Onesty Invitational at the University of Virginia. Kevin took 17th (out of 36 competitors) in the 5K, running 15:54.29, while Mike took 63rd (out of 72 competitors) in the 800, running 2:03.40. Complete results at: Virginia Results
Meanwhile, Villanova sophomore, Alum Marc Pelerin ('02) ran the 3K at the Penn Quad Meet at Franklin Field in Philadelphia. Marc took 2nd in 8:19.68 as he continued to sharpen for the upcoming Penn Relays. Complete results at: Penn Athletics
Finally, Alum Joe Halin ('00) of Appalachian State University ran the 5K Invitational at the Sea Ray Relays in Tennessee. Joe took 11th in the race, finishing in 14:52.07. (By the way, Joe mentioned in a recent email that he will not be at the Penn Relays this year, and many of us are hugely disappointed!) Full results at: Sun Ray Relays
-- On April 17th, 2004, a few of our Alums were in competition:
Alum Keith Krieger ('03) of Duke University ran the 10K in the Atlantic Coast Conference Championships at UNC, Chapel Hill. Keith was the first Duke finisher in the race, running a PR of 30:17.23, taking 5th in the race and scoring 4 points for Duke! Wow! Former South Jersey standout, Adam Ambrus, now a junior at Maryland, took 15th in the race in 32:11.23. Full results at: ACC Results
Alum Marc Pelerin ('02) of Villanova University, sharpening for the upcoming Penn Relays, ran the 1500m at the Widener Invitational, Widener University in Chester, PA. In a field of 50, Marc finished 11th in a relatively sedate 3:55.33, after a week of battling the discomfort of a cold or allergies. Full results at: Widener Results
Alums Kevin Hurley ('01) and Mike Caputi ('00) of the University of Maryland, Baltimore, competed at the Mount St. Mary's Eric Kloiber Metro Invitational in Emmitsburg, Maryland. Kevin ran the 1500m in 4:12.09, taking 11th in the 25 man field, while Mike ran the 800m in 2:00.10, taking 16th place out of 27 runners. For complete results: Mount Athletics
-- Penn Relays: Battle of the Alums, III
In the third head-to-head Battle of the Alums, Marc Pelerin ('02) of Villanova and Keith Kreiger ('03) of Duke, the victory went to Marc, giving him a 2 - 1 margin! Running in the Men's 5K Run at the Penn Relays on Thursday, April 22nd, Marc and Keith ran aggressively through the first half of the race but Keith fell off the pace in the second half. Marc looked very confident in the lead group throughout, taking the front at various times during the race. Perhaps a bit prematurely, he bolted for the finish line with about 300m to go, but slowed in the last 100m and allowed an opponent to overtake him. Marc finished 2nd with a PR of 14.20.9 (mile splits: 4:33; 4:39; 4:35); Keith finished 14th in 14:40.3.
On Saturday at the Penn Relays, Duke was unable to field its usual 4 X 800 squad for the College Men's race in the afternoon. Having no other option, the coach called on Freshman Alum Keith Krieger ('03) to fill-in as anchor! Keith's high school record in the 800 was around 2:03 and there was no reason to think that he could improve on that time at Penn! To make matters worse, the Duke team passed the baton to Keith in 1st place! Yikes! Keith fought bravely but he ended up falling to 10th place in the race, running a 2:04. Full Penn Relays results can be found at: Penn Athletics
-- Also on April 23rd and 24th, Alum Matt Dalessio ('03) of The College of New Jersey competed in TCNJ's Lions' Invitational Track and Field Meet. In the Hammer Throw, Matt threw it 28.04m or 124' 10" to finish 16th out of 28 competitors. And in the Shot, he threw it 12.92m or 42' 4.75" to finish 15th out of 40 competitors. Complete results at: Lions' Invitational
-- On May 1st, a few of our Alums were in competition:
Alum Joe Halin ('00) of Appalachian State University competed in the Southern Conference Championships, this year held at Appalachian State. Joe took 5th in the 10K in 32:31.30. This was a step up in distance for Joe who apparently hasn't run the 10K all season. Full results at: So Con Championships
Alums Kevin Hurley ('01) and Mike Caputi ('00) of the University of Maryland, Baltimore competed in the America East Conference Championships at Northwestern's stadium in Dedham, Massachusetts. Kevin also stepped-up in distance, running the 10K for the first time all season and finishing 13th in 34:31.30. Mike ran the 800m in 2:00.21, finishing 14th. Full results of the meet are on two separate pages: Kevin's results on Day 1, and Mike's results on Day 2
Finally, Alum Marc Pelerin ('02) of Villanova University competed at the Big East Track and Field Championships held this year at Rutgers University. On Friday, he qualified 9th in the 1500m in 3:51.87, a PR! Interestingly, ten of the twelve qualfiers ran 3:51 in the two preliminary heats to make the finals. On Sunday, Marc finished in 12th place in 3:55.88. Full results are available at: Big East Champs
-- On May 6th, Alum Joe Halin ('00) of Appalachian State University, looking healthy from the rigors of the Spring Track season, stopped at Eastern High School's track to encourage the troops at the Cherokee vs Eastern dual meet. Joe was home for a long weekend before returning to ASU for finals. This picture shows Joe squinting into the late afternoon sun. Anyone recognize the person in the background?!
-- On May 8th, Alum Keith Krieger ('03) of Duke University competed in the James Madison Invitational at Harrisonburg, Va. Sharpening for the 10K in the upcoming ECAC/IC4A Championships, Keith ran the 3K in 8:45.49, finishing 6th in the race. Complete results at: JMU Sports
-- On May 15th, Alums Keith Krieger ('03) of Duke University and Marc Pelerin ('02) of Villanova University competed in the ECAC and IC4A Championships at Yale University. Keith took 2nd in the 10K, running an outstanding 30:13.93, another PR in an exceptional Freshman season! Marc did well too, running the 5K in 14:26.44 and taking 9th in the race. Full results are available at: ECAC-IC4A Results
-- On May 27, 2004, Alum Dave Sitzer of Oklahoma Baptist University competed in the NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) Track and Field Championships at Louisville, Ky. Nursing an injury for weeks, Dave and his coach decided that he could run one good race. Entered in the 4 X 800 Relay, Dave led-off in an unofficial 1:51.3 and helped his team take second in an outstanding 7:26.98! Full results at: NAIA Championships
-- Congratulations to Alum Keith Krieger ('03) who was named Track and Field "Freshman of the Year" by the coaches at Duke University! This is the second time Keith received this recognition, having been named after the Cross Country season as well.
-- On June 12, 2004, Alum Marc Pelerin ('02) of Villanova University competed in the New Jersey International Track and Field Meet at Colts Neck H.S. In a torrid finish, Marc placed third in the mile (PR of 4:08.58), only 4/10ths of a second behind the first place finisher. Full results at: NJ International
-- On June 26, 2004, Alum Keith Krieger ('03), running unattached, competed in the USA Junior Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Texas A & M in College Station, Texas. Running in humid weather similar to what we have here in New Jersey, Keith took 5th in the 10K at 32:17.26 and was named a Verizon US Junior All-American. Full results at: USA Jr. Nats