The Georgetown University track and field team is all geared up for the 2016 BIG EAST Outdoor Track & Field Championships, presented by Jeep. This would be the first time in conference history that the two-day meet will be scheduled at the Spire Institute in Geneva, Ohio.
Men's Preview
The Hoyas will need to do really well if they intend to defend their four titles from 2015, where the Blue and Gray placed fourth, in 4x800-meter relay, 4x400-meter relay, 3,000-meter steeplechase and the 800-meter run.
All-American Joe White (Clifton, N.J./DePaul Catholic) will need to be on pins and needles in order to defend his 800-meter title from last year's championships and complete the indoor and outdoor double in the event. White won the outdoor title in February. White even anchored last year's 4x400-meter championship squad.
Clocking 1:46.67 at the Stanford Twilight Meet, White makes an impressive entrance in the event, boasting the best 800-meter time in the league.
The Hoyas emerged victorious in the 800-meter run as well as the last two outdoor championships with All-American Ahmed Bile grabbing the crown in 2014, according to reports on G Hoya Athletics.
Hoyas will give it their best shot at the men's steeplechase as they seek to retain the title and keep it with the Blue and Gray. However, this will not be the first time they taste victory - GU has won the event the previous two years as well.
All-American Scott Carpenter (Lenox, Mass. / Lenox Memorial) and Darren Fahy (Carlsbad, Calif./La Costa Canyon) own the top and third-best times in the leagues, respectively making it to the finals on Friday. Georgetown, the two-time defending champion in the 4x800-meter relay, boasting wins in 2015 and 2014 would try and look for another three-peat.
Also, the BIG EAST mighty squads, the Hoyas and the Villanova University Wildcats both have 10 4x800-meter conference titles, a tie for the most in the league with both teams hoping for a remarkable 11th crown on Saturday, May 14.
Women's Preview
The GU women won two titles during last year's championship, where the Hoyas were placed fifth.
The reigning 1,500-meter champion, All-American Katrina Coogan (Exeter, N.H./Phillips Exeter Academy) is expected to step in the field again this year. Coogan set a meet record last year when she clocked 4:13.70 at Villanova Stadium.
In the midst of an outstanding final track & field season, Coogan anchored both the NCAA distance medley relay (DMR) championship squad and the Penn Relays DMR championship team.
Georgetown grabbed its spot in history as it pulled off the DMR double by winning the NCAA indoor crown as well as the Penn Relays wheel both in the same season. The other schools that have achieved this feat are Tennessee, North Carolina and Villanova.
The women's team will aim for double digits while they defend their 2015 4x800-meter title.
The Hoyas, on the other hand would be looking for their 10th title with nine wins in program history already under their belt. If they manage to pull this off, Hoyas would become just the second team in conference history to reach double digits.
The entire championship is slated to be broadcast live on the BIG EAST Digital Network (BEDN). Along with John Fanta on play-by-play, Cayleigh Griffin has been tabbed to serve as the sideline reporter.
