Villanova won the College Men’s 4xMile Championship of America at the Penn Relays in Philadelphia on Saturday. Dublin sophomore Sean Donoghue led off for Marcus O’Sullivan’s Wildcats and reeled off a 4:01.24 before handing off the baton to Cork senior Charlie O’Donovan, whose split went in 4:01.80. New Jersey residents Sean Dolan and Liam Murphy (who went from ninth place to first in a final burst) brought Villanova to the medal presentation with a time of 16:14.03 over Mick Byrne’s Wisconsin Badgers, who finished in 16:14.24.
“It is a coming-of-age moment,” O’Sullivan said of his charges’ will to win. “I don’t get excited that much about things, but when I was watching the race today, I’m just exhilarated to watch young guys grow from last year to this year. To see them get some fruits of their efforts and their labor is a very special moment. I can’t express it enough, but to do it on your home track, so to speak, at Penn, but nevertheless it means a lot to a lot of people.”
The race was a turning of the tables from Friday’s College Men’s Distance Medley Championship of America. Wisconsin got the upper hand there, posting a winning time of 9:33.82. Villanova was along for the silver in 9:34.83.
Donoghue also got second place in the College Men’s 1500 meter Championship. Along in 3:42.67, only Gavin Gaynor of North Carolina State (3:40.24) had him beat.
In the College Men’s 10,000 meter Championship of America, Providence took three of the first four spots. Marcelo Rocha ran a winning 28:53.42, with David McGlynn, a senior from Williamstown, Co. Waterford, the runner-up in 28:59.86. Teammate Shane Coffey, a junior from Naas, Co. Kildare, was fourth man in at 29:22.84.
Ray Treacy had his moment as the Providence College women won the College Women’s 4x1500 Championship of America. Alex O’Neill, a senior from Ennis, Co. Clare, ran the first leg before handing off to Shannon Flockhart of England. Cork freshman Jane Buckley was third in line for the Friars, handing the baton to Kimberley May of New Zealand, who brought it past the beam in 17:11.35. Oklahoma State was close on the Friars’ heels, getting second place in 17:11.70. Providence last won this event in 1991 with an all-Irish cast of Anita Philpott, Natalie Davey and the Geraldines, Hendricken and Nolan.
Providence senior Orla O’Connor finished fifth in the College Women’s 10,000 meter Championship. The Waterford resident came home in 34:33.43 in a race won by Eastern Kentucky’s Jone Zabaleta-Larranaga in 33:55.24.
In the College Women’s 1500 meter Championship at Penn, Temple’s Laura Nicholson got third place. She ran the race in 4:17.03 behind Michigan’s Samantha Tran, the winner in 4:15.47.
Meanwhile, at the Drake Relays in Iowa, Tulsa’s Shay McEvoy took third place in the men’s 1500 meters. The Kilkenny sophomore ran the race in 3:44.94, with Bradley’s Jack Crull home first in 3:43.18.
MEN’S GOLF
Sam Murphy of Grand Canyon University finished joint-sixth in the Western Athletic Conference Championship at Boulder Creek in Boulder City, Nev. The Galway sophomore shot 70, 68 and 70 to finish eight strokes under par and 11 off the winning number shot by New Mexico State’s Garrison Smith. Grand Canyon took the team title with a five-stroke cushion over New Mexico State.
Marquette won the Big East Championship at Riverton Pointe in Hardeeville, S.C., getting just enough out of Josh Robinson. The senior from Lisburn, Co. Antrim posted rounds of 76, 75 and 76 to garner a share of 31stplace. Seton Hall’s David Lally, a freshman from County Wicklow, helped the Pirates to third-place spoils. His opening 69 was good for a share of the lead. He followed with rounds of 75 and 77, which got him a slice of 14th place, eight strokes off the low number. DePaul’s Connor Glennon, a senior from Glasson, Co. Westmeath, shot 75, 71 and 78 to earn a tie at 23rd place. The Blue Demons got eighth place in the 10-team scramble.
Paul Conroy of Chattanooga took fourth place in the Southern Conference Championship at the Reynolds Plantation Oconee Course in Greensboro, Ga. The sophomore from Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford was in the mix for medal honors after two rounds of 67 but bogeyed each of his last four holes to finish with a closing 74. That left him six strokes on the high side of East Tennessee State’s Mats Ege, who walked off with the individual trophy.
Mark Devlin of Luther College got second place in the Luther Spring Classic at Oneota in Decorah, Iowa. The sophomore from Cookstown, Co. Tyrone finished two strokes under par for 36 holes after rounds of 72 and 70. Only teammate Jay Fjelstul did better, shooting 140 to Devlin’s 142.
Eoin Freeman of Sacred Heart tied for ninth place in the Northeast Conference Championship at LPGA International in Daytona Beach, Fla. The Dublin sophomore combined rounds of 77 and 73 to stand five strokes off the low number, which was shared by a trio.
Kansas State’s Luke O’Neill tied for 15th place in the Big-12 Conference Championship at Prairie Dunes in Hutchinson, Kan. The Galway junior shot 71, 76, 72 and 70, which put him nine strokes over par for the event and 24 off the winning mark shot by Ludvig Aberg of Texas Tech.
Jordan Hyland of Davis & Elkins tied for 31st place in the D2 Atlantic/East Regional Preview at Iron Valley Golf Club in Lebanon, Pa. The senior from Omagh, Co. Tryone posted rounds of 79 and 73 to finish nine strokes in back of medalist Giovanni Delorenzi of Gannon.
