Zawalich Named NE-10 Track Rookie of the Week

Paxton, Mass., native honored for first time after helping men's DMR provisionally qualify for nationals

EASTON, Mass. (February 14, 2012) – Stonehill College freshman Daniel Zawalich (Paxton, Mass./St. John's of Shrewsbury) has been named the Northeast-10 Conference Track Rookie of the Week by the league office.

Zawalich turned in two strong performances for Stonehill at the Boston University Valentine Invitational, held at the BU Track & Tennis Center, on Saturday. He ran the 800-meter leg of the men's 4000-meter distance medley relay team that provisionally qualified for the NCAA Division II Championships in Mankato, Minn., next month with a time of 10:04.38. It marks the second straight year the Skyhawks DMR has qualified for nationals and Zawalich posted an 800-meter split of 1:52 that is under the NCAA provisional qualifying standard for that distance (1:54.20). He also turned in a 14th place finish out of 75 competitors in the 1000-meter run with his time of 2:28.93 to win his section and place fifth among small college runners and qualify for the New England Championships later this month.

Zawalich owns the top times for Stonehill in three events this season, including his 1000-meter time on Saturday. He placed seventh in the 800-meter run at the Charley Torpey Memorial Invitational, hosted by the University of Rhode Island, on February 4 with a time of 1:57.41 and also turned in a seventh place showing in the mile at the Joe Donahue Boston Indoor Collegiate Games with a time of 4:15.83 – just a second off NCAA provisional qualifying pace. Zawalich also posted a pair of second place finishes at the Reggie Poyau Invitational, hosted by Brandeis University, in the 1000 (2:31.47) and with the 4x800-meter relay team (8:07.70) on December 10.

Zawalich ran two races for Stonehill's Northeast-10 Conference championship men's cross country program in the fall. He placed 32nd overall at the NE-10 Championships, covering the 8-kilometer layout in a personal-best time of 25:47.19, to go with a 26th place finish at the Codfish Bowl in 26:57 (8-kilometers).

Stonehill, ranked third in this week's U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Division II East Regional index, is back in action this weekend when it opens the championship season at the Northeast-10 Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships at the Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center in Boston starting at 4 p.m.