Junior Maria Curit posted Stonehill's first women's All-America finish since 2006 with seventh place in the 800-meter run. (PHOTO BY Robert Mathews) |
Curit finishes seventh in 800-meter run for first women's All-America 2006
Dixon also earns first All-America award with 8th place finish in 110-meter hurdles
ALLENDALE, Mich. (May 24, 2014) – Senior Xavier Dixon (New Bedford, Massachusetts/New Bedford) and junior Maria Curit (Biddeford, Maine/Biddeford) both produced All-America finishes to wrap up Stonehill College's weekend at the 2014 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships, hosted by Grand Valley State University and the West Michigan Sports Commission, at the GVSU Track & Field Complex this evening.
Dixon was up first on the final day of the NCAA Championships and turned in an eighth place finish in the 110-meter high hurdles in 14.35-seconds. He edged out Tiffin University senior Wilner Marcelin (14.36-seconds) for the final All-America position by just 0.01-seconds. Dixon earned the ninth and final spot in tonight's final by just 0.009-seconds with his third place finish in his preliminary heat in 14.421-seconds on Friday.
Saint Augustine's University senior Ty'reak Murray won tonight's final in 13.89-seconds, while Minnesota State Mankato freshman Myles Hunter was second in 13.96 and Ashland University junior Elijha Owens took third in 13.98. Dixon collects his first career All-America award in his first NCAA Outdoor Championships appearance. He qualified for the NCAA Indoor Championships for the first time in March and placed 11th in the prelims.
Senior Xavier Dixon finished eighth in the 110-meter hurdles to cap his career with his first All-America award. (PHOTO BY Robert Mathews) |
Curit followed Dixon up with the first All-America award in her career as she placed seventh in the 800-meter run in 2-minutes, 10.75-seconds. Seattle Pacific University senior McKayla Fricker won the event in 2:06.18, while Concord University senior Shawnee Carnett finished second in 2:07.53 and Ursuline College sophomore Nicole Burlinson placed third in 2:08.64.
Curit, who had posted the seventh-fastest qualifying time in Friday's prelims at 2:09.05 and earned an automatic spot in the final with her second place finish in the third heat, came out fast in tonight's final and held an early lead down the backstretch on the opening lap. She sat in fourth place after the first 400-meters with a 1:04 split, she held through the back stretch on the final lap before picking up the pace for the closing 200-meters, before settling in a seventh at the finish line.
Curit earns the women's track & field program's first All-America award since 2006 when Dana DeIngenis, '07, finished eighth in the 1500-meter run at the Outdoor Championships. Curit had been the first automatic qualifier in program history to earn her first career NCAA Outdoor Championships appearance.
Curit earned two team points for Stonehill with her seventh place finish to put the Skyhawks in 61st in the team standings. Dixon's eighth place finish earned a point for the Stonehill men, putting the Skyhawks in 56th place in the team standings. Lincoln University of Missouri won the women's team championship with 64 points, while Saint Augustine's won the men's title with 112.0 points.
Senior Chelsea Bishop (Suffield, Connecticut/Suffield) opened Stonehill's stay at the NCAA Championships with her 12th place finish in the 10,000-meter run on Thursday night with a school-record time of 35-minutes, 57.85-seconds.
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