Baker Blossoms at MAAC Championship

April has been a good month for the Sandymount senior from Dublin, Ireland. At the Colonial Relays in Williamsburg Virginia she won the 5000-meter run. The Irish Gael left the pack 35 seconds behind her at the finish line. The next day at the Colonials she kicked in for Iona's 4 x 1500 relay team that finished a respectable third. The MAAC honored the in form middle distance runner with Outdoor Track Performer of the Week which made it two weekly honors in a row.

Baker would love to finish her career with at least a bid for an NCCA appearance. It would be a great way to end a college career where she has done nothing but improved. She finished 2008 leading the Gaels with an All-Regional 15th place. She's capable of running great races but the challenge is to burst the bubble and make that 2009 NCAA bid.

At the MAAC's on the weekend Ashling Baker won the 5000m event. Baker took the title home in 17:17.83. In the final phase of the race she proved too strong for teammate Leonie Smith and Marist's Addie DiFrancesco. The Sandymount senior is finishing strong this season. Not only will the NCAA have noticed her times but also rival-runners will consider her a threat for top placement.

Irish Friars Make NCAA Regionals

It's been a good month for Irish athletes in America. Men's Track and Field at Providence held their own at the Penn Relays. David McCarthy from Waterford took a fourth placing in the men's distance medley relay. The Friars finished just 7 seconds behind winners Villanova in one of the most exciting finishes to the Championship of America race.

In another relay Richard Yeates from Dublin joined McCarthy in the men's 4 x Mile Championship of America. Once again the Friars were not that far behind on the clock with only 6 seconds separating them from winners Arkansas.

At the Mt. Sac Relays in Walnut, CA five Friars qualified for NCAA Regionals to be held on May 29-30. McCarthy and Yeates kicked in with personal-best times in the 5000m and both Irish men are on their way to the NCAA May event in North Carolina.

At the Big East Championship on the weekend McCarthy came second in the 1500 meters beaten by Georgetown's Liam Boylan-Pett by less than one second. Yeates came in seventh in the 10000 meter run.

O'Sullivan Inspires Villanova's Relay Team

The 2009 Big East Championship was hosted by Villanova where legendary Irish runner Marcus O'Sullivan is the head coach. O'Sullivan's team had some excellent individual results that bodes well for future NCAA bids. Elvis Lewis won the 400-meter dash. Long Island's Sean Tully won the 800 meters while Matthew Gibney finished sixth Carl MacKenzie ran a great fourth in the 1500 meters while Cody Harper finished seventh.

Coach Sullivan has got to be relatively happy with placements but he will want improvement as NCCA qualification draws near. Brian Long and Benjamin Guest stuck to their side-by-side routine with a ninth and tenth finish, not such a bad outing for a sophomore and freshman.

Saving the best for last Sullivan guided his relay team to a first place in the 4 x 800 relay beating a very strong Georgetown by .13 of a second. Villanova ran the relay in 7:25.851 just over 2 seconds behind the meet record held by O'Sullivan himself back in 1987.

It's no wonder his Wildcats find that extra kick in relay events. No doubt they know that O'Sullivan, Ray Flynn, Eamonn Coghlan and Frank O'Mara still hold the world record in the 4 x mile relay. O'Sullivan and co. produced the WR time of 15:49.08 on August 17, 1987 in Dublin.