Pitt
Big East Championships
Panthers Finish Third at Big East Outdoor Championships
5/6/2012 12:00:00 AM | Men's Track & Field
May 6, 2012
TAMPA, Fla.—Senior Antony Hobwana captured his second Big East Championship Outdoor title to lead the University of Pittsburgh men’s track and field team to a third-place finish with 86 points at the conference meet on Sunday.
“Our student-athletes competed at a very high level this weekend,” Pitt head coach Alonzo Webb said. “It was an incredible performance for us. I was really pleased with our effort.”
Hobwana won the gold medal in the 100-meter dash for the second time in his career, crossing the finish line at 10.34 seconds. Hobwana was also named the fastest man in the Big East during the 2008-09 season after claiming first in the 100-meter dash at 10.57.
Hobwana would also assist two relay teams to a first-place finish and All-Big East honors. First, the 1,600-meter relay team of sophomore Micah Murray and seniors Hobwana, Jermaine Lowery and Jerome Lowery combined for a top finish of 3:08.09.
Later, the 400-meter relay team of freshman Joshua Thompson, sophomore Reginald Steele IV, Murray and Hobwana won their event with a time of 40.42.
This is the first time since 1989 and only the second time in program history the Panthers have won both the 1,600 and 400-meter relays at the same outdoor conference championship.
In another first-place performance, Jermaine Lowery earned his first-ever individual Big East title, as he unseated defending champion David Aristil of USF in the 400-meter hurdles finals. Lowery crossed the finish line at 50.25.
Additionally, Murray turned in two top-six finishes, placing fourth in the 400-meter dash (46.75) and sixth in the 200-meter dash (21.68).
Pitt’s 3,200-meter relay team recorded All-Big East honors, as sophomore Sam Negley, juniors Kevin Hull and Benjamin Hatch and senior Dontave Cowsette finished second (7:27.46) overall.
Individually, Negley finished fourth in the 800-meter run (1:51.49).
In another All-Big East effort, junior Tashaun Hill crossed the finish line third in the 100-meter hurdles (14.04).
Rounding out the top-10, senior Folarin Ijelu finished fourth in the triple jump (14.86 meters), while senior Kurt Barnhart finished ninth in the discus with a toss of 48.83 meters.
The Panthers finished 10th at last year’s outdoor championship. Pitt, however, mirrored its third-place team performance from the indoor meet this past February.
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