May 13, 2008

NEW YORK -- Sophomore Conor Shelley (Rockville Centre, NY) and junior Alex Emerel (Holmdel, NJ) finished their 2008 track seasons is fine form late Saturday night at the New Balance NYC Qualifying Challenge meet at Icahn Stadium -- both setting personal-best times in their respective events.

Shelley finished 14th overall in the 1,500-meter run in 3:56.94, shaving one second off his previous best and coming within one second of the 2002 school record of 3:55.99, set by Chris McCloskey. Shelley placed fifth in the 1,500 at the MAAC Championships and also cracked the 15-minute barrier for the first time at the Penn Relays this spring.

Emerel placed 15th overall in the 5,000-meter run in 15:35.83, lopping seven seconds off his previous best in that event, which he set at the Yale Springtime Invitational two weeks earlier. Also in the 5,000, junior Girma Segni (Bronx, NY) was third in the race in 14:55.63. Emerel's race capped a strong spring season: He placed first and set at a meet record at the Coach O Invitational at the United States Merchant Marine Academy at 10,000 meters, and then set a personal-best time in the same event at the MAAC Championships.

The men's track team returns to action on Friday, when three distance runners will compete at the IC4A Championships at Princeton University. Senior captain Girma Segni (Bronx, NY) have also qualified for the IC4A meet.