Jamaica, N.Y. - The BIG EAST Outdoor Track and Field Championships will take place at the Bauer Track and Field Complex on the Livingston campus of Rutgers University. The three-day event will begin on Friday, May 4 and conclude on Sunday, May 6. The championships will feature some of the nation's top collegiate track and field competitors.

For the St. Johns women, expect Sheba George (Brooklyn, N.Y.) to make a strong showing. George, the reigning ECAC weight throw champion, took second place in the weight throw and third place in the shot put at the BIG EAST Indoor Championships. George will compete in the hammer throw, shot put and the discus this weekend. Nicola Coffey (Meath, Ireland) will also be contending for a title. Coffey has had a strong outdoor season, winning the hammer throw event at two different meets this year. Coffey and George have both been named ECAC Field Athletes of the Week during this season.

Tiehise Shell (Hollis, N.Y.) and Tiffany Barnes (Queens Village, N.Y.) will both contend in their events. Shell has developed into one of the best 200m runners in the conference, while Barnes will fight to be at the top of the 400m race. Both Shell and Barnes will challenge for All-BIG EAST honors.

For the St. Johns men, George Maringapasi (Harare, Zimbabwe) will contend for the high jump championship. Maringapasi, the school-record holder in the high jump (71), took third place at the BIG EAST Indoor Championship and looks to better this performance.

Jason Goulart (Providence, R.I.) and Ed Hausdorf (Bellerose, N.Y.) will both vie for the hammer championship. Goulart hopes to defend his title as the BIG EAST hammer champion. Hausdorf has had a strong season and hopes to perform well in both the hammer and the javelin.

The BIG EAST will sponsor an outdoor track and field championship for the 22nd time in 2001. For the second time since 1980, the event will take place at the Bauer Track & Field Complex in Piscataway, N.J. St. John's captured the first men's crown in 1980, while the Villanova grabbed the first women's title in '83. Georgetown leads the men's field with 10 team championships, including five of the last six. Villanova leads the women with eight team crowns. Miami earned its second straight women's championship a year ago. The Notre Dame men and the Villanova women took home the championship last season.

                    SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

    FRIDAY, MAY 4 DECATHLON & HEPTATHLON

TIME 	MULTI-EVENT EVENT
Noon 	Heptathlon 100 Meter Hurdles
12:30 p.m. Decathlon 100 Meter Dash
1:00 p.m. Heptathlon Shot Put
1:15 p.m. Decathlon Long Jump
2:30 p.m. Heptathlon High Jump
2:45 p.m. Decathlon Shot Put
4:00 p.m. Decathlon High Jump
4:00 p.m. Heptathlon 200 Meter Dash
5:15 p.m. Decathlon 400 Meter Dash

     SATURDAY, MAY 5

TIME MULTI-EVENT EVENT
9:00 a.m. Heptathlon Long Jump
9:30 a.m. Decathlon 110 Meter Hurdles
10:15 a.m. Heptathlon Javelin
10:30 a.m. Decathlon Discus
Noon 	Decathlon Pole Vault
Noon 	Heptathlon 800 Meter Run
2:30 p.m. Decathlon Javelin
4:00 p.m. Decathlon 1500 Meter Run
TIME RUNNING EVENT
1:30 p.m. 100 Meter Dash Women Semifinals
1:45 p.m. 100 Meter Dash Men Semifinals
2:05 p.m. 100 Meter Hurdles Women Semifinals
2:20 p.m. 110 Meter Hurdles Men Semifinals
2:35 p.m. 200 Meter Dash Women Semifinals
2:50 p.m. 200 Meter Dash Men Semifinals
3:00 p.m. 1,500 Meter Run Women Trials
3:15 p.m. 1,500 Meter Run Men Trials
3:30 p.m. 400 Meter Dash Women Trials
3:45 p.m. 400 Meter Dash Men Trials
4:00 p.m. 800 Meter Run Women Trials
4:20 p.m. 800 Meter Run Men Trials
4:40 p.m. 400 Meter Hurdles Women Trials
4:55 p.m. 400 Meter Hurdles Men Trials
5:10 p.m. 3,000 Meter Steeplechase Women FINAL
5:25 p.m. 3,000 Meter Steeplechase Men FINAL
5:45 p.m. 10,000 Meter Run Women FINAL
6:25 p.m. 10,000 Meter Run Men FINAL
TIME FIELD EVENT
9:30 a.m. Pole Vault Women Trials & FINAL #
Noon Javelin Throw Women Trials & FINAL #
Noon Shot Put Men Trials & FINAL #
12:30 p.m. Triple Jump Women Trials & FINAL #
1:30 p.m. Shot Put Women Trials & FINAL #
3:00 p.m. Discus Throw Men Trials & FINAL #
3:00 p.m. Long Jump Men Trials & FINAL #
4:30 p.m. Discus Throw Women Trials & FINAL #
5:30 p.m. High Jump Men Trials & FINAL #

SUNDAY, MAY 6

TIME RUNNING EVENT - ALL FINALS
Noon 400 Meter Relay Women
12:15 p.m. 400 Meter Relay Men
12:30 p.m. 1,500 Meter Run Women
12:35 p.m. 1,500 Meter Run Men
12:45 p.m. 100 Meter Hurdles Women
12:55 p.m. 110 Meter Hurdles Men
1:05 p.m. 400 Meter Dash Women
1:10 p.m. 400 Meter Dash Men
1:15 p.m. 100 Meter Dash Women
1:20 p.m. 100 Meter Dash Men
1:25 p.m. 800 Meter Run Women
1:30 p.m. 800 Meter Run Men
1:40 p.m. 400 Meter Hurdles Women
1:50 p.m. 400 Meter Hurdles Men
2:00 p.m. 200 Meter Dash Women
2:05 p.m. 200 Meter Dash Men
2:10 p.m. 5,000 Meter Run Women
2:30 p.m. 5,000 Meter Run Men
2:50 p.m. 3,200 Meter Relay Women
3:05 p.m. 3,200 Meter Relay Men
3:20 p.m. 1,600 Meter Relay Women
3:35 p.m. 1,600 Meter Relay Men
TIME FIELD EVENT
11:00 a.m. Long Jump Women Trials & FINAL #
11:00 a.m. Javelin Throw Men Trials & FINAL #
11:00 a.m. Pole Vault Men Trials & FINAL #
11:00 a.m. Hammer Throw Women Trials & FINAL #
1:00 p.m. Hammer Throw Men Trials & FINAL #
1:00 p.m. Triple Jump Men Trials & FINAL #
1:00 p.m. High Jump Women Trials & FINAL #

TICKET INFO

Friday, May 4 Admission is free. Gates open at 11:00am.

Tickets for Saturday and Sunday, May 4&5 are $4.00 for adults,
 $2.00 for senior citizens and 18 and under. 
Big East students with valid ID are free.

Saturday - gates open at 8:00am
Sunday - gates open at 10:00am