Track and Field Embarks on AAC Indoor Championships

Brad Vivace ranks first in the conference in the shot put.

February 27, 2014 | Track & Field

Feb. 27, 2014

NEW YORK - The University of Louisville track and field teams are well acquainted with the New Balance Track and Field Center in the Armory. After competing in the venue for the conference championships four of the last five years, the Cardinals face new competition in the inaugural American Athletic Conference Championships this weekend.

Louisville, which competed at the venue as part of the BIG EAST Championships from 2008-10 and again in 2012, enters as one of the top four teams in both the men's and women's races. The Cardinals boast 28 top-five marks in the conference, including multiple league leaders, among a field that consists of eight men's teams and 10 women's teams.

The championships begin Friday, Feb. 28, at 8:30 a.m. ET, and continue on Saturday. Live results will be available through The American website and the entire meet is going to be streamed free of charge on The American Digital Network.

Louisville opens the meet with the multi-events, as Kim Cardeiro and Hannah Cox compete in the pentathlon, and Marcus Motill is scheduled to take part in the heptathlon. Cardeiro compiled the fourth-best pentathlon score in the league this year.

The women's mile trial at 12:15 p.m. is Louisville's first event outside of either the heptathlon or pentathlon. The men's mile, which begins shortly after, boasts two Louisville runners in the top five in the league in Andrew Stewart and Mattias Wolter.

As the track events continue, Calvin Arsenault is slated to participate in the 60m hurdles trial at 12:55 p.m. Arsenault, who ranks third in the league in the event, finished third last year in the race. Later in the day, Kelsey Cramsey and Emily Bushey take part in the women's 800m trials. Cramsey nearly set the school record earlier this season in the event and has the fourth-fastest time in the AAC.

The field events pick up at 2 p.m. with the women's pole vault, where Chanel Krause and Chelsea Bingham each rank in the top 10.

Day one also features the men's and women's weight throw and the men's and women's long jump.

Brittany Owens ranks first in the conference in the long jump and fifth in the triple jump.

Brittany Owens ranks first in the women's long jump - fifth in the triple jump, which takes part on Saturday - and Guillaume Victorin is second in the men's long jump. Ben Williams, who competes on Saturday, ranks No. 1 in the men's triple jump and has the ninth-best mark nationally.

Sam Bombaugh, who ranks first in the conference this year in the weight throw, put together one of the best performances in school history at last year's indoor championships, winning the shot put and weight throw titles. He became not only the first athlete in school history to do that, but also the first in the BIG EAST's 30-year history to achieve that feat.

Patrice Gates, who leads the league in the women's weight throw, anchors a group of four in the event. Her personal-best throw of 20.26m/66-5.75 is 26th-best nationally.

Louisville concludes Friday with the men's and women's 5,000m races followed by the men's and distance medley relays. The women own the fastest DMR time in the league, while the men rank third.

Day two features the final three competitions in the multi-events in addition to a slew of sprints and middle distance finals.

The men's and women's high jump competitions begin early on Saturday followed by the men's shot put. Brad Vivace is the conference leader in the shot put, and Steve Wade ranks fifth. Louisville also two women's throwers who rank in the top five in the shot put in Liberty Slinden and Rachel Serafin.

The distance runners hit the track at 2:10 p.m. with the women's and men's unseeded 3,000m followed by the women's seeded race. Edwin Kibichiy, one of six Cardinals in the men's race, has the second-fastest mark in league action.

The women's and then the men's 4x400m relays wrap up competition before the awards ceremony that is scheduled for 3:40 p.m.

For the latest information on Louisville cross country and track and field, log on to GoCards.com, or, for up-to-the-minute updates, follow the team's Twitter account at www.twitter.com/uofltrackxc or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/uofltrackxc.

AAC INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS (NEW BALANCE ARMORY - NEW YORK, NY)

Friday, Feb. 28

Women's Pentathlon 60m Hurdles, 8:30 a.m.
Kim Cardeiro, Hannah Cox

Women's Pentathlon High Jump, 9:15 a.m.
Kim Cardeiro, Hannah Cox

Men's Pole Vault, 10 a.m.
Kevin Jackson

Men's Heptathlon 60m, 10:30 a.m.
Marcus Motill

Women's Pentathlon Shot Put, 11 a.m.
Kim Cardeiro, Hannah Cox

Men's Heptathlon Long Jump, 11:15 a.m.
Marcus Motill

Women's Pentathlon Long Jump, 12:15 p.m.
Kim Cardeiro, Hannah Cox

Women's Mile Trials, 12:15 p.m.
Benadate Cheruiyot, Michelle Molodynia

Men's Heptathlon Shot Put, 12:30 p.m.
Marcus Motill

Men's Mile Trials, 12:30 p.m.
Thomas Cave, Andrew Stewart, Mattias Wolter