DePaul University Athletics
DePaul University
NCAA Championships Day 1
Nedow and Quiett Finish Strong at NCAA Championships
6/8/2011 12:00:00 AM | TRACK AND FIELD
June 8, 2011
DES MOINES, Iowa - DePaul junior Tim Nedow and senior Mary Cate Quiett finished day one of the NCAA Outdoor Championship with All-American performances at Drake Stadium. Nedow finished in 14th in the discus which earned the junior second-team All-American honors, while Quiett took 22nd in the 800m.
"Today was a good start to our meet," first year head track and field coach Dave Dopek said with a smile.
The former two-time Blue Demon All-American, who has been a part of DePaul's track and field program for 20 plus years, went on to say, "It is the only occasion that I can remember that we have had people competing on each of the first few days."
"Tim did a great job and we would have hoped for a better outcome from Mary Cate, but I am still so proud of both of them."
Nedow, who will also participate in the shot put on Friday, scratched off his first event with swagger and a big throw of 53.96m. Reaching the NCAA Championship in the discus for the first time in his career, Nedow improved on each of his three throws.
The junior was in 19th place after his first attempt of 49.68m, while his second throw of 52.54m moved him just one spot. Nedow gave it everything he had on this final attempt and was crowned DePaul's fifth men's track and field All-American - its first in the discus.
Nedow joins the likes of three-time All-American Carey Ryan, Coach Dopek, All-American long jumper Chris Stafford and 2010 hammer thrower Brad Millar.
"I am really excited today," Blue Demon throws coach Brandon Murer said after his second All-American was crowned in consecutive outdoor seasons.
"Tim looked great in warm-up and came through with a solid performance. He felt good going into the competition and felt like it was just not quite enough. He looked really solid and like he did most of the year. We train all year to have solid performances and we train for big meets like this and those big performances," Murer added with pride.
"Brandon and I are fired up that Tim has the opportunity to get All-American status in the shot put," Dopek added. "I think what happened today made Tim really hungry for Friday."
Nedow enters the shot put circle at 5:30 p.m. on Friday and is scheduled for the second flight. The top nine move into the finals while the top eight will earn first-team All-American honors.
Quiett did not go quietly at her first NCAA Outdoor Championships and finished her noisy and accomplished career as an honorable mention All-American in the 800m.
Running with the nation's fastest 800m runners and in temperatures reaching into the mid 90s on the legendary Drake Stadium track, Quiett finished in 22nd.
"Mary Cate has dug deep on so many occasions but some days you just don't have it," Dopek said of his senior Co-Most Outstanding outdoor women's athlete. "I am so proud that Mary Cate put herself in a position to compete at such a high level and this national meet."
While Quiett might not have run as fast as she would have liked on a sticky Wednesday evening in Iowa, the Mishawaka, Ind. native has many DePaul first under her belt. She was crowned DePaul's first BIG EAST women's indoor Champion in the 800m in 2010 and was DePaul's first runner to reach the Outdoor Championships since 2004 when Erin Moffett ran in the 10,000m.
Quiett earned All-BIG EAST honors in the outdoor 800M this season and in 2008. The senior also was named the BIG EAST Runner of the Week twice.
Quiett also finishes her career with eight DePaul track records. In the indoor annuals, the senior holds the record in the 600, 800 and 1000 meters while she is also a part of the 4x400 relay record-breaking team in 2010. In the outdoor record book, Quiett is the record holder in the 800 while she is a member of three record holding relay teams.
Alanna Kovacs gets into the action on Thursday in the javelin. The javelin begins at 3:05 p.m., while the Blue Demon junior is in the second flight of the trials -- the top nine moves into the finals which will begin after both flights are complete.
Players Mentioned
