Allegheny College Athletics - Dipre, Symoniak Ready For Indoor Nationals

Tradition, Commitment, Excellence

Athletes of the Year

Women's Cross Country

Mia Symoniak was selected by the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee as the Allegheny Female Student-Athlete of the Year. An All-NCAC performer in Cross Country and both Indoor and Outdoor Track and Field, she was chosen over five other nominees for the award.

Symoniak had a decorated year as the Allegheny women's top distance runner. During the cross country season, she placed ninth among 91 runners at the NCAC Championships to earn All-NCAC Second Team status. Symoniak finished 25th of 311 finishers at the Mideast Region Regional, claiming All-Region status.

Other in-season accolades included one stint as NCAC Runner of the Week after Symoniak took fifth out of 193 participants at Calvin's Knight Invitational. She was also honored as an Allegheny Athlete of the Week once and was the SAAC Female Student-Athlete of the Month in January.

During the indoor track campaign, Symoniak won the 5,000-meter run at the NCAC Championships while setting a new Allegheny and conference record (17:19.82). She also won the 5,000 individual race at the NCAC Relays and was first in the 3,000 at Mount Union's Jim Wuske Invitational. In her trip to Nationals, Symoniak finished 12th in the 5K.

During the outdoor season, Symoniak established her dominance in the 5,000 with another NCAC title. She also garnered NCAC Distance Runner of the Week honors after placing third in the 10,000 at Bucknell's Bison Classic. Symoniak was also an Allegheny Athlete of the Week.

Chris Marker

Men's Cross Country

Chris Marker was selected by the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee as the Allegheny Male Student-Athlete of the Year. An All-American performer in Cross Country, he was chosen over three other nominees for the award.

Marker, a junior, began his 2009-10 school year in fine fashion, claiming placing second at the NCAC Cross Country Championships, first at the Mideast Regional and 14th at the Division III Championships.

He was named to the All-NCAC First Team for finishing as runner-up among 109 finishers at the conference meet. At Regionals, he became Allegheny's first-ever individual region champion, placing ahead of 313 other runners, while the team won its first Mideast Region crown. At Nationals, the Gators took third place.

Marker was strong throughout the cross country season, placing first among 245 runners at Oberlin's Inter-Regional Rumble and second of 200 at Calvin's Knight Invitational. He was twice named Allegheny Athlete of the Week and once was an NCAC Runner of the Week after his performance at Calvin. The SAAC honored him twice as its Male Student-Athlete of the Month in September and October.

For the second consecutive year, Marker won the 5,000-meter run at both the NCAC Indoor and Outdoor Track and Field championship events. He set a new Gator record in the 5K when recording a time of 14:24.08 at Hillsdale's Gina Relays.

After winning the 5,000 at Washington and Lee's Carnival, he was honored as the NCAC Distance Runner of the Week. In April, the SAAC recognized him with his third Male Student-Athlete of the Month award.

Dipre, Symoniak Ready For Indoor Nationals

3/11/2010 11:40:09 AM

Official Site

Live Video (Friday)

Live Video (Saturday)

GREENCASTLE, Ind. -- Senior Mia Symoniak and junior Tony Dipre will compete at this weekend's National Collegiate Athletic Association Division III Track & Field Championships, hosted by DePauw.

Symoniak is slated to take part in the women's 5,000-meter run. Last week, she shattered Allegheny College and conference meet records in the event, crossing the finish line in 17:19.82. The time was only a provisional qualifier, but the NCAA eventually included Symoniak in the 15-runner championship field.

The national experience will be Symoniak's third. In 2007, she placed 142nd as the top Allegheny women's runner at the NCAA Cross Country Championships. Symoniak also took part in the 10,000 at the 2009 Outdoor Track & Field Championships, where she finished 16th.

Dipre will run the men's mile at the NCAA Championships. Like Symoniak, he won an NCAC championship while breaking school and meet records. Dipre's time was an automatic qualifier (4:10.84).

Dipre is no stranger to the national scene. He hopes to claim his third All-America honor -- and second in the indoor mile. Last season, Dipre placed eighth with a time of 4:11.07. He has also participated at Cross Country Nationals, finishing 151st, 25th (All-American) and 66th in 2007, 2008 and 2009, respectively.

Twelve runners will compete in the mile during Friday's prelimaries and 10 will advance to Saturday's final. Nick Guarino of Fredonia has recorded the top time in D-III this season (4:09.10). Dipre is ranked sixth in the race while his runner-up at NCACs, Denison's Makorobondo Salukombo (4:12.23), is rated seventh.

The 5,000 will be run only once. That heat will take place on Saturday. Kerry Arouca of Westfield State has the nation's top time (17:03.41). Symoniak is ranked 11th while Joanna Johnson of Oberlin, who did not compete in the 5K at NCACs, is 12th (17:21.21).

Calendar List

Jun

July 2010

Aug

Sat, Jul. 31, 2010

There are no events scheduled.

Thu, May 20 | | Women's Track and Field

at North Central Last Chance Meet
Allegheny

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