Troy, OH - The 2001 Verizon Atlantic 10 Track Championships began Saturday at Troy Memorial Stadium, in Troy, OH. The event will continue on Sunday, with the University of Dayton as host.

Ben Koch (Germantown, MD) of St. Joseph's set a new conference record in the 3000-meter steeplechase with a time of 9:12.10. The former record was set last year by La Salle's Colin Dooley (9:14.87).

The Hawk's Christine Kane (Drexel Hill, PA) dominated the 3,000-meter run field, winning by over seven seconds with a time of 9:53.90.

Hiedi Westerling (Charleston, NH) of Rhode Island took the women's 10,000-meter event, with a record-setting time of 37:38.67, eclipsing Elena Gomaz's former mark of 37:47.47 for La Salle in 1998. La Salle's Todd Witzieben (West Seneca, NY) won the men's 10,000-meter run with a time of 32:05.54.

Massachusetts swept the javelin throw as Jesse Austin (N. Attleboro, MA) won the men's event with a throw of 59.86 meters (196'05"), and Rhianna DaCruz (Pawtuccat, RI) took the women's event with a mark of 42.36 meters (139'00"). DaCruz also took the women's pole vault with a vault of 3.35 meters (10'11.75") .

Rhode Island's throwers swept the men's hammer throw, as Scott Iamarone (Providence, RI) won the event with a throw of 56.62 meters (185'09"). He was followed by Paul Peterson (Newport, RI) and James Rooney (N. Carver, MA). In the women's hammer throw, Rhode Island's Heather Johnston (Warwick, RI) won with a distance of 47.20 meters (154'10").

In the men's 110-meter high hurdles, Rhode Island's Colin Aina (E. Providence, RI) and Dustin Kuzma (E. Greenwich, RI) were the top qualifiers, with times of 14.73 and 15.09 respectively.

Duquesne's Nicole Wiley (Great Valley, NY) was the top qualifier in the women's 100-meter hurdles with a time of 14.97. Host Dayton's LeBren Martin (Trotwood, OH) finished behind her with a time of 14.99.

Kweis Boateng-Frimpon (Accra, Ghana) took the top qualifying spot In the men's 100-meter dash with a time 10.86 for UMass.

Temple's hopeful in the 100-meter, 200-meter, and 400-meter dash, Afia Brown (Yeadon, PA) was the top qualifier in the women's 100-meter with a time of 1.46.

After the first four events in the women's heptathlon St. Joe's Gina Bundy (Ambler, PA) stands in the lead, with a total of 2,812 points. UMass' Melissa Ward (Franklinville, NY) is in second, with 2,778 points after day one. Bundy also won the women's high jump with a mark of 1.64 meters (5'04.50").

In the men's long jump, Temple's Robert Leite-Young (York, PA) won with a jump of 6.64 meters (21'10.5"). On the women's side, Maisha Tyler (Chester, PA) of St. Joseph's won with a 5.57 meter jump.