Davidson College

DAVIDSON, N.C. – Davidson's distance group will be looking to lead the Wildcats track and field team at the 2010 Southern Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championships Saturday and Sunday at Kidd Brewer Stadium on the campus of Appalachian State University in Boone, N.C.

Davidson will be one of nine teams competing. Live results will be available by clicking here.

Three of the top-five 5000-meter run times in the conference this season belong to Davidson runners. Junior Charlie Schmitt ranks second at 14:44.84, sophomore Ryan Hopkins is third at 14:47.95 and freshman Demetrios Pagonis is fifth at 14:58.42. All three times rank among the top-10 best performances all-time at Davidson. The Wildcats' record in the event is 14:33.88, set by Coty Pinckney at the SoCon Championships in 1978.

The 'Cats may also get a boost from another top-10 Davidson performer in the event, senior Tom Divinnie. Divinnie has missed the entire outdoor season due to injury, but is hoping to compete in the 5K in his last race for Davidson.

Junior Peter Bruton will be the 'Cats' top middle distance threat as he ranks fifth in the SoCon in the 1500-meter run after running a personal-best of 3:54.95 at the Liberty Invitational, while also ranking eighth in the 800-meter run after running a 1:54.88 at Winthrop.

Jin-Han Justin Song represents Davidson's best chance in the sprints, as his top-time this season of 49.62 in the 400-meter dash ranks seventh in the conference. Sophomore Taylor Martin will be looking to advance in the 400-meter hurdles. He broke onto Davidson's top-10 performers list in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 55:96 at Winthrop, which ranks ninth in the SoCon.

This year marks the 86th SoCon Championship for the men and the 12th year and the first time since 2007 that the championships will be hosted by the Mountaineers. The 445 men's and women's participants scheduled to compete in the event is an all-time high.

The championships begin Saturday at 8 a.m. with five men's decathlon events, followed by four women's heptathlon events at 8:30 a.m. The awards ceremony is tentatively scheduled for Sunday at 4:45 p.m.

The event is free to the public. Western Carolina claimed the men's title last year. The Catamounts are seeking their fifth conference title and fourth since 2000.

Men's Outdoor Track and Field Pre-Championship Power Rankings
1. Appalachian State - 293
2. Western Carolina - 234
3. Samford - 116
4. The Citadel - 53
5. Davidson - 35
6. UNC Greensboro - 20
7. Furman - 13
8. Chattanooga - 11
9. Wofford - 5

Men's Track & Field Set For Outdoor SoCon Championships