New Pal grad breaks teammate's mark

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — New Palestine graduate and Notre Dame junior Pat Feeney set a new program record in the 400 meters on the first day of the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships Friday.

Feeney qualified for today’s 400 final with a preliminary time of 45.92 seconds. Earlier this season, Feeney set the Irish 400 indoor record in 46.12, only to have it broken by teammate, sophomore Chris Giesting (46.05).

This isn’t the first time Feeney and Giesting have been neck-and-neck. As a high school senior in 2010, Feeney finished second in the IHSAA 400 state finals in 47.54 seconds, just ahead of third-place Giesting (47.69), then a junior, of Batesville. Giesting went on to win the 400 state title as a senior.

Feeney first broke the Notre Dame school record in the indoor 400 last  year (46.55) as a sophomore.

In the team standings Friday, Arkansas sophomore Andrew Irwin defended his pole vault championship with a personal-best 18 feet, 8 ¼ inches to help the Razorbacks take the overall lead.

With more than half of the event finals remaining, the top-ranked Razorbacks had 30 points to lead the men’s competition. Texas Tech was second with 18, while Wisconsin had 15 and three-time defending champion Florida 14.

Second-ranked Kansas topped the women’s standings with 20 points, earning 16 in the long jump after a win by senior Andrea Guebelle and a third-place finish by fellow senior Francine Simpson.

Central Florida was second with 14 points, while Arizona State and Michigan were tied for third with 13.

Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.