WILMINGTON, N.C. - The UNCW men's and women's track and field teams are busy preparing for their final two meets of the season after posting some strong results in last weekend's Colonial Athletic Association Championships in Fairfax, Va.

The two teams combined to win five events, setting 32 season-bests on the men's side and 14 more in the women's competition.

 "We peaked at the right time and our athletes competed the best they could," said veteran Head Coach Jim Sprecher.

Senior Devon Watlington was named the meet's Most Outstanding Performer after winning both the 110 and 400 Meter Hurdle titles and running a leg of the Seahawks second-place 4x400 relay squad. Watlington, who competed a majority of the season with a broken hand, entered the meet as the conference's reigning champion in the 110 Hurdles and to no one's surprise, used a season-best time of 14.31 to win the title for the second straight season.

In the 400 Hurdles, Watlington led a contingent of UNCW hurdlers with a time of 52.84. Sophomore teammate Chris Felmet (53.46) and junior Nick Pederzolli (54.03) rounded out the top three in the event.

"It was great to see Devon recognized by the other coaches in the conference for his tremendous performance," Sprecher added. "He's the first male athlete at UNCW to earn the honor since Bryant Lowe in 1998."

Another senior, Kathleen Casto, set a new CAA record in winning the 10,000 meters. The Greensboro runner topped the field with a time of 35:43.56, nearly 11 full seconds better than her nearest competitor. Earlier in the day, Casto advanced to the finals of the 1,500 meters with a UNCW-record en route to a fourth-place finish. She went 4:34.88 in a close race where the top four finishers were separated by less than a second.

"Kathleen had an outstanding day on Friday. It was satisfying to see her excel after enduring a tough indoor season with injuries. She persevered and reaped the benefits of her determination."

UNCW is known for its top-performing relays and the 4x100 continued that tradition with a winning time of 40.59. The relay consisted of freshmen Jeremy Johnson, Jordan Reed and Kadeem Harmon, and junior Justin Prevette.

In the Pole Vault, Aaron Wiggins gave UNCW its fifth men's title in the last six years by taking a tie-breaker by virtue of missing fewer jumps.

The Seahawks will participate in two more meets this season, visiting Chapel Hill N.C., this weekend for the Carolina Qualifier before traveling to Atlanta the following week for the Georgia Tech Qualifier.

"Right now we have several athletes who are on the cusp of qualifying and several who are already on the qualifying list, but need to continue competing to help them stay ready for the NCAA regionals or improve their marks."

UNCW All-CAA Honorees
Women: Kathleen Casto (10,000 meters), Alexis Kauffman (4x100), Shanelle Foster (4x100), Keonna Eaton (4x100), Jania Bogle (4x100).

Men: Wil Zahorodny (800 meters), Devon Watlington (110, 400 Hurdles, 4x400), David Lindsay (110 Hurdles), Chris Felmet (400 Hurdles), Nick Pederzolli (400 Hurdles, 4x400), Jeremy Johnson (4x100), Justin Prevette (4x100), Jordan Reed (4x100), Kadeem Harmon (4x100), Chris Letson (4x400), Connor Brooks (4x400), Logan Elliston (High Jump), Aaron Wiggins (Pole Vault), Jordan Peacock (Decathlon)

Bold italics = conference champion

Top 5 Scorers (Individual events)

Women: Kathleen Casto 10; Jessica Van Hulst 5.6; Emily Youngman 5; Shanelle Foster 5; Bernadette O'Neill 4

Men: Devon Watlington 20; Chris Felmet 14; Justin Prevette 13; Aaron Wiggins 10; Jordan Peacock 9