QUEENS, N.Y. - The St. John's track & field team travels to Villanova this weekend to compete in the Outdoor BIG EAST Championships from May 2-4 on Jumbo Elliot Track at Villanova Stadium.

So far this championship season, the Red Storm has raced to the 2008 Outdoor Metropolitan Championship title and has had strong individual performances at the Penn Relays led by freshman Priscilla Frederick who placed second in the Eastern division's high jump event and the 4x800-meter relay finished 22nd.

The rest of the squad traveled to New Haven, Conn., to compete at the Yale Invite where senior Maxcine Foster and junior Phobay Kutu-Akoi earned first place finishes in their respective sprinting events, the 400-meter and 100-meter dashes.

The Red Storm has compiled 13 BIG EAST qualifying marks for this weekend's competition.

Foster has the highest individual ranking with a No. 5 seed in the 400-meter dash with a time of 55.10. Sophomore Asia Nettles also qualified for the 400-meter dash with a time of 57.14. Nettles is ranked 25th in the BIG EAST.

Frederick also has a top-10 seeding with a No. 6 ranking in the high jump with an NCAA qualifying height of 1.75 meters (5 feet, 8.75 inches). With a jump of 1.70 meters (5 feet, 7 inches), the freshman was the Outdoor Metropolitan Champion in the event. Junior Venisa Clarke-Lee will also be competing and is ranked No. 14 on the BIG EAST list with a height of 1.7 meters (5 feet, 7 inches).

Graduate student Kellie Brown is ranked No. 6 in the BIG EAST in the triple jump with a distance of 12.07 meters (39 feet, 7.25 inches). She is also No. 13 in the long jump with a distance of 5.78 meters (18 feet, 11.75 inches).

Also on the track for the BIG EAST Championships will be Kutu-Akoi, junior Paula Rennalls and sophomore Asia Davy.

Kutu-Akoi will represent the Red Storm in two races, the 100-meter and 200-meter dashes. In the 100-meter dash, the junior is ranked 15th in the BIG EAST with a time of 12.13 seconds. In the 200-meter dash, she is 28th with a time of 24.99 seconds. Rennalls has the 18th best time in the 200-meter dash at 24.75.

Davy is ranked 22nd in the BIG EAST 400-meter intermediate hurdles with a time of 1:03.79, a time which earned her the 2008 Outdoor Metropolitan Championship title in the event.

The 4x100 meter relay team is No. 10 in the BIG EAST with a time of 47.12 and the 4x800-meter squad will enter the weekend with the13th best time of 9:19.19.

To follow all the action from Villanova, visit the BIG EAST Conference's official web site: www.bigeast.org. The BIG EAST will also provide live video on BIG East tv.