CHARLOTTE, N.C.- On the last weekend to qualify for the NCAA Indoor National Championships, Queens University of Charlotte's men's track team made good on the opportunity at the Armory Collegiate Challenge in New York City. The Royals posted two NCAA automatic marks, ran the fastest distance medley relay time for the season and won two events.

The distance medley relay team of Simon Stuetzel (Meinborn, Germany)(1200m, 2:59.6), Christopher Watson (Tampa, Fla., Wharton) (400m 50.7), Nelson Mwangi (Kenya, Nairobi School) (800m, 1:54.0) and Michael Crouch (Yucca Valley, Calif., Yucca Valley) (1600m, 4:06.5) crushed the field winning by over 24 seconds with an overall time of 9:51.17. The Royals rank No. 2 on the NCAA DII list as Adams State's relay of 9:59.99 benefited from a nine-second altitude conversion.

The relay performance was made even more remarkable as less than an hour earlier, Mwangi had set a personal best, broke the school record and achieved the NCAA automatic mark in the open 800-meters running 1:51.30 with his runner-up performance. He now sits at No. 4 in the nation. Mwangi was the national indoor 800-meter runner-up last season after narrowly qualifying for the championships with the last provisional mark accepted. His 800-meter relay split on the relay was faster than any of his other open marks for this season, as well.

The French duo of Felix Duchampt (Clermont Ferrand, France, Lycée Jeanne d'Arc ( Clermont Fd, France)) and Colin Guillard (Pommerieux, France, Louis Cormontaigne Metz France) both made moves in the later stages of the 3,000-meters, but it was Duchampt who hammered away to take the win with a personal best of 8:32.44, while Guillard held on for third in 8:39.24 in the thirty-man field. The 3k distance is not currently contested at the NCAA DII championships, but will be added in 2012.

In the men's mile, it was Alexander Schilling (Dresden, Germany, Sportgymnasium Dresden) fighting for the win. Schilling ended up 3rd with a personal best of 4:13.68.

The Royals count three qualifiers for the NCAA championships to be held in Albuquerque, New Mexico March 11-12. In addition to Mwangi and the distance medley relay, Michael Crouch (Yucca Valley, Calif., Yucca Valley) is currently ranked seventh in the 5,000-meters.

Distance Medley Relay
1 Queens (N.C.)    9:51.17
2 Winston-Salem St.  10:15.16 
3 Gwynedd-Mercy  10:17.00
4 Adelphi  A 10:17.14 
5 College of St. Rose 10:21.93
6 La Salle   10:29.03
7 Delaware TC  10:31.40

Men's 800 (Heat #1)
1.Emrani, Dustin   Central Park Track Club  1:49.40  
2.Mwangi, Nelson  Queens (N.C.)    1:51.30 
3.Wesh, Greg  Rider     1:52.87
4.Wilks, Josh   Seton Hill    1:54.24  
5.Wiggan, Desmond Winston-Salem St.   1:54.25
6.Hamrick, Travis Wheeling Jesuit   1:54.71

Men's Mile (Heat #1)
1.Lloyd, Macky    College of St. Rose 4:10.95 
2.DelaCruz, Arquimedes Marist    4:13.20 
3.Schilling, Alexander  Queens (N.C.)   4:13.68  
4.Reilly, Paul    La Salle   4:14.27 
5.Clark, Adam    Adelphi   4:14.49
6.Kiley, Gregory   Albany    4:15.10  
7.Penetar, Eddie   Temple   4:16.63 
8.Habbani, Mustapha  Maryland-Eastern Shore 4:18.16  
9.Ksepka, Rafal    St. Francis (N.Y.) 4:25.24

Men's 3,000-meters
1.Duchampt, Felix  Queens (N.C.)  8:32.44  
2.Weaver, Andy  Delaware TC  8:34.24   
3.Guillard, Colin  Queens (N.C.)  8:39.24  
4.Kipruto, Rogers Long Island University8:40.41 
5.Shelley, Conor  Marist  8:41.84  
6.Feeney, Dan  Delaware TC  8:43.94  
7.Mallon, Sean  La Salle  8:44.95  
8.Collura, Dan  Monmouth  8:48.95  
9.Pannulla, Thomas La Salle  8:49.02  
10.Giambanco, Vincent C.W. Post  8:49.82  
11.Lindner, Michael Rider  8:54.93  
12.Collins, Vincent St. Joseph's (Pa.)8:55.15    
14. Day, Daniel  La Salle  8:57.39