Track: WVU Fights Flu to Finish 5th at BIG EAST
February 20, 2005 06:48 PM | General
February 20, 2004
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| Kemp |
SYRACUSE, N.Y. – The West Virginia University women’s track team put forth a spirited effort on Sunday, Feb. 20, to record a 5th place finish at the BIG EAST indoor championships at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse, N.Y.
West Virginia finished the meet with a total of 57.5 points. Pitt was the top finisher with 161.5 points while Notre Dame placed second (140), Georgetown third (90) and Villanova fourth (84). The fifth place finish was one spot higher than a year ago when WVU placed sixth with 51 points.
The Mountaineers battled a nagging flu bug to improve four spots in the standings from Saturday to Sunday. WVU registered one event championship to go along with eight top five finishes on the weekend.
“All I can say is that it was too bad everyone was sick with the flu,” coach Jeff Huntoon says. “I think that we really performed well considering the fact that eight of our eighteen girls are sick. They put together a good scrappy effort this weekend.”
Senior Jennifer Kemp was West Virginia’s only event champion of the weekend. After placing sixth in 2003 and second in 2004, the Edmonton, Alberta, native conquered her first 800 meter title at the BIG EAST championships. Kemp finished the race in an ECAC time of 2:10.26.
“I’m real proud of Jen for finally getting over that hump,” Huntoon says. “Her first place finish was well deserved.”
In other action on Sunday, sophomore Halimah Bashir placed fourth in the 400 meters after crossing the line in 58.02. In the 500 meters, senior Pam Richardson placed fourth with an ECAC time of 1:14.19.
Junior Susan Davis was WVU’s top finisher in the mile after registering an ECAC time of 4:59.15 to finish in sixth place. Freshman Alison Spiker placed 10th with a time of 5:18.87.
Senior Jennifer Davis put together a strong performance in the 1,000 meters where she crossed the line in second with an ECAC time of 2:52.11. In the 60 meter hurdles, sophomore Jessica Czaikowski posted an ECAC time of 8.51 en route to her fifth place finish.
In the day’s relay events, the 4x400 meter squad of Richardson, Czaikowski, Bashir and sophomore Shani Boone finished ninth with a time of 4:02.39. The 4x800 meter relay squad consisting of Jennifer and Susan Davis, Kemp and freshman Maria Stover placed third with an impressive ECAC time of 9:06.37.
WVU’s only field event participant on Sunday was high jumper Nancy Regalbuto. The junior from Hedgesville, W.Va., placed third in the event with an ECAC mark of 1.74 meters.
On Saturday, Sophomore Abbie Stechschulte placed second in the pentathlon after compiling an ECAC total of 3,635 points. The Columbus Grove, Ohio, native’s effort in the event was highlighted by a first place finish in the long jump where she recorded a leap of 5.58 meters.
Stechschulte also fared well in the shot put and 60 meter hurdles. In the shot, she placed second with a throw of 11.95 meters. She registered a time of 8.88 to achieve a third place finish in the hurdles.
Senior Devon Plesuk was the recipient of a seventh place finish in the finals of the 5,000 meters. The Calgary, Alberta, native crossed the line in an ECAC time of 17:12.46 en route to her top ten finish.
Sophomore Alexis Noel finished ninth in the long jump finals with a jump of 5.66 meters. In the finals of the weight throw, junior Michele McGinnis finished 19th with a toss of 13.09 meters.
“Considering our situation, I’m really proud of a fifth place finish,” Huntoon says. “We are really looking forward to ECAC’s in a few weeks with the hopes that we will be fielding a healthy squad.”
The select group of Mountaineers who met specific qualifying standards through the course of the season will return to the track on Mar. 4-6, when they compete in the ECAC indoor championships in Boston.
