Women's Track: Metcalfe Wins 5K; Two Advance
May 27, 2005 10:38 PM | General
May 27, 2005
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Jeff Huntoon couldn’t have envisioned a better performance than the one put forth by his team on Friday in the first day of the NCAA East Regional Track and Field Championships at Icahn Stadium in Randall’s Island, N.Y.
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| Czaikowski | Kemp | Metcalfe |
West Virginia University senior Megan Metcalfe came out of nowhere to win the women’s 5,000-meter run with the nation’s second fastest time of 15:47.64. The eight-time All-American trimmed 44 seconds off her regional qualifying time and used a tremendous kick with 200 meters to go to blow way meet favorites Julia Lucas of North Carolina State and Mary Cullen of Providence.
“The race started out really fast,” said Huntoon. “There were 36 runners in the race and Tara Struyk was 30th through a mile and she was running a 16-flat pace. Megan and Jen were ahead of her and there was a little pack of five people that broke away.”
“I gave a really big surge and took the lead,” said Metcalfe. “I was pretty confident going into the last lap because I usually run shorter distances so I knew I was the stronger sprinter of the group. It was just getting to that point that was a struggle for me.”
Cullen, who won the Big East 5K two weeks ago, finished a full two seconds behind Metcalfe in second place.
“I’m a fifth-year senior that kind of hasn’t been showing my face that much and I didn’t even run indoors,” Metcalfe said. “So some people had to be wondering if I was kind of done or not. I’m kind of happy to not be done.”
Metcalfe’s performance tonight makes her one of the favorites to win the 5K at nationals in Sacramento, Calif., June 8-11.
“This was my first really competitive race for the outdoor season,” Metcalfe said. “The others were more like workouts just to get the qualifying time.”
Metcalfe's time established a WVU outdoor record, besting Rebecca Stallwood's standard of 16:12.17 by 25 seconds.
Senior Jennifer Davis finished 10th in the 5,000 and her time of 16:23:01 was a personal best by nearly four seconds.
Because the East Regional 5K field is the strongest in the country and there were 10K runners in the race that will not compete at nationals, Huntoon is confident Davis is going to qualify for NCAAs and could have a top 20 time entering the race.
“There are three or four people that we know are only going run the 10,000 at nationals and will drop out of the 5,000,” Huntoon said. “That will move Jen up into that top-eight spot for consideration. Her time may go into the national meet in 15th or 16th place.”
Senior Tara Struyk placed 18th in the 5,000 with a time of 16:37.50.
Senior Jennifer Kemp ran the fastest time of the day (2:06.30) in her heat of the 800-meter preliminaries to qualify for tomorrow’s finals scheduled for 5:45.
Sophomore Jessica Czaikowski also advanced to tomorrow’s finals in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 13:51 to finish fourth in her heat.
“She drew lane eight and she had two slower people inside her,” said Huntoon. “The only comment I made to her before the race was that she was going to get no help on the inside. If she was going to qualify she was going to have to do it by herself. It turned out to be the fastest race and in all honesty she still doesn’t feel all that great. There is a little bit left in the tank for tomorrow.”
Reaching tomorrow’s finals puts both Czaikowski and Kemp into good position to qualify for nationals.
Also performing tomorrow are Jennifer and Susan Davis in the 3,000-meter steeplechase starting at 6:30 pm, and Nancy Regalbuto in the women’s high jump beginning at noon.
West Virginia is in fifth place after day one with 10 team points. Georgia is leading with 22 points.
“It was a beautiful day up here in New York. It was warm through the 800 and the hurdles and it cooled off for the 5,000. You couldn’t have asked for a better day,” Huntoon said.
