Women's Track: Kemp Wins 800; WVU Places 10th
May 28, 2005 10:07 PM | General
May 28, 2005
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| Kemp |
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Senior Jennifer Kemp’s first-place finish in the women’s 800-meter run Saturday evening at the NCAA East Regional Track and Field Championships at Icahn Stadium in Randall’s Island, N.Y., helped West Virginia to a 10th place finish.
The Mountaineers and Rutgers each had 22 points to represent the top two Big East Conference teams at the meet. South Carolina won the event with 102.25 team points.
“It was a great weekend for us,” said West Virginia University coach Jeff Huntoon. “To finish in the top 10 in the toughest regional in the country says a lot for what this team accomplished this weekend.”
Kemp out-legged Boston College senior Melissa Sherman to win the 800 with a time of 2:08.20. Sherman posted a time of 2:08.29 while Rutgers senior Amonica Phipps was third with a time of 2:08.87.
“Jen’s race was a tactical one,” said Huntoon. “A freshman led and Jen was back in the pack and was never worse than fourth. At about 200 meters to go she made her move to the outside and at the straight with 100 meters to go she just took off. It wasn’t a question of whether she was going to win but rather by how much.”
Twenty of West Virginia’s 22 points came from Kemp and senior Megan Metcalfe, who won yesterday’s 5,000 with a time of 15:47.64. Metcalfe’s performance was the best of any regional performer yesterday and represents the second-fastest time in the country. The pair of regional first-place finishes was also the first in WVU history.
Sophomore Jessica Czaikowski also placed in the women’s 100-meter hurdles with a seventh-place time of 13.43, a personal best. Czaikowski earned two team points for her efforts.
“The hurdlers didn’t get much of a chance to warm up. She was in lane one and just one-tenth of a second separated fourth from seventh,” said Huntoon. “I have a feeling that seven or even eight of the girls from our region will make it to nationals.”
Susan Davis finished third in her section in the women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase and was 15th overall with a time of 10:37.34. Jennifer Davis also qualified in the steeplechase but chose not to compete because the West Virginia coaching staff is confident her time in yesterday’s 5,000-meter run will be good enough to qualify for NCAAs to take place in two weeks in Sacramento, Calif.
Junior Nancy Regalbuto competed in the women’s high jump but failed to clear the opening height of 1.71 meters.
Kemp and Metcalfe have automatically qualified for nationals and Huntoon is hopeful that both Davis and Czaikowski have times regional times good enough to make it as well.
“Jess moved about 30 or 40 places on the national list so hopefully that will be enough to get her in,” said Huntoon.
The complete national field will be determined Monday.
