Track: WVU Opens Season with Holiday Classic
December 07, 2007 01:53 PM | General
December 7, 2007
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University track & field team will open the 2007-08 indoor season on Saturday, Dec. 8, with the WVU Holiday Classic at the WVU Shell Building. The meet will get underway at 9 a.m., with the women’s running events scheduled to start at 11 a.m.
“This is potentially the youngest track team that we have had in a long time,” first-year coach Sean Cleary says. “We are just anxious to see how they handle themselves in an actual meet situation. Training has been going very well and the focus has been good. Now it’s time to find out what the future looks like.”
Full teams attending include, Frostburg State, Glenville State, Seton Hill and West Virginia Wesleyan. Individuals from various schools may participate as well.
Veterans returning this season include Halimah Bashir for mid-sprints, April Rotilio and Jamillah Nock for short sprints, Alexis Noel for jumps and LaShawna Black in the throwing events. In the pole vault, sophomore Kristen Loughry returns after placing second at BIG EAST outdoors a year ago and leads a group that Cleary thinks could qualify as many as five for the BIG EAST meet.
A handful of newcomers are looking to make an impact in their first season. Katelyn Williams will likely compete as a multi-event athlete as will heralded in-state freshman Chelsea Carrier from Buckhannon, who should also be one of the fastest hurdlers. Another freshman, Kelly Fortune, could also participate as a multi-eventer.
WVU figures to be able to score major points this year with its distance runners after seeing the success of the cross country season. Marie-Louise Asselin, Keri Bland and Clara Grandt will lead a youthful group of distance runners that won a BIG EAST title in cross country season and finished ninth in the country at NCAAs.
