Big East Preview
February 14, 2007 12:08 PM | General
February 14, 2007
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – West Virginia University women’s track and field coach Jeff Huntoon is looking for several top finishers at this weekend’s Big East Indoor Track and Field Championships at the Akron Athletics Field House in Akron, Ohio.
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| West Virginia's Jessica Czaikowski is ranked second in the 60-meter hurdles heading into this week's Big East Indoor Track and Field Championships to take place in Akron, Ohio.
All-Pro Photography/Dale Sparks |
The Mountaineers have qualified 18 athletes for this year’s meet including four in the 60-meter hurdles.
“We’ve got four girls represented in the high hurdles of the 18 qualifiers,” said Huntoon. “From there we’ve got one in kind of pockets. We’ve got two high jumpers, a triple jumper, a long jumper; we’re everywhere. That’s what’s so exciting about it. We just don’t have a ton of depth in those other events.”
Senior Jessica Czaikowski has an NCAA provisional qualifying time of 8.36 in the 60-meter hurdles. Joining Czaikowski in that event are Abbie Stechschulte (8.63), Kristen Loughry (8.84) and Jamilah Nock (8.84).
Czaikowski is also qualified in the 60-meter dash with a time of 7.58 and will run relays.
Stechschulte has an NCAA provisional qualifying score of 3,907 in the pentathlon and is presently ranked ninth in that event. Stechschulte will also compete in the long jump.
Huntoon believes Czaikowski and Stechschulte will have to improve their times to be assured a spot at nationals.
“Abbie is probably closer of the two but there are just too many weekends left,” Huntoon said.
Czaikowski is ranked second in the conference in the hurdles and is ranked 15th nationally. Villanova senior Monique Morgan has the nation’s ninth fastest time of 8.23 and is the race favorite.
“Jessica is coming back after a nagging injury she had during Christmas break,” Huntoon said. “We shut her down and tried to heal her up. Last weekend at Penn State was only her second real hurdles race. I’m hopeful that she can hit it this weekend but I have no doubts by ECACs that she’s really going to run well.”
Huntoon believes Raeleen Hunter has the talent to qualify for nationals in the 800, but she has been hobbled by a foot injury and may not even compete this weekend.
“It’s an up-in-the-air proposition right now,” Huntoon said. “We’re kind of watching her and trying to err on the side of caution.”
If Hunter can’t go this weekend that will also impact the 4x800-meter relay.
“If Hunter is OK then the 4x800 will be OK,” Huntoon said.
The 1,000 and the mile will have three competitors each. Maria Stover-Bartlett and Alison Spiker are qualified in both, while Hunter has made it in the 1,000 and Clara Grandt has qualified in the mile. Grandt will also run the 3,000.
Alexis Noel is qualified in all three jump events, talented freshman April Rotilo is qualified in both the 60-meter dash and the 200, Loughry will also compete in the pole vault and Lashawna Black has qualified in the shot put.
West Virginia is taking a smaller number of qualifiers than usually because of Huntoon’s decision to redshirt cross country standouts Keri Bland, Maria Dalzot and Mary Louise Asselin.
“Keri and Maria just competed at the USA Cross Country Championships in Boulder, Colo., and they both did fantastic there,” Huntoon said. “Mary Louise Asselin is another one that you’re going to hear about in the years to come.”
This year’s indoor championships will be held at the University of Akron, a compromise site after the Carrier Dome became unavailable when the surface was replaced for football.
“It’s really centrally located,” Huntoon said. “We can all get there relatively easily and it’s an oversized track which is another bonus. It allows the kids to get a little bit more of an outdoor feel.”
Huntoon is hopeful of a top-six finish if everything goes well.
“If we’re OK with Hunter we have an opportunity to be in the top six,” he said. “But that’s really the tip of the iceberg. The team is going to be better outdoors and it’s going to be better next year.
“This is the first year in the last couple where we feel secure with the group that we’ve got,” Huntoon added. “It was a great recruiting class last year. All of these freshmen that we brought in on scholarship have already qualified for ECACs.”
The Big East Indoor Championships begin on Saturday and continue through Sunday.
