Big East Preview
February 22, 2008 10:12 AM | General
February 22, 2008
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| Sean Cleary |
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University women’s track team will look for another strong showing this weekend when they compete at the Big East Indoor Track and Field Championships, Feb. 23-24, at the New Balance Track and Field Center at The Armory in New York City.
The Mountaineers are looking to build off a strong performance two weeks ago at the Virginia Tech Elite Meet. While first-year Head Coach Sean Cleary has a background in distance running, having been promoted this year from cross country coach, he believes the meet in Blacksburg showed that his team has a diverse track team capable of competing with some of the best squads in the nation.
“In the fall, people were talking about our track team and how we were going to be distance-oriented,” Cleary said. “But at Virginia Tech our sprinters and jumpers did well and everyone agreed we have a well-rounded track team right now.”
West Virginia returns just five points from a team that finished eighth in the Big East with 38 points a year ago. Despite the inexperience, Cleary knows his team is capable of competing for a finish in the top half of the league.
“Realistically, coming into this season we were the 16th ranked team. We’re better than the 16th-best team,” Cleary said. “The recruiting class we brought in last year has really stepped up and helped us tremendously.”
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| Chelsea Carrier |
Chelsea Carrier is expected to compete in the pentathlon and the 60m hurdles. The freshman from Buckhannon, W.Va., has qualified third in the conference in the hurdles with a time of 8.6.
“She’ll run the hurdles and then go over to the long jump and then during the long jump she’s got to go back to the track and do the semifinals of the long jump,” Cleary said of how busy Carrier will be. “We’re ecstatic with the way she’s been running. She’s going to be a big time athlete for us. We’re hoping for two top-five finishes from her.”
Sophomore Marie-Louise Asselin currently ranks second in the conference with a time of 2:47.9 in the 1,000m and due to her skills in long distances, Cleary could run her in that event, the 3,000m, and the distance medley relay. She has sat out the last four weeks due to illness and should be at full strength for the first time since posting the second place time in the 1,000m in January.
“We’ve waited for her training to get back up to the level it was. I’ve petitioned to the Big East to let her run the 3,000 so we’re going to run her in the DMR and the 3,000, Cleary said. “She was the runner up in the 3,000 in the Pan American Games last summer. She’s ready to run with the best in the Big East.”
Keri Bland is ninth in the mile with a time of 4:51.72, but Cleary will likely use her in the 1,000m. Bland has also suffered from a recent illness and Cleary expects her times to improve dramatically this weekend.
“We wanted to run her more but along with some others she has been sick. I’m expecting Keri to step up with the very best in the Big East,” Cleary said. “I think there are three that could potentially win that race and Keri is one of them.”
April Rotilio is ranked fifth in the 400m with a time of 55.54 and eighth in the 60m at 7.66. Cleary is expecting her to push into the upper-echolon of the league this weekend.
“April Rotilio has really stepped up for us this year. She has embraced being a leader in this program. We’re looking for April to finish in the top three in the 400,” Cleary said.
Cleary is also hopeful of a high finish in the distance medley relay, an event he hopes will be the foundation of his program. He likes the idea of having different styles of runners, each with different strengths, coming together to help in one specific event.
“A lot of people can get involved,” Cleary said. “You’ve got sprinters, mid-distance and distance runners on it. We’re going out there to win the distance medley relay this weekend.”
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| Kristen Loughry |
The pole vault and high jump will also be two gigantic scoring opportunities for the Mountaineers this weekend. Sophomore and sophomore Kristen Loughry’s height of 3.80m has her third in the pole vault. Freshman Katelyn Williams is tied for eighth in the high jump with a distance of 5’7.75.
“We’ve got three now qualified in the pole with Kristen Loughry, Maggie Smith and Alex Acker,” Cleary said. “That is the event where we have the most depth. All three of those girls can help us and I’m expecting big things from Katelyn in the high jump.”
Even though the team returns just five points from a squad that finished eighth a year ago, Cleary believes a similar finish is well within reach for his first team at WVU.
“I set a goal to finish in the top half of the field. I try to motivate this team in ways that you would motivate a team trying to win a championship. If the absolute best that we can be is seventh place then we better be seventh,” Cleary said. “That attitude of fighting for everything you can do even when you’re not the best is the only way we’re ever going to be the best in this league.”
