Track: DMR Takes Fourth at NCAAs
March 15, 2008 12:09 AM | General
March 14, 2008
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University track team’s distance medley relay (DMR) took fourth place with a time of 11:07.64 to break a school record at the 2008 NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships in Fayetteville, Ark. on Friday night.
“For us to top this record, it’s unbelievable,” Head Coach Sean Cleary says. “We’re doing this with young girls and we are truly watching some of the greatest athletes that will ever wear WVU uniforms.”
The previous school record was set in 2003 at 11:11.98.
Composing the distance medley relay squad were sophomore April Rotilio (400m - 55.14), junior Karly Hamric (800m - 2:10.82), freshman Marie-Louise Asselin (1,200m - 3:24.76) and freshman Keri Bland (1,600m - 4:35.94). The finish gave WVU five points to have the Mountaineers tied for 21st. Each girl will be named an All-America for their efforts.
Tennessee (11:01.97) took first, followed by Michigan (11:02.22) and Stanford (11:03.87).
Friday night’s race marked the eighth time in the last 10 years that West Virginia’s DMR ran at the NCAA Championships. The unit was ranked 12th in the country with an 11:13.14 qualifying time coming into the race.
“Marie-Louise looked fantastic tonight and we are anxious for tomorrow,” Cleary says. “Our hopes rest on her to improve on our ranking thus far.”
Asselin also qualified to race in the 3,000-meter run on Saturday at 7:50 p.m. The Sarnia, Ontario, Canada, native qualified after ranking eighth in the country this season in the 3,000m with a time of 9:14.48 and won the 3,000m BIG EAST Championship on Feb. 24.
