Six to Compete
May 29, 2008 03:17 PM | General
May 29, 2008
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University track and field team will have six athletes competing at the NCAA East Regional on May 30-31, at Mike Long Track in Tallahassee, Fla.
WVU competitors this weekend include Keri Bland (1,500m), Chelsea Carrier (100-meter hurdles), Kaylyn Christopher (1,500m), Clara Grandt (5,000m), Alison Spiker (steeplechase) and Katelyn Williams (high jump).
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| Bland | Carrier | Christopher |
“I’m extremely proud of what these women have accomplished so far,” Head Coach Sean Cleary said. “Hopefully, they will be able to have solid performances this weekend and qualify for the national meet.”
Bland ranks sixth in the East region in the 1,500m (4:17.02 – ECAC, 5/17). However, two of the top performers in her event are moving up to the 5K and will not race this weekend, according to Cleary. Despite that, Cleary still calls the 1,500 "the highlight of the meet."
Christopher will also run in the 1,500.
"She's one of the top five freshmen on the East Coast right now," Cleary said. "I think our school record for a true freshman is Keri Bland last year at 4:22. (NCAA champion) Megan Metcalfe was 4:26 and here is Kaylyn at 4:27 so she's already amongst the best freshmen we have ever had."
Spiker qualified in the steeplechase, an event she began competing in just six weeks ago. "To be going to the regional championships is a wonderful experience for her," Cleary said. "The ultimate goal when we decided to do this was to get to a regional so she could get the experience and realize that she belongs in the national finals."
Williams is seventh in the high jump (1.77m – Penn Relays, 4/24) and has a mark that is close to qualifying for nationals. Carrier, the 2008 BIG EAST 100m hurdle champion, currently is 10th in the region with her season-best time of 13.48 from the BIG EAST Championships.
"Realistically if they can equal or slightly surpass their best of the year we can sneak them into nationals," Cleary said of Williams and Carrier.
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| Grandt | Spiker | Williams |
Grandt, the ECAC 10K champion, ranks 11th in the East in the 5,000m (16:28.57 – Stanford Invite, 4/4). Grandt most likely has an NCAA qualifying time in the 10K but will run just the 5K this weekend because there is no 10K race at regionals.
"There are a lot of girls that will run the 10K at nationals that are running the 5K this weekend," Cleary said. "In theory, somebody could finish 15th in the race and got to nationals if the 10K girls don't declare. Clara's chances are very good taht she could make it in the 5K as well."
If that happens, Cleary said he will determine which race most suits her for nationals.
All six competitors will be back next season.
The top five finishers in each individual event and the top three finishers in the 4x100m and 4x400m relays will automatically qualify for the NCAA Championships in Des Moines, Iowa, June 11-14.
Field events get under way Friday, at 1 p.m. with the discus, while the running events start at 3:30 p.m.
John Antonik contributed to this report
