WVU Track Readies for Championships
February 17, 2011 04:28 PM | General
MORGANTOWN, W. Va. – This weekend the West Virginia University track and field team is set to compete at the 2011 BIG EAST Indoor Championships on Feb. 19-20 at the Stile Athletics Field House in Akron, Ohio.
22 student-athletes will represent the Mountaineers in the two-day event, marking one of the largest teams WVU has qualified in the past few years.
“We need to go into this weekend and duplicate our performances that got us here,” coach Sean Cleary says. “If those kids that can take one more step up actually do that, then we will be very successful in the end.”
Senior Chelsea Carrier leads the way, competing in the pentathlon, the 60-meter hurdles, the 4x400-meter relay team and possibly the distance medley relay (DMR) team.
“Chelsea Carrier is one of the premier multi-event athletes in the conference. There are great athletes in that competition, but she is in the driver’s seat right now,” Cleary says. “She has a lot more competition in the hurdles. But if Chelsea can go into the championships and come out with a few victories, it would be phenomenal for her in her senior indoor campaign.”
The Buckhannon, W.Va., native is the reigning conference champion for the indoor season in the pentathlon and the 60-meter hurdles. Currently, Carrier is ranked No. 12 in the nation and No. 1 in the conference in the hurdles, after breaking a school record at the GaREAT Collegiate Invitational on Feb. 5, with a time of 8.21. This will mark the first time she is competing in the multi-event this season.
“We have been protecting her foot this season and shielding her away from the high jump,” Cleary says. “After working through some of the injury issues and getting them under control, I think it is now a matter of looking at her individual events each weekend. She knows her confidence is at the highest point of her life. Having not competed yet, I don’t think will matter to her.”
Joining Carrier in the 60-meter hurdles is redshirt freshman Chené Townsend. A native of Kingston, Jamaica, Townsend has stepped up this season with potential to become one of the top hurdlers in the conference.
“When Chené and I sat down at the beginning of the year, the goal was that she would be in the BIG EAST finals,” Cleary recalls. “A year ago, she was fairly far away from it, but she worked really hard in the off-season. She is getting better every weekend.
“Chasing Chelsea is awesome for her. Two weeks ago, Chelsea ran her fastest time ever and celebrated herself. But instantly you saw her swing her head around, look at the clock and when she saw Chené’s time, she was equally excited for her. If Chené can execute the way she has been the last few weeks, she will have a shot for the finals.”
Freshman and Oak Hill, W.Va., native Shakiyla Cosby will also compete in the sprints after qualifying for the 400-meter dash at the Penn State National Invitational with a time of 59.23.
In the mile, WVU will see a strong group of up-and-coming talent with Sarah Martinelli, Hallie Portner, Stephanie Caruso and Allison Pettit set to race, while senior All-American Keri Bland will run the 800-meter race.
In the further distance races, the Mountaineers have a stacked lineup in the 3,000-meter race with newcomers Aubrey Moskal and Jordan Hamric joining veterans Kaylyn Christopher and Jessica O’Connell.
Rounding out the distance events, Kaitlyn Gillespie and Sarah-Anne Brault will represent WVU in the 5,000-meter race.
The Mountaineers will also have two relay teams competing this weekend, with the distance medley relay team competing on Saturday, and the 4x400-meter team rounding out competition on Sunday.
In the field events, junior Meghan Mock returns after posting her lifetime-best performance at last season’s indoor championships with a third-place showing, while sophomore Sydney Cummings will represent the Mountaineers in the high jump.
“Meghan has been quiet this fall, but we have high expectations for her, and if she can duplicate that big performance from last year, she will put herself in the hunt for a top finish,” Cleary admits. “Sydney is always one jump away from being a big time jumper for us. She is one jump away from being a national-class jumper. She works hard and I am just waiting for it to happen with her and hopefully it will happen this weekend.”
WVU will see two competitors in the pole vault for the first time in several years, with junior Lindsey Kopenhaver and freshman Kaitlyn Shelar, while junior Terina Miller and sophomore Heather Adams will compete in the weight throw.
Competition is set to begin at 11 a.m., on Saturday, and will continue at 8:30 a.m., on Sunday.
The BIG EAST will provide free live streaming and live results for this weekend’s championships at www.BIGEAST.org.
22 student-athletes will represent the Mountaineers in the two-day event, marking one of the largest teams WVU has qualified in the past few years.
“We need to go into this weekend and duplicate our performances that got us here,” coach Sean Cleary says. “If those kids that can take one more step up actually do that, then we will be very successful in the end.”
Senior Chelsea Carrier leads the way, competing in the pentathlon, the 60-meter hurdles, the 4x400-meter relay team and possibly the distance medley relay (DMR) team.
“Chelsea Carrier is one of the premier multi-event athletes in the conference. There are great athletes in that competition, but she is in the driver’s seat right now,” Cleary says. “She has a lot more competition in the hurdles. But if Chelsea can go into the championships and come out with a few victories, it would be phenomenal for her in her senior indoor campaign.”
The Buckhannon, W.Va., native is the reigning conference champion for the indoor season in the pentathlon and the 60-meter hurdles. Currently, Carrier is ranked No. 12 in the nation and No. 1 in the conference in the hurdles, after breaking a school record at the GaREAT Collegiate Invitational on Feb. 5, with a time of 8.21. This will mark the first time she is competing in the multi-event this season.
“We have been protecting her foot this season and shielding her away from the high jump,” Cleary says. “After working through some of the injury issues and getting them under control, I think it is now a matter of looking at her individual events each weekend. She knows her confidence is at the highest point of her life. Having not competed yet, I don’t think will matter to her.”
Joining Carrier in the 60-meter hurdles is redshirt freshman Chené Townsend. A native of Kingston, Jamaica, Townsend has stepped up this season with potential to become one of the top hurdlers in the conference.
“When Chené and I sat down at the beginning of the year, the goal was that she would be in the BIG EAST finals,” Cleary recalls. “A year ago, she was fairly far away from it, but she worked really hard in the off-season. She is getting better every weekend.
“Chasing Chelsea is awesome for her. Two weeks ago, Chelsea ran her fastest time ever and celebrated herself. But instantly you saw her swing her head around, look at the clock and when she saw Chené’s time, she was equally excited for her. If Chené can execute the way she has been the last few weeks, she will have a shot for the finals.”
Freshman and Oak Hill, W.Va., native Shakiyla Cosby will also compete in the sprints after qualifying for the 400-meter dash at the Penn State National Invitational with a time of 59.23.
In the mile, WVU will see a strong group of up-and-coming talent with Sarah Martinelli, Hallie Portner, Stephanie Caruso and Allison Pettit set to race, while senior All-American Keri Bland will run the 800-meter race.
In the further distance races, the Mountaineers have a stacked lineup in the 3,000-meter race with newcomers Aubrey Moskal and Jordan Hamric joining veterans Kaylyn Christopher and Jessica O’Connell.
Rounding out the distance events, Kaitlyn Gillespie and Sarah-Anne Brault will represent WVU in the 5,000-meter race.
The Mountaineers will also have two relay teams competing this weekend, with the distance medley relay team competing on Saturday, and the 4x400-meter team rounding out competition on Sunday.
In the field events, junior Meghan Mock returns after posting her lifetime-best performance at last season’s indoor championships with a third-place showing, while sophomore Sydney Cummings will represent the Mountaineers in the high jump.
“Meghan has been quiet this fall, but we have high expectations for her, and if she can duplicate that big performance from last year, she will put herself in the hunt for a top finish,” Cleary admits. “Sydney is always one jump away from being a big time jumper for us. She is one jump away from being a national-class jumper. She works hard and I am just waiting for it to happen with her and hopefully it will happen this weekend.”
WVU will see two competitors in the pole vault for the first time in several years, with junior Lindsey Kopenhaver and freshman Kaitlyn Shelar, while junior Terina Miller and sophomore Heather Adams will compete in the weight throw.
Competition is set to begin at 11 a.m., on Saturday, and will continue at 8:30 a.m., on Sunday.
The BIG EAST will provide free live streaming and live results for this weekend’s championships at www.BIGEAST.org.
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