MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University track and field team won three events at the Marty Pushkin Classic to open the 2016-17 indoor season at the WVU Shell Building on Saturday.
The Mountaineers opened the season, claiming three victories, two individual events and one in relay competition. West Virginia swept the top-three finishes in the women’s high jump and posted two top-three finishes in the women’s pole vault
WVU hosted six teams, Alderson Broaddus, Waynesburg University, Washington and Jefferson, Davis & Elkins, Frostburg and the WVU Running Club. This is the first time hosting this event since the 2014-15 season.
“This turned out to be a nice day for the team,” coach Sean Cleary said. “I was pleased that we were able to give the team a chance to get out onto the track and get the season started. We have five weeks before we’re back into competition and so much to do between now and that point. The girls will hit the books and nail their exams and go home for Christmas, before returning to campus when they put the uniform on again. We must take the momentum that we saw today and raise our game. I am pleased with the way we looked in both the high jump and pole vault. Our runners looked like the fall has gone well, but in all three areas we need to attack December and be ready for January. We have a chance to better ourselves and really attack the winter.”
In the women’s high jump, West Virginia notched the top-three finishes. Sophomore Faith Penny won the event, jumping a career-best mark of 1.73 meters. Junior Meghan Jean-Baptiste placed second, marking 1.53 meters and freshman Kyrielle Williams took third with a mark of 1.48 meters.
Sophomore Shamoya McNeil won the women’s triple jump, leaping 12.41 meters.
A West Virginia relay team of junior Bria Welker, McNeil, junior Meghan Jean-Baptiste and sophomore Chaqieta Robinson won the women’s 4x400-meter relay with a time of 4:12.95.
Junior Rebecca Lafata took second place in the women’s pole vault, marking 3.66 meters. Teammate junior Sara Finfrock finished third with a mark of 3.66 meters. In their first debut as Mountaineers, freshmen Greer Gumbrecht and Alexis Baublitz tied for fourth place with a mark of 3.35 meters.
Competing for the first time in Mountaineer uniform, freshman Gina Cuneo posted a second-place finish in the women’s long jump with a mark of 4.82 meters. WVU saw another second-place finish in the women’s 200-meter run thanks to Robinson. The Baltimore, Maryland, native Robinson crossed the finish line in 26.88.
In the women’s 60-meter dash, Welker finished second with a time of 8.13. Jean-Baptiste came in fifth place with a time of 8.26. Jean-Baptiste competed in the women’s shot put, throwing 8.14 meters.
Looking ahead, the Mountaineers will host their second meet of the season in the WVU Open, on Jan. 14 at the WVU Shell Building.
