Gardner’s School Record Highlights Pushkin Classic

Saturday, December 2

Morgantown, W.Va.

9:00 a.m.

West Virginia University

Marty Pushkin Track Classic

December 02, 2017 06:06 PM | Track & Field

Results

By: Joe Mitchin

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Redshirt junior Madelin Gardner set a new indoor school record in the women's pole vault to lead the West Virginia University track and field team to a strong day at the Marty Pushkin Classic on Saturday, Dec. 2 at the WVU Shell Building.

The Williamstown, West Virginia, native was one of eight event winners for the Mountaineers at the season-opening meet.

"It was nice to get back into the competitive frame of mind today," WVU coach Sean Cleary said. "These kids have been training for months with the winter in mind. Today, they had the opportunity to get some indication of where they are. We will now focus on maintaining shape and hitting the books for finals before preparing for January. We had a few wins out there and expect to have more in the lineup next month."

Gardner earned a mark of 4.15 meters, breaking the previous indoor school record of 4.07m, which was set by Erin Nett in 2002. The redshirt junior was one of six Mountaineers to compete in the pole vault, along with senior Sara Finfrock (third – 3.80m), sophomore Amanda Barnes (third – 3.80m), freshman Ellie Gardner (sixth – 3.70m), senior Rebekah Lafata (seventh – 3.40m) and freshman Mikayla Shute (11th – 2.80m).

"Obviously, the highlight of today's meet was the pole vault group," Cleary said. "Maddie was outstanding in her opener, smashing the school record. Equally impressive was the consistency of the entire group."

WVU hosted 11 teams at the Pushkin Classic, including Alderson Broaddus, Bethany, Charleston, Frostburg State, Salem International, Thiel, Washington & Jefferson, Waynesburg, Westminster (Pa.), Wheeling Jesuit and the WVU Track Club, to kick off the 2017-18 indoor campaign. The day began with a victory for freshman Michaela Ashford in the women's long jump. Ashford recorded a mark of 4.84 meters in her collegiate debut.

Then, freshman McKenna Smith began her WVU career on a positive note, winning the women's 500 meters in a time of 1:20.20.

In the women's 60-meter hurdle finals, redshirt senior Meghan Jean-Baptiste recorded a first-place finish in 8.80. Jean-Baptiste also tied for second in the women's 60-meter dash (7.70) and claimed 11th place in the women's shot put.

Ashford also recorded a second-place time of 7.70 in the women's 60-meter dash, while senior Shamoya McNeil tied for fifth (7.80) and freshman Melissa Brozier tied for 10th (8.00).

Later on, Smith, Jean-Baptiste, McNeil and Ashford teamed up to win the women's 4x400 relay in a time of 4:13.90. Additionally, freshmen Hayley Jackson and Marianne Abdalah and redshirt sophomore Candace Jones, who all ran unattached, won the women's 1-mile run, women's 3,000 meters and women's 800 meters, respectively.

WVU will be back in action on Jan. 13 when the Mountaineers host the WVU Open to close the home portion of the team's 2017-18 indoor schedule.

For more information on the Mountaineers, visit WVUsports.com and follow the team on Twitter and Facebook.