Gardner Breaks School Record as Part of Big Day for WVU

Saturday, February 16

University Park, Pa.

11:30 a.m.

West Virginia University

Penn State Tune-Up

February 16, 2019 06:11 PM | Track & Field

Penn State Results NACAC Results JDL Results

By: Joe Mitchin

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Redshirt senior Madelin Gardner of the West Virginia University track and field team broke the indoor school record in the women's pole vault at the Penn State Tune-Up, in University Park, Pennsylvania, on Saturday.

Gardner, a two-time All-American, jumped 4.38 meters (14 feet, 4.5 inches) at the Horace Ashenfelter III Indoor Track, winning the event and setting the facility and meet records in the process. The Williamstown, West Virginia, native topped her previous indoor-best mark of 4.37 meters, which was set at the Akron Invitational in 2018.

The win was one of 10 top-five finishes for the Mountaineers at Penn State on the final weekend of the 2018-19 indoor regular season.

"Penn State served its purpose for the group," WVU coach Sean Cleary said. "The goal for today was to give some of the kids in the program another opportunity to really get ready for next week's Big 12 Championship. I was very happy to see Maddy solidify her national ranking. We've been going to Penn State for many, many years, and for her to leave there as the facility's all-time record holder is a tremendous feat."

Elsewhere, freshman Charlotte Wood placed second in the women's U20 6k race at the 2019 North America, Central America and Caribbean Athletics Association (NACAC) Cross Country Championships in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago.

Wood, who represented Team Canada at the meet, crossed the line in 22:10.0, part of a 1-2-3-4 Canadian finish.

"Charlotte just continues her breakout freshman year," Cleary said. "Her performance today was without question the finest of her young running career, and I think this bolds well for the World Championships in six weeks."

Redshirt freshman Hayley Jackson competed in the women's mile at the JDL DMR Invitational, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, on Saturday. She finished fourth with a lifetime-best time of 4:43.49 (4:40.75 conversion).

"Hayley just ran a great race," Cleary said. "It was a lifetime best and should put her into the national rankings. More importantly, though, she put herself in a race where she wasn't the best but came out with her best performance. I think that's really the key to college running, so I'm really happy we made the trip."

The Mountaineers competed in a total of nine events on Saturday at Penn State. Along with Gardner, freshman Molly DeBone took fifth place in the pole vault with a mark of 3.60 meters (11 feet, 9.75 inches). Sophomore Mikayla Shute also registered a 3.60 meters for sixth place, while freshmen Audrey Schlosser (3.45 meters – 11 feet, 3.75 inches) and Julia Brundin (3.30 meters – 10 feet, 10 inches) placed seventh and ninth, respectively.

"I was very pleased with some of the vaulters behind Maddy and the consistency they've been showing," Cleary said. "The whole group was very solid."

On the track, five Mountaineers competed in the women's mile. Redshirt sophomore Sarah Wills placed fourth with a time of 4:56.83, while redshirt junior Olivia Hill was fifth in 4:59.15. Redshirt freshman Katherine Dowie finished sixth after crossing the finish line in 4:59.95, ahead of redshirt sophomore Antigone Archer, who was seventh in 5:01.83. Redshirt freshman Bree Warren finished ninth in 5:11.83.

"For the group that was in the mile, they did a very nice job," Cleary said. "Four of the five actually ran lifetime bests, so what more could you ask for from that group?"

Redshirt senior Bria Welker competed in two events on Saturday, earning a pair of second-place finishes. First, she placed second in the women's 400 meters in a lifetime-best 56.36. Later, the Ridgeley, West Virginia, native finished second in the women's 200 meters in 25.13.

Freshman Mikenna Vanderheyden also earned a second-place finish, as she ran the women's 600 meters in 1:35.25. Freshman Margaret Rymer (1:45.68) was fourth in the event.

In the women's 800 meters, freshman Samantha Hatcher tallied a sixth-place showing in 2:14.68, while freshman Linda Jebet claimed eighth in 2:20.88.

"Mikenna was very competitive again today and Bria seems to be on a roll at the right time," Cleary said. "Samantha also ran a big personal best in the 800. I think we'll see that translate into much-improved performances over the longer distances as her career unfolds."

Additionally, sophomore McKenna Smith finished fourth in the women's 60-meter dash. After qualifying for the event final in 7.97, she duplicated the performance with a second 7.97 finish. In the women's high jump, redshirt junior Faith Penny finished fifth with a mark of 1.60 meters (5 feet, 3 inches).

Saturday marked the Mountaineers' second trip to Penn State this indoor season. WVU also competed in the Penn State National Open, from Jan. 25-26. In all, West Virginia has now competed at the Penn State Tune-Up for four consecutive years, and it has visited University Park for an indoor meet nine times since the 2014-15 campaign.

Up next, the Mountaineers travel to Lubbock, Texas, to compete in the 2019 Big 12 Indoor Track and Field Championship, from Feb. 22-23. WVU finished ninth at the conference indoor meet last season.

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