Big 12 Indoor Championship Awaits WVU
February 21, 2019 04:46 PM | Track & Field
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University track and field team travels to Lubbock, Texas, to compete in the 2019 Big 12 Indoor Track and Field Championship, from Feb. 22-23.
The two-day championship meet at Texas Tech's Sports Performance Center will commence on Friday at 4 p.m. ET, while Saturday's events are scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. FloSports will provide live video coverage of the meet at FloTrack.org. Fans also can visit the championship webpage for more information, including the meet schedule, heat sheets and more.
"As we arrive in Lubbock, the goal for the weekend is for each individual to perform at the very best of their abilities," WVU coach Sean Cleary said. "We are hoping to collect six or seven conference accolades and see some breakthrough performances throughout the two days. I know this team has been very focused and ready to compete at their highest level of the winter."
The championship meet features three teams ranked in the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) National Rankings: No. 13 Texas Tech, No. 21 Texas and No. 22 Kansas. The Longhorns won the Big 12 indoor championship last season.
Last year, the Mountaineers earned six conference accolades from three individuals in a ninth-place team finish at the Big 12 Indoor Championship, at the Lied Recreation Athletic Facility, in Ames, Iowa. Shamoya McNeil earned a third-place finish in the women's triple jump with a season-best mark of 12.85 meters (42 feet, 2.5 inches), while Amy Cashin took fifth in the women's 3,000 meters with a time of 9:32.42.
Cashin also helped the distance medley relay team to a fourth-place finish in 11:28.20. Sarah Wills, McKenna Smith and Candace Jones joined Cashin to reach the podium.
Last time out, West Virginia combined to earn 10 top-five finishes at the Penn State Tune-Up, on Feb. 16, in University Park, Pennsylvania. Redshirt senior Madelin Gardner proved to be a major highlight, as she broke the indoor school record in the women's pole vault. Gardner jumped 4.38 meters (14 feet, 4.5 inches) in the first-place finish, topping her previous indoor record of 4.37 meters, which was set at the Akron Invitational in 2018.
With the performance, the Williamstown, West Virginia, native was named the WVU Student-Athlete of the Week on Monday and the Big 12 Women's Athlete of the Week on Wednesday.
Redshirt senior Bria Welker recorded a pair of second-place finishes at Penn State. First, she logged a lifetime-best time of 56.36 in the women's 400 meters before she crossed the finish line in 25.13 in the women's 200 meters. Freshman Mikenna Vanderheyden also earned a second-place finish in the women's 600 meters (1:35.25).
Additionally, redshirt freshman Hayley Jackson ran the women's mile at the JDL DMR Invitational, on Feb. 16, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, earning a fourth-place finish in a lifetime-best time of 4:43.49 (4:40.72 conversion).
Entering the conference meet, Gardner ranks No. 1 in the Big 12 and tied for No. 7 nationally in the pole vault. She also led WVU to No. 16 in the USTFCCCA's #EventSquad Pole Vault Rankings this week.
Jackson sits No. 2 in the Big 12 and No. 37 nationally in the mile. She also ranks No. 3 in the league in the 1,000 meters and No. 9 in the 3,000 meters. The Mountaineers' DMR, comprised of Jackson, Welker, Vanderheyden and freshman Samantha Hatcher rank No. 4 in the Big 12 and No. 55 nationally this week.
For more information on the Mountaineers, visit WVUsports.com and follow WVUXCTF on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
The two-day championship meet at Texas Tech's Sports Performance Center will commence on Friday at 4 p.m. ET, while Saturday's events are scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. FloSports will provide live video coverage of the meet at FloTrack.org. Fans also can visit the championship webpage for more information, including the meet schedule, heat sheets and more.
"As we arrive in Lubbock, the goal for the weekend is for each individual to perform at the very best of their abilities," WVU coach Sean Cleary said. "We are hoping to collect six or seven conference accolades and see some breakthrough performances throughout the two days. I know this team has been very focused and ready to compete at their highest level of the winter."
The championship meet features three teams ranked in the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) National Rankings: No. 13 Texas Tech, No. 21 Texas and No. 22 Kansas. The Longhorns won the Big 12 indoor championship last season.
Last year, the Mountaineers earned six conference accolades from three individuals in a ninth-place team finish at the Big 12 Indoor Championship, at the Lied Recreation Athletic Facility, in Ames, Iowa. Shamoya McNeil earned a third-place finish in the women's triple jump with a season-best mark of 12.85 meters (42 feet, 2.5 inches), while Amy Cashin took fifth in the women's 3,000 meters with a time of 9:32.42.
Cashin also helped the distance medley relay team to a fourth-place finish in 11:28.20. Sarah Wills, McKenna Smith and Candace Jones joined Cashin to reach the podium.
Last time out, West Virginia combined to earn 10 top-five finishes at the Penn State Tune-Up, on Feb. 16, in University Park, Pennsylvania. Redshirt senior Madelin Gardner proved to be a major highlight, as she broke the indoor school record in the women's pole vault. Gardner jumped 4.38 meters (14 feet, 4.5 inches) in the first-place finish, topping her previous indoor record of 4.37 meters, which was set at the Akron Invitational in 2018.
With the performance, the Williamstown, West Virginia, native was named the WVU Student-Athlete of the Week on Monday and the Big 12 Women's Athlete of the Week on Wednesday.
Redshirt senior Bria Welker recorded a pair of second-place finishes at Penn State. First, she logged a lifetime-best time of 56.36 in the women's 400 meters before she crossed the finish line in 25.13 in the women's 200 meters. Freshman Mikenna Vanderheyden also earned a second-place finish in the women's 600 meters (1:35.25).
Additionally, redshirt freshman Hayley Jackson ran the women's mile at the JDL DMR Invitational, on Feb. 16, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, earning a fourth-place finish in a lifetime-best time of 4:43.49 (4:40.72 conversion).
Entering the conference meet, Gardner ranks No. 1 in the Big 12 and tied for No. 7 nationally in the pole vault. She also led WVU to No. 16 in the USTFCCCA's #EventSquad Pole Vault Rankings this week.
Jackson sits No. 2 in the Big 12 and No. 37 nationally in the mile. She also ranks No. 3 in the league in the 1,000 meters and No. 9 in the 3,000 meters. The Mountaineers' DMR, comprised of Jackson, Welker, Vanderheyden and freshman Samantha Hatcher rank No. 4 in the Big 12 and No. 55 nationally this week.
For more information on the Mountaineers, visit WVUsports.com and follow WVUXCTF on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Players Mentioned
Mid-Distance
/ Track & Field
Distance
/ Track & Field
Pole Vault
/ Track & Field
Distance
/ Track & Field
Mid-Distance
/ Track & Field
Jumps
/ Track & Field
Sprints
/ Track & Field
Mid-Distance
/ Track & Field
Hurdles/Sprints
/ Track & Field
Distance
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