Photo by: Liz Parke
Mountaineers Open Outdoors at 49er Classic
March 14, 2019 03:34 PM | Track & Field
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University track and field team opens the 2019 outdoor season at the 49er Classic, from March 15-16, in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The two-day meet at the Irwin Belk Track and Field Center is set to begin on Friday at 11 a.m. ET. Saturday's action is scheduled to start at 10 a.m. FloSports will provide live video coverage of the meet at FloTrack.org. Fans also can follow along with the event's live results, presented by flashresults.com.
The Mountaineers are one of more than 40 schools participating in the outdoor season-opening meet. West Virginia is joined by Charlotte, Cleveland State, Davidson, East Carolina, Elon, Temple, Wake Forest and others.
WVU is set to begin the outdoor campaign in Charlotte for the third consecutive season. Last year, the Mountaineers earned three top-10 finishes at the meet, highlighted by Sara Finfrock's win in the women's pole vault. Finfrock jumped 3.90 meters (12 feet, 9.5 inches) in the victory, while Rebekah LaFata tied for fourth in the event with a mark of 3.50 meters (11 feet, 5.75 inches). Additionally, McKenna Smith finished 10th in the women's 400 meters with a time of 57.02.
West Virginia is coming off an indoor season that saw redshirt senior Madelin Gardner earn All-America Second Team honors at the 2019 NCAA Indoor Championships, on March 9, in Birmingham, Alabama. Gardner earned a mark of 4.26 meters (13 feet, 11.75 inches) for a ninth-place finish, marking her third career All-America honor.
The Mountaineers also earned seven honors in four events by six individuals at the 2019 Big 12 Indoor Championship, from Feb. 22-23, in Lubbock, Texas. Redshirt freshman Hayley Jackson reached the podium twice, helping the distance medley relay team to a third-place finish in 11:40.42, before finishing fourth in the women's mile in 4:51.24. Jackson joined redshirt senior Bria Welker, redshirt sophomore Sarah Wills and freshman Mikenna Vanderheyden on the DMR team.
Redshirt junior Faith Penny placed eighth on women's high jump with a mark of 1.68 meters (5 feet, 6 inches) at the Big 12 meet, while Gardner tied for fourth with a mark of 4.13 meters (13 feet, 6.5 inches) in the women's pole vault.
The Mountaineers return four regional qualifiers this spring, including Gardner, who earned All-America First Team honors in the pole vault at the 2018 NCAA Outdoor Championships. Redshirt senior Jillian Forsey (10,000 meters), redshirt junior Olivia Hill (10,000 meters) and senior Danique Bryan (long jump) also return after earning NCAA East Preliminary Round qualification last season.
Redshirt senior Shamoya McNeil, who earned All-America Third Team honors in the triple jump at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in 2017, also returns this season.
For more information on the Mountaineers, visit WVUsports.com and follow WVUXCTF on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
The two-day meet at the Irwin Belk Track and Field Center is set to begin on Friday at 11 a.m. ET. Saturday's action is scheduled to start at 10 a.m. FloSports will provide live video coverage of the meet at FloTrack.org. Fans also can follow along with the event's live results, presented by flashresults.com.
The Mountaineers are one of more than 40 schools participating in the outdoor season-opening meet. West Virginia is joined by Charlotte, Cleveland State, Davidson, East Carolina, Elon, Temple, Wake Forest and others.
WVU is set to begin the outdoor campaign in Charlotte for the third consecutive season. Last year, the Mountaineers earned three top-10 finishes at the meet, highlighted by Sara Finfrock's win in the women's pole vault. Finfrock jumped 3.90 meters (12 feet, 9.5 inches) in the victory, while Rebekah LaFata tied for fourth in the event with a mark of 3.50 meters (11 feet, 5.75 inches). Additionally, McKenna Smith finished 10th in the women's 400 meters with a time of 57.02.
West Virginia is coming off an indoor season that saw redshirt senior Madelin Gardner earn All-America Second Team honors at the 2019 NCAA Indoor Championships, on March 9, in Birmingham, Alabama. Gardner earned a mark of 4.26 meters (13 feet, 11.75 inches) for a ninth-place finish, marking her third career All-America honor.
The Mountaineers also earned seven honors in four events by six individuals at the 2019 Big 12 Indoor Championship, from Feb. 22-23, in Lubbock, Texas. Redshirt freshman Hayley Jackson reached the podium twice, helping the distance medley relay team to a third-place finish in 11:40.42, before finishing fourth in the women's mile in 4:51.24. Jackson joined redshirt senior Bria Welker, redshirt sophomore Sarah Wills and freshman Mikenna Vanderheyden on the DMR team.
Redshirt junior Faith Penny placed eighth on women's high jump with a mark of 1.68 meters (5 feet, 6 inches) at the Big 12 meet, while Gardner tied for fourth with a mark of 4.13 meters (13 feet, 6.5 inches) in the women's pole vault.
The Mountaineers return four regional qualifiers this spring, including Gardner, who earned All-America First Team honors in the pole vault at the 2018 NCAA Outdoor Championships. Redshirt senior Jillian Forsey (10,000 meters), redshirt junior Olivia Hill (10,000 meters) and senior Danique Bryan (long jump) also return after earning NCAA East Preliminary Round qualification last season.
Redshirt senior Shamoya McNeil, who earned All-America Third Team honors in the triple jump at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in 2017, also returns this season.
For more information on the Mountaineers, visit WVUsports.com and follow WVUXCTF on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Players Mentioned
Jumps
/ Track & Field
Pole Vault
/ Track & Field
Distance
/ Track & Field
Pole Vault
/ Track & Field
Distance
/ Track & Field
Mid-Distance
/ Track & Field
Jumps
/ Track & Field
High Jump
/ Track & Field
Sprints
/ Track & Field
Mid-Distance
/ Track & Field
Hurdles/Sprints
/ Track & Field
Distance
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