WVU Competes Coast-to-Coast This Weekend

March 27, 2019 03:53 PM | Track & Field

Raleigh Live Results Fanelli Live Results Fanelli Live Stream Stanford Live Results Stanford Live Stream Texas Live Results Texas Live Stream

By: Joe Mitchin

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University track and field team splits to compete in four meets, as the Mountaineers will be represented at the Mike Fanelli Track Classic, in Hayward, California, on Thursday, March 28, the Stanford Invitational, in Stanford, California, on Friday, March 29, the 92nd Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays, in Austin, Texas, on Saturday, March 30, and the Raleigh Relays, in Raleigh, North Carolina, from March 29-30.

Redshirt freshman Katherine Dowie and freshman Mikenna Vanderheyden are set to compete at the Mike Fanelli Track Classic on Thursday, beginning at 7:30 p.m., while redshirt junior Olivia Hill and redshirt freshman Hayley Jackson compete at the Stanford Invitational on Friday at 9:30 p.m. Redshirt senior Madelin Gardner is in action at the Texas Relays on Saturday at 1:30 p.m., with the rest of the team set for competition at NC State.

Action at the Raleigh Relays is set to commence at 9 a.m. on Friday, with Saturday's action set to begin at 9:30 a.m. All times are Eastern.

Fans can follow along with the Mountaineers all weekend long via live results at each event. Additionally, FloTrack will provide a live stream of the Fanelli Classic and Stanford Invitational, while coverage of the Texas Relays is courtesy of the Longhorn Network.

Dowie and Vanderheyden will compete in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the Fanelli Classic. The Mountaineers last competed at the event, formerly known as the San Francisco State Distance Carnival, in 2011.

Last week, the duo placed 1-2 in the 1,500-meter steeplechase at the West Virginia Open. Dowie won in a time of 5:09.26, while Vanderheyden placed second in 5:12.48.

Hill and Jackson travel to Stanford's Cobb Track and Angell Field for the annual West Coast event. WVU has competed at the Stanford Invitational every season for the past decade. At last year's meet, Maggie Drazba earned a sixth-place finish in the 10,000 meters (section 2) with a time of 33:51.71. Hill finished 22nd in the event, crossing the finish line in 34:47.73.

Amy Cashin placed 12th in the 5,000 meters invitational (16:36.96), while redshirt sophomore Sarah Wills took eighth in the 5,000 meters (section 4) in 17:03.80. Additionally, redshirt junior Candace Jones finished 11th in the 1,500 meters (section 5) in 4:33.48.

Jackson has opened 2019 outdoor season with a pair of wins in as many weeks. She won the 800 meters at last week's West Virginia Open in a time of 2:10.15. She also enters the week ranked No. 3 nationally in the 1,500 meters with a top time of 4:23.15 from the 49er Classic.

The Mountaineers last competed at the Texas Relays in 2016. Gardner will compete in the pole vault university elite event at Mike A. Myers Stadium, allowing the three-time All-American to obtain a first look at the site for the 2019 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, which is set for June 5-8, in Austin.

Gardner opened her outdoor campaign with a win at the West Virginia Open last week. She jumped 4.02 meters (13 feet, 2.25) in the victory.

This weekend also marks the third consecutive season West Virginia will compete at the Raleigh Relays, at NC State's Paul Derr Track & Field Facility. WVU is joined by Duke, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Michigan State, Mississippi State, NC State, Notre Dame, North Carolina, Ohio State, Penn State, Pitt, Syracuse, Vanderbilt, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest and many others at one of the East Coast's largest outdoor collegiate meets.

The Mountaineers combined to earn five top-eight finishes at NC State last season. Redshirt sophomore Kyrielle Williams took third place in the high jump (1.65 meters – 5 feet, 5 inches), while sophomore Ellie Gardner took fourth in the pole vault (3.80 meters – 12 feet, 5.5 inches).

Meghan Jean-Baptiste placed fifth in the 100-meter hurdles in 14.53, while Sara Finfrock earned a sixth-place finish in the pole vault (invitational) with a mark of 3.80 meters (12 feet, 5.5 inches). Redshirt junior Faith Penny also tallied a top-eight finish at last year's meet, taking seventh in the high jump (invitational) with a mark of 1.65 meters (5 feet, 5 inches).

Last time out, the Mountaineers hosted the West Virginia Open, earning a total of nine wins in the first-ever competition at The Track & Field Complex at Mylan Park. The event also marked WVU's first outdoor home meet since 2009.

Redshirt senior Bria Welker led the way with a pair of wins, crossing the finish line first in the 200 meters (25.92) and 400 meters (56.70).

Along with Dowie, Gardner, Jackson and Welker's wins, freshman Peter-Gay McKenzie won the 100 meters in 12.46, while freshman Margaret Rymer took first in the 400-meter hurdles in 1:06.40.

In the field, freshman Sada Wright won the discus throw with a mark of 44.22 meters (138 feet, 6 inches), good for the fifth-best mark in program history. Redshirt senior Shamoya McNeil also earned a win at the West Virginia Open, claiming first in the long jump after a mark of 5.69 meters (18 feet, 8 inches).

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