Sunday, May 12
Norman, Okla.
3:30 p.m.
West Virginia University
at
Big 12 Outdoor Championship
WVU Closes Big 12s with Two More Top-Eight Finishes
May 12, 2019 10:59 PM | Track & Field
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University track and field team concluded competition at the 2019 Big 12 Outdoor Track and Field Championship with a pair of top-eight finishes, on Sunday, in Norman, Oklahoma.
Redshirt freshman Hayley Jackson earned a hard-fought silver medal in the 1,500 meters, crossing the finish line in a career-best 4:19.69, while redshirt junior Faith Penny took sixth place in the high jump with an outdoor career-best mark of 1.72 meters (5 feet, 7.75 inches).
In all, the Mountaineers competed in five events on the final day of the three-day meet at Oklahoma's John Jacobs Track Complex.
"I was very pleased that Hayley showed she has a tactical sense in a championship setting," WVU coach Sean Cleary said. "She proved that she is very capable of sprinting at the end at a level that gives us comfort going forward with her championship racing.
"To watch Faith scale a bar that she has never cleared outside in an extremely clutch performance also was very, very satisfying. She had some good attempts at the next bar, and we're now waiting to see if she'll get the call for the NCAA Championships."
Along with Jackson and Penny, redshirt senior Shamoya McNeil placed 11th in the triple jump with a mark of 12.63 meters (41 feet, 5.25 inches). A trio of Mountaineers also competed in the 5,000 meters, as redshirt senior Jillian Forsey (17:30.55) finished 16th, while redshirt sophomore Antigone Archer (17:34.29) and redshirt freshman Marianne Abdalah (17:34.82) placed 17th and 18th, respectively.
Additionally, freshman Sada Wright competed in the discus throw on Sunday.
The Mountaineers opened the Big 12 Championship with a pair of podium trips in the 10,000 meters on Friday night. Despite a steady downpour throughout the event, redshirt junior Olivia Hill finished in fourth place with a time of 35:06.32, ahead of redshirt freshman Bree Warren, who took fifth in career-best 35:07.97.
"I was really proud to see Olivia, in a championship environment, run like the veteran that she is," Cleary said. "To watch how far she has come in a few years is remarkable. It only got more exciting when Bree caught the chase pack late in the race. For her, it's a breakthrough of sorts. Watching her run up the track late to catch a teammate running up front was phenomenal."
On Saturday, redshirt senior Madelin Gardner earned a silver medal in the pole vault, recording a mark of 4.27 meters (14 feet). The performance was the best of the three-time All-American's career at a conference meet.
"Watching Maddy in her final Big 12 competition was bittersweet," Cleary said. "That was one that hurt, but we know that she's ready for the rest of the season."
WVU totaled five trips to the podium in four events on the weekend. The squad also combined for nine personal-best performances.
This weekend's meet featured three women's programs ranked in the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) top 25, including No. 13-ranked Kansas State, No. 14 Texas Tech and Big 12 champion Texas, which sits No. 17 nationally. The meet also featured five teams in the nation's top 40 of the Track & Field Rating Index (TFRI) and nine in the top 80.
Next up, the Mountaineers will await the announcement of the qualifiers for the 2019 NCAA East Preliminary Round. Selections will be announced on Thursday, May 16, at 1 p.m. ET, while the event runs from May 23-25, in Jacksonville, Florida.
"Any time you go to a competition at this level and leave the track with nine kids setting lifetime bests, you have to be pleased with the effort of your program," Cleary added. "Having some of our seniors leave with career-best performances and represent the team well one last time was fun to see."
For more information on the Mountaineers, visit WVUsports.com and follow WVUXCTF on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Redshirt freshman Hayley Jackson earned a hard-fought silver medal in the 1,500 meters, crossing the finish line in a career-best 4:19.69, while redshirt junior Faith Penny took sixth place in the high jump with an outdoor career-best mark of 1.72 meters (5 feet, 7.75 inches).
In all, the Mountaineers competed in five events on the final day of the three-day meet at Oklahoma's John Jacobs Track Complex.
"I was very pleased that Hayley showed she has a tactical sense in a championship setting," WVU coach Sean Cleary said. "She proved that she is very capable of sprinting at the end at a level that gives us comfort going forward with her championship racing.
"To watch Faith scale a bar that she has never cleared outside in an extremely clutch performance also was very, very satisfying. She had some good attempts at the next bar, and we're now waiting to see if she'll get the call for the NCAA Championships."
Along with Jackson and Penny, redshirt senior Shamoya McNeil placed 11th in the triple jump with a mark of 12.63 meters (41 feet, 5.25 inches). A trio of Mountaineers also competed in the 5,000 meters, as redshirt senior Jillian Forsey (17:30.55) finished 16th, while redshirt sophomore Antigone Archer (17:34.29) and redshirt freshman Marianne Abdalah (17:34.82) placed 17th and 18th, respectively.
Additionally, freshman Sada Wright competed in the discus throw on Sunday.
The Mountaineers opened the Big 12 Championship with a pair of podium trips in the 10,000 meters on Friday night. Despite a steady downpour throughout the event, redshirt junior Olivia Hill finished in fourth place with a time of 35:06.32, ahead of redshirt freshman Bree Warren, who took fifth in career-best 35:07.97.
"I was really proud to see Olivia, in a championship environment, run like the veteran that she is," Cleary said. "To watch how far she has come in a few years is remarkable. It only got more exciting when Bree caught the chase pack late in the race. For her, it's a breakthrough of sorts. Watching her run up the track late to catch a teammate running up front was phenomenal."
On Saturday, redshirt senior Madelin Gardner earned a silver medal in the pole vault, recording a mark of 4.27 meters (14 feet). The performance was the best of the three-time All-American's career at a conference meet.
"Watching Maddy in her final Big 12 competition was bittersweet," Cleary said. "That was one that hurt, but we know that she's ready for the rest of the season."
WVU totaled five trips to the podium in four events on the weekend. The squad also combined for nine personal-best performances.
This weekend's meet featured three women's programs ranked in the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) top 25, including No. 13-ranked Kansas State, No. 14 Texas Tech and Big 12 champion Texas, which sits No. 17 nationally. The meet also featured five teams in the nation's top 40 of the Track & Field Rating Index (TFRI) and nine in the top 80.
Next up, the Mountaineers will await the announcement of the qualifiers for the 2019 NCAA East Preliminary Round. Selections will be announced on Thursday, May 16, at 1 p.m. ET, while the event runs from May 23-25, in Jacksonville, Florida.
"Any time you go to a competition at this level and leave the track with nine kids setting lifetime bests, you have to be pleased with the effort of your program," Cleary added. "Having some of our seniors leave with career-best performances and represent the team well one last time was fun to see."
For more information on the Mountaineers, visit WVUsports.com and follow WVUXCTF on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Players Mentioned
Distance
/ Track & Field
Distance
/ Track & Field
Distance
/ Track & Field
Pole Vault
/ Track & Field
Distance
/ Track & Field
Mid-Distance
/ Track & Field
Jumps
/ Track & Field
High Jump
/ Track & Field
Distance
/ Track & Field
Throws
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