WVU Ready for Big 12 Outdoor Championship
May 09, 2019 02:19 PM | Track & Field
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University track and field team begins its postseason by traveling to the 2019 Big 12 Outdoor Track and Field Championship, from May 10-12, in Norman, Oklahoma.
The three-day meet at Oklahoma's John Jacobs Track Complex is set to begin on Friday at 12 p.m. ET. Saturday's events are scheduled to commence at 11 a.m., with Sunday's action set for 3:30 p.m.
Fans can follow along with the Big 12 Championship all weekend long by visiting the meet's championship page, which features the meet schedule, ticket information, live results, records and more. Additionally, FloTrack is set to provide live coverage of the meet at FloTrack.org.
"We're obviously looking forward to competing alongside some of the nation's best athletes," WVU coach Sean Cleary said. "While the weather seems to always be a factor at this meet, we're hopeful it will cooperate for us in the next few days. With podium finishes and All-Big 12 accolades in mind, we're excited to see some great performances out of our team and qualify a few more for the NCAA Championships."
This weekend's meet features three women's programs ranked in the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) top 25: No. 13 Kansas State, No. 14 Texas Tech and No. 17 Texas. The meet also features five teams in the nation's top 40 of the Track & Field Rating Index (TFRI) and nine in the top 80.
The Mountaineers finished ninth as a team and reached the podium four times at last season's outdoor conference meet in Waco, Texas. Amy Cashin finished second in the 3,000-meter steeplechase in 10:00.04, while then-redshirt junior Madelin Gardner took fourth place in the pole vault with a mark of 4.24 meters (13 feet, 11 inches). Meghan Jean-Baptiste finished seventh overall in the heptathlon with 4,751 points, good for fifth-best in program history, while then-redshirt sophomore Olivia Hill placed eighth in the 10,000 meters with a time of 36:56.18.
WVU last won a Big 12 individual championship in 2015, when Kaitlyn Gillespie won the 10,000 meters in 33:45.56.
Last week, West Virginia capped its regular season by posting a season-best 10 wins at the Mountaineer Open, on May 4, at the Track and Field Complex at Mylan Park in Morgantown. On the track, freshman Margaret Rymer won the 400-meter hurdles in 1:06.50, while redshirt senior Bria Welker took the 400 meters in 57.35. Redshirt freshman Marianne Abdalah won the 3,000 meters in 10:07.80, before redshirt freshman Hayley Jackson finished first in the 800 meters in 2:08.66. Later, redshirt freshman Katherine Dowie closed the meet with a victory in the 3,000-meter steeplechase with a time of 10:52.40.
In the field, freshman Sada Wright won the discus throw with a mark of 45.17 meters (148 feet, 2 inches), while freshman Peter-Gay McKenzie won the long jump with a mark of 5.68 meters (18 feet, 7.75 inches). Redshirt seniors Shamoya McNeil (12.33 meters – 40 feet, 5.5 inches) and Gardner (4.22 meters – 13 feet, 10 inches) won the triple jump and pole vault, respectively, while redshirt junior Faith Penny took first in the high jump with a mark of 1.65 meters (5 feet, 5 inches).
Entering the meet, seven Mountaineers rank in the top eight of the Big 12 in their respective events. Gardner leads the conference and ranks No. 6 nationally in the pole vault with a school-record mark of 4.47 meters (14 feet, 8 inches), while Jackson sits No. 3 in the league in the 5,000 meters (16:20.50). Hill (34:28.43) and redshirt freshman Bree Warren (35:33.76) rank No. 4 and No. 7 in the 10,000 meters, respectively.
Additionally, Dowie ranks No. 7 in the 3,000-meter steeplechase with a time of 10:35.96, while McNeil (12.93 meters – 42 feet, 5.25 inches) and redshirt junior Candace Jones (4:23.00) are slotted eighth in the triple jump and 1,500 meters, respectively.
Earlier this week, 18 Mountaineers were named to the Academic All-Big 12 Track and Field Team. WVU featured seven student-athletes with 4.0 grade-point averages, good for second-most among women's programs, while a total of 15 reached the first team.
For more information on the Mountaineers, visit WVUsports.com and follow WVUXCTF on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
The three-day meet at Oklahoma's John Jacobs Track Complex is set to begin on Friday at 12 p.m. ET. Saturday's events are scheduled to commence at 11 a.m., with Sunday's action set for 3:30 p.m.
Fans can follow along with the Big 12 Championship all weekend long by visiting the meet's championship page, which features the meet schedule, ticket information, live results, records and more. Additionally, FloTrack is set to provide live coverage of the meet at FloTrack.org.
"We're obviously looking forward to competing alongside some of the nation's best athletes," WVU coach Sean Cleary said. "While the weather seems to always be a factor at this meet, we're hopeful it will cooperate for us in the next few days. With podium finishes and All-Big 12 accolades in mind, we're excited to see some great performances out of our team and qualify a few more for the NCAA Championships."
This weekend's meet features three women's programs ranked in the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) top 25: No. 13 Kansas State, No. 14 Texas Tech and No. 17 Texas. The meet also features five teams in the nation's top 40 of the Track & Field Rating Index (TFRI) and nine in the top 80.
The Mountaineers finished ninth as a team and reached the podium four times at last season's outdoor conference meet in Waco, Texas. Amy Cashin finished second in the 3,000-meter steeplechase in 10:00.04, while then-redshirt junior Madelin Gardner took fourth place in the pole vault with a mark of 4.24 meters (13 feet, 11 inches). Meghan Jean-Baptiste finished seventh overall in the heptathlon with 4,751 points, good for fifth-best in program history, while then-redshirt sophomore Olivia Hill placed eighth in the 10,000 meters with a time of 36:56.18.
WVU last won a Big 12 individual championship in 2015, when Kaitlyn Gillespie won the 10,000 meters in 33:45.56.
Last week, West Virginia capped its regular season by posting a season-best 10 wins at the Mountaineer Open, on May 4, at the Track and Field Complex at Mylan Park in Morgantown. On the track, freshman Margaret Rymer won the 400-meter hurdles in 1:06.50, while redshirt senior Bria Welker took the 400 meters in 57.35. Redshirt freshman Marianne Abdalah won the 3,000 meters in 10:07.80, before redshirt freshman Hayley Jackson finished first in the 800 meters in 2:08.66. Later, redshirt freshman Katherine Dowie closed the meet with a victory in the 3,000-meter steeplechase with a time of 10:52.40.
In the field, freshman Sada Wright won the discus throw with a mark of 45.17 meters (148 feet, 2 inches), while freshman Peter-Gay McKenzie won the long jump with a mark of 5.68 meters (18 feet, 7.75 inches). Redshirt seniors Shamoya McNeil (12.33 meters – 40 feet, 5.5 inches) and Gardner (4.22 meters – 13 feet, 10 inches) won the triple jump and pole vault, respectively, while redshirt junior Faith Penny took first in the high jump with a mark of 1.65 meters (5 feet, 5 inches).
Entering the meet, seven Mountaineers rank in the top eight of the Big 12 in their respective events. Gardner leads the conference and ranks No. 6 nationally in the pole vault with a school-record mark of 4.47 meters (14 feet, 8 inches), while Jackson sits No. 3 in the league in the 5,000 meters (16:20.50). Hill (34:28.43) and redshirt freshman Bree Warren (35:33.76) rank No. 4 and No. 7 in the 10,000 meters, respectively.
Additionally, Dowie ranks No. 7 in the 3,000-meter steeplechase with a time of 10:35.96, while McNeil (12.93 meters – 42 feet, 5.25 inches) and redshirt junior Candace Jones (4:23.00) are slotted eighth in the triple jump and 1,500 meters, respectively.
Earlier this week, 18 Mountaineers were named to the Academic All-Big 12 Track and Field Team. WVU featured seven student-athletes with 4.0 grade-point averages, good for second-most among women's programs, while a total of 15 reached the first team.
For more information on the Mountaineers, visit WVUsports.com and follow WVUXCTF on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Players Mentioned
Distance
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Mid-Distance
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Pole Vault
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Distance
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Mid-Distance
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