The Slippery Rock outdoor track and field team attended the Ed Fry Invitational last Saturday at Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
With PSACs quickly approaching, both teams are stepping up to get as many athletes to qualify as possible.
Despite the undesirable weather, junior sprinter DJ Chisom felt the teams performed very well and are right where they should be.
Several athletes qualified for the PSACs at the meet, while others improved their qualifying marks.
Reaching PSAC qualifying marks on the women’s team were junior Kara Styles, junior Abby Michaelian, sophomore Heather Holmes and freshman Amanda Krise.
Men’s qualifiers were senior Joe Spears, sophomore Samuel Lotz and sophomore Morgan Elliott.
Leading the Rock’s success at IUP was the 4×100-meter relay team of senior Vanere Maynard, junior Mason McLaughlin, Chisom, and freshman Hunter Williams recording a time of 42.10 seconds for the win.
Continuing the relay success, the 4×400-meter relay team of Williams, Chisom, sophomore Trevor Foley and junior Ethan Geisler took the win over a team from California University of Pennsylvania’s team with a time of 3:23.47.
Also in the event was the team of McLaughlin, senior Dan Hedglin, junior Kevin Jewel and freshman Monte Chapman. They finished third with a time of 3:29.57.
“We’re a strong crew,” Chisom said. “It makes it hard for Coach Nate to decide each week who’s going to be on the ‘A team’. It forces us to battle each other for those four spots. We make each other faster week by week.”
Chisom also won the 100-meter dash with a time of 10.97 seconds.
Williams recorded a victory for the Rock in the 400-meter dash with a time of 49.24 seconds.
Slippery Rock swept the top four spots in the 110-meter hurdles with sophomore Jonathan Boyd taking the win with a time of 15.31 seconds.
Geisler posted a time of 15.46 seconds for second, Hedglin at 16.68 seconds for third, and Spears in fourth at 15.80 seconds.
In the field events, senior Terrece Draper won the triple jump with a leap of 13.79 meters. Lotz took third in the event at 13.53 meters.
Junior Joseph Kelly won the hammer throw with a mark of 50.29 meters.
Senior Chad Noce took second in the shot put at 15.62 meters.
Sophomore Morgan Elliot also recorded a second-place finish with a time of 4:01.45 in the 1,500-meter run.
In the pole vault, sophomore David Caldwell cleared 4.35 meters and finished in second place.
Success in the pole vault continued on the women’s team with a strong performance from senior Kelly Fischer.
Fischer cleared 3.55 meters to win the event and reached the NCAA qualifying standards, followed by freshman Keriann Hill in second with a clearance of 3.10 meters.
In the javelin throw, junior Lexi Arnold recorded her third javelin win this season with a throw of 38.83 meters.
Junior Kim Goth took second in the javelin at 37.75 meters, Holmes in fourth at 36.16 meters, and Krise in fifth at 36.07.
Continuing success in the field events was senior Cassie Carrow with two wins.
“This is the strongest I have been throughout my entire college career, both physically and mentally,” Carrow said. “I credit both aspects of my training to my thrower family. I have never had a more inspirational group of people to motivate me.”
Carrow won the hammer with a throw of 45.91 meters, joined by senior Sandy Kakraba in second with a mark of 41.10 meters, and sophomore Amanda McCool in fourth with a mark of 40.26 meters.
Carrow’s second win came in the discus with a mark of 33.49 meters.
Pulling the double win has always been one of Carrow’s goals, she said. She believes she has not yet done her best and expects big things at the upcoming meets in Ashland.
In the triple jump, Kakraba took third with a leap of 10.80 meters and fifth in the shot put with a mark of 11.25 meters.
