After an impressive indoor season and a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) crown to go along with it, the women’s track team went south to begin the outdoor season. The Coastal Carolina University invitational was the site for the team to begin a new season of success. Starting the season off strong in which the team earned twelve PSAC qualifying marks along with an NCAA provisional mark. With more than 50 teams and clubs heading into the two-day event, The Rock women’s outdoor track team was able to claim two individual wins along with five top-five finishes.
The two winners for Slippery Rock at Coastal Carolina were seniors Sam Taylor and Jasmine Bailey.
After earning All-American honors the previous spring Sam Taylor was able to pick right back up where she had left off. With a throw of 45.59 meters in the javelin, this toss would not only win her the event but earn her an NCAA provisional mark to start the season.
Coming off being named the Most Outstanding Track Athlete at the indoor championships was Jasmine Bailey. Bailey would compete in each the 400 and 200-meter dashes at the season’s opening meet. In the 400 meter dash she would destroy her competition with a time of 56.15 seconds. In the 200 meter dash she was able to slide into second place at a time of 24.93 seconds.
The team kept the path to success on the track strong with multiple PSAC qualifying marks. In the 3,000 meter Steeplechase, junior Kaylee Haberkam placed fourth with a time of 11:58.57. In the 100-meter hurdles sophomore Sophie Mazza would finish sixth at a time of 14.92 seconds. Qualifying behind her was senior Summer Weinheimer at a time of 15.80. In the 400 meter hurdles, senior Casaundra Swartzburg would earn a seventh place finish at a time of 1:05.96. Sophomore Katie Teed earned an eleventh place finish at 1:06.76. Wrapping up the outing with qualifying marks in the 1,500-meter run were juniors Jordan Hackett at a time of 4:56.50 and Alexis Sweirgol 4:58.82 earning 12th and 15th respectively.
Finishing strong with PSAC qualifying marks in the field were sophomores Maria Darling and Anna Frengel. Darling competed in the pole vault and would place fifth with a clearance of 3.35 meters. Frengel worked to earn a seventh place finish with a toss in the shot put at a distance of 12.71 meters.
In two weeks the team will be back down south to compete again this time in Raleigh North Carolina at the North Carolina State University relays March 25-26.
