With the PSAC (Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference) Championships now in the rear-view mirror and only sophomore pole vaulter Maddy Marshall and senior pole vaulter Courtney McQuaide still competing indoors, the focus now shifts to the outdoor season.
Slippery Rock earned six All-Region team spots with five athletes taking those places. The United States Track and Field and Cross-Country Coaches Association reward the All-Region spots after the conclusion of each season. To qualify, the student-athlete is required to place in the top five of their event or top three in their relay.
Freshman sprinter/jumper Reagan Hess earned two spots in the 60-meter dash and the long jump. Hess set an SRU record with a 7.67 second 60-meter dash and recorded a distance of 5.78 meters in the long jump. Hess placed fifth in the 60-meters and third in the long jump in the region.
Senior distance runner Caitlyn Janeda earned her spot through the 800-meter run with a time of 2:15.82 while senior sprinter/hurdler Sophie Mazza clocked in at 8.82 seconds in the 60-meter hurdles. Both women placed fifth in their respective events in the region.
Marshall finished as the top pole vaulter in the PSAC with a height of 4.01 meters. McQuaide earned her spot through pole vaulting as well with a height of 3.86 meters. Marshall set a new SRU and PSAC record in the pole vault in route to finishing first in the region while McQuaide finished fourth in the region.
This weekend in Pittsburg, Kansas, Marshall and McQuaide will be competing in the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) Championships. The two-day event is where the best of the best will be gathered, and it is a great opportunity to see how the Rock pole vaulters will fare with the nation’s best.
While the NCAA Indoor Championships are taking place in Kansas, the rest of the Rock’s track team will be traveling to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina for the Coastal Carolina Invite. The two-day event will be the first time most of the team has competed outdoors in some time.
Expectations are always high for head coach John Papa’s teams but after a very strong second place finish in the indoor PSAC season, the outdoor team has its sights on an unprecedented 13th PSAC title, albeit his first since 2009.
Slippery Rock University has the privilege of hosting the PSAC Championships this year on the first weekend of May. This three-day event is looked forward to by every athlete to show how they have progressed through the season and see how the whole team stacks up around the region.
