WOMEN'S TRACK AND FIELD IMPROVES AT AKRON OPEN
2/4/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Track & Field
Feb. 4, 2007
AKRON, Ohio - The Pitt women's track and field team traveled to Akron this weekend for an open meet and one of their final regular season competitions. Several team members set personal-best times and marks, and many of the Panther newcomers gained experience as well.
In throws, senior Kim Rorabaugh (Clymer, Pa./Purchase Line) was a Big East qualifier in the shot put with a mark of 13.29 meters. She placed fifth in the gold division. Stacey Bilan (Doylestown, Pa./Central Bucks West) took eighth in the blue division with a personal-best 12.22 meters.
Pitt's Kendall Butch (Butler, Pa./Butler) finished fifth in the gold division of the high jump with a height of 1.63 meters, and she placed second in the blue competition in the pole vault with a height of 3.50 meters. Fellow freshman Janelle Adams (Altoona, Pa./Altoona) took 13th in that competition with a height of 2.85 meters.
In other jumps, freshman Shanae' Thomas (Philadelphia, Pa./John Hallahan Catholic) finished seventh in the gold competition for the triple jump with a distance of 11.09 meters. She placed fifth in the blue division of the long jump with a distance of 5.25 meters. Carron Mitchell (Coral Springs, Fla./Coral Springs) took 16th at 4.99 meters, and Erinn McMahon (Southampton, Pa./Saint Basil Academy) placed 19th at 4.75 meters.
The Panthers set several personal-best times on the track as well. In the 60-meter preliminaries, Thomas finished 20th with a 7.98, and Mitchell took 32nd with a career-best 8.28. In the 200 meters, freshman Akiesha Gilcrist (Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin) ran a 27.56 for 37th place, and Katrina Long (Los Angeles, Calif./Crossroads) placed 39th at 28.00. Long went on to finish 17th in the 400 meters with a personal-best time of 1:02.38. Gilcrist also placed 17th in the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 9.53.
Pitt's middle distance runners had some success also. In the 800 meters, Sossena Wood (Laurel, Md./Eleanor Roosevelt) ran a career-best 2:28.29 for 21st, and Melissa Vignetti (Pittsburgh, Pa./McMurray) placed 28th at 2:34.62. Ali Briggs (Washington, Pa./Washington) took sixth in the 800 meters gold division with a 2:20.17, and she also took sixth in the mile at 5:08.58.
In distance events, Megan Heenan (Clarendon Hills, Ill./Hinsdale Central) took 26th in the 3,000 meters. Nikki Bielick (Greensburg, Pa./Greensburg Salem) led the team in the 5,000 meters, placing 12th with a personal-best time of 18:42.93. Next was Aly Brown (Hickory, Pa./Fort Cherry) in 15th at 18:47.94, and Monica Bhattacharjee (Penfield, N.Y./Penfield) took 16th with a time of 18:50.99.
Next up for the Panthers are the Penn State Challenge Cup and the Tyson Invitational next weekend. The Big East Championships will be held in Akron in two weeks.