Staten Island, NY. – The road to Nationals is on for the Wheeling University Track & Field team, and 11 of their athletes competed at the Fast Track Last Chance Meet. They had some big individual performances as all 11 athletes made their case for the NCAA National event. On the women's side, three athletes competed in three different events while the men saw eight athletes competing across nine different events.
The day got started on the track as
Jabez Reeves took the course for the 60-Meter dash coming off his MEC Individual Champions. He finished with a time of 6.88 seconds in the field in what would be the first of two events for the sophomore. He qualified for the finals and finished second in the field with a time of 6.81 seconds, dropping his time by .05 seconds. The 60-Meter Hurdle was up next with two Wheeling athletes taking the track. The MEC Indoor Champion
Julian Griffin led the way running an 8.25 while
Lorenzo Pelham followed him up with a time of 8.40 seconds as they both qualified for the finals. Both turned it up a notch in the finals and finished second (8.17) and fourth (8.26) respectively.
The field events would begin next as the women sent their first competitor to the field in
Keala McCurry. She competed in the Women's Pole Vault and finished with a height of 3.37 meters. Things went back to the track as
Jacob Pielech competed in the Open 400-Meter. He finished with a strong 49.96 seconds as he continued to make his case for the NCAA National invite. Senior
Brian Vandusen competed in the first of two events on the day when he was in the Men's Long Jump. Vandusen placed fourth in the event with a distance of 6.95 meters, jumping almost .20 meters farther than his MEC Indoor Championship mark.
Tara Perry was next in the women's High Jump and finished 3rd with a height of 1.61 meters.
The final two-track events would run next with the Women's 800-Meter and the Men's 200-Meter Dash.
Caroline Fodor ran the women's 800-Meter and finished 6th with a time of 2:18.28 as she finished the indoor season with a strong showing. Reeves was back out in the Men's 200-Meter for his final event of the day and came in at 21.90 seconds. Rounding out the day was a pair of jumpers for Wheeling as the High Jump and the Long Jump took flight. Vandusen was back out in the High Jump and set a new season-high with a height of 2.00 meters.
Daimar Ivey rounded out the day in the Triple Jump and jumped a distance of 13.87 meters.
The Wheeling Track & Field team will now await to hear about which of their athletes will make the Nationals. The Indoor NCAA National Championships will run from March 11th to 12th in Pittsburg, Kansas.
