Wheeling, W. Va. - With the 2022 NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field National Championships wrapped up, it is time for the official beginning of the Wheeling University Track & Field team's outdoor season. They kick things off on Saturday when they head to the Bethany Invitational at 10 AM with the hopes of starting their season out strong. The men placed 2nd in the Mountain East Conference (MEC) during indoor season and the women placed fourth as both teams look to build upon those efforts as the schedule shifts to outdoor.
While a majority of the team will be competing in their first outdoor event of the season, the multi-event athletes got their first taste of Outdoor season two weeks ago when they went to the Brandi Bowen Invitational. All three of Wheeling's athletes finished top five in their respective events, including one who was competing in his first collegiate Decathlon. It was a strong showing from the multis to start the season as the team looks to build off that momentum.
Leading the way at the Brandi Bowen Invitational was sophomore multi JayLynn McClarren, who finished third in the Women's Heptathlon. She placed top two in three of the seven events, with her biggest performance coming in the Javelin. She would post the top distance of the event at 26.69 meters, beating the next closest competitor by over four meters. She would also earn second place finishes in both the 100-Meter Hurdle (17.12) and the Long Jump (3.90 meters). It was a strong showing for McClarren to kick off her outdoor season and gives her momentum heading into Bethany.
The other two multi athletes that took the track for Wheeling were junior Liz Salas and freshman Julius Hobbs in the Men's Decathlon. Each finished in the top five of their respective events, with Salas taking fifth in the Women's Heptathlon and Hobbs taking fourth in the Men's Decathlon. Salas's best showing of the day came in the Shot Put, where she finished with a distance of 9.21 meters, finishing just .89 meters shy of the winner. For Hobbs, he was able to win the Pole Vault in the decathlon with a height of 2.10 meters.
The Cardinals have momentum coming into outdoor season, having had eight United States Track & Field & Cross-Country Coaches Association All-Region players, including the USTFCCA Atlantic Region Track Athlete of the Year in Jabez Reeves. Last season, the Women won their third straight MEC Outdoor Track & Field Championship while the men finished second in the conference. The women are out to defend their title and the men are looking to make that final push to get over the top and earn the first MEC title in program history.
The Matchup
The Wheeling University Track & Field team will be making its first trip to Bethany since the 2018-2019 season. That year, they went to the Bethany Falconi Invite on April 17th, 2019. On that day, former Cardinal Lauren Dickerson would set the stadium record in the discus at 44.39 meters, while also setting a new personal best in the shot put. The field events led the way with several PRs being set and this year's Cardinals look to continue that trend.
The Details
The Bethany Invitational will begin at 10 AM on Saturday on the campus of Bethany College. For all the meet information please click HERE.
