West Liberty, W. Va. – The Wheeling University Outdoor Track & Field team had their throwers lead the way on Friday when they kicked off the Tim Weaver Invitational. The Cardinals got the chance to face off against several of their conference competitors, and the team picked up two top 10 finishes out of the three events that they competed in. It was a continuation of the strong showing the team has had in the javelin so far this season as they competed close to home at rival West Liberty University.
The top performance of the day came from Trinity Ortiz, who was able to build off a strong start to the season. Ortiz got things started with a foul on her first throw, but was able to bounce back on throw number two, hitting a distance of 28.48 meters. However, it was on her final throw that she set her new season-high, hitting a mark of 31.83 meters to get into the top five. It was just under a meter farther than her distance from the WVU Marty Pushkin Invitational, and she looks to continue building her distances as the season goes on. The other event that the women competed in was the Women's Hammer Throw, with Mariah Pelkey taking the field. Pelkey would take 23rd in the field, throwing a distance of 31.83 meters to finish 23rd in the field.
The lone male competitor for the Cardinals was Erik Berroa, who competed in the Men's Javelin for the second time this season. He would go over the 40 meter mark on four of his six throws on the day, but it was thrown number three that would be his farthest distance. Berroa would hit a mark of 44.26 meters, which was enough to earn him sixth place in the field. It was five meters behind his first showing as he looks to continue to develop in the Javelin.
The Wheeling University Outdoor Track & Field team returns to action on Saturday, March 29th, with first events beginning at 10 AM.
