Wheeling, W. Va. - Over the past week, the Wheeling University Men's Outdoor Track & Field team has been competing in their last chance meet schedule. That last chance schedule comes to an end on Sunday, when the Cardinals travel to Grand Valley State for their final Last Chance Meet of the season. The Cardinals will be competing in just one event on the day, as they make the final case to grab an NCAA Provisional mark.
Last time out, the Cardinals sent their biggest lineup of the Last Chance Meet Schedule to the field at the Akron Last Chance Meet. The action was spread out across two days, with the Cardinals sending six of their athletes to the event. The first day would kick-off with the throwers taking the runway, and the Cardinals hitting their first provisional mark of the event. It was a top three finish to start things off and they would look to carry the momentum into day two. They would have three competitors on the second day, splitting the action between the track and field events, and added a top five finish to round off the event. It would come on the track, with the distance runners grabbing the final honor to round out the day.
As they head into their final Last Chance Meet, it will be Cardinal freshman Alexander Rodriguez representing the team in the pole vault. He was one of the three athletes to compete on day two of the competition, taking on the pole vault. He would end up passing on the first three heights, coming into the competition at the 4.55 meter mark. It would equal his Mountain East Conference (MEC) Outdoor Championship height, and on his first try he ended up hitting the bar. He would have two more attempts on the day, with his third being the closest he came to clearing the height. He would end up no-heighting for the event, but got the chance to compete against some top level competition from across the NCAA Division I.
Throughout the season, Rodriguez has been the MEC leader in the pole vault, winning both the indoor and outdoor championships in the event. During indoor season, he would break the MEC Indoor Track & Field Championships meet record, posting a height of 4.80 meters, which still stands as his PR for the event this season. During outdoor season, Rodriguez has registered seven heights, clearing the 4.50 meter mark three times. After winning the MEC Outdoor Championship with a height of 4.55 meters back on April 28th, Rodriguez would set his outdoor PR in the opener of this last chance meet schedule. It came at the Jesse Owens Classic, where he hit a height of 4.61 meters. The Men's Pole Vault NCAA provisional mark sits at 4.87 meters, and Rodriguez will have his last chance to hit that mark this season.
Meet Schedule
The Grand Valley State Last Chance Invitational is a one-day invitational hosted by Grand Valley State University. The Men's Pole Vault will be the second of the jumping events, with the Women's Pole Vault starting the day at 1 PM. Men's Pole Vault will follow immediately after as Rodriguez looks to make his final case for an NCAA DII National Championship spot.
The Details
The Grand Valley State Last Chance Meet kicks off at noon inside the GVSU Lacrosse/Track & Field Stadium. A live stat link will be provided on the team's schedule when one becomes available.
