Track and Field: Relay team disqualified, Pitt’s season ends

The Pitt women’s relay team qualified for the national championship on Saturday. Ten… The Pitt women’s relay team qualified for the national championship on Saturday. Ten minutes later, it was already eliminated.

The 4×100-meter relay team posted a personal best time of 44.47 seconds at the NCAA Eastern preliminary round and finished second in its heat.

The top three teams in each heat automatically qualify for the NCAA Championship, but officials ruled that there was a lane violation, and Pitt’s team, consisting of Ashley Woodford, Da’Lynn Mills, Jonnique Lawrence and Cambrya Jones, was disqualified.

“We were kind of disappointed,” head coach Alonzo Webb said. “The girls were so excited after they finished.”

But Webb pointed out a silver lining in the disqualification.

“All four girls are returning next year, and they now know they can compete with the best in the country,” he said.

That finish would have put the relay team into 11th place in the nation. Pitt even defeated Big East champion Connecticut — a team to which they had lost twice this season.

Jermaine Lowery also came close to qualifying for the national championship, which will be held in Eugene, Ore., next weekend. He finished 14th in the 400-meter hurdles. The top 12 runners qualify.

“Lowery came up a little short,” Webb said. “But he would’ve needed a very strong personal best to qualify.”

Lowery finished almost a full second behind the 12th-place runner.

Nine Panthers competed in the Eastern preliminary in Greensboro, N.C., over the weekend, but none qualified for the national championship. This was the first year of the new format. Instead of four regional qualifying meets, there were only two preliminary rounds.

Webb is now looking forward to next season.

“This was a young team overall on both the men’s and women’s side,” he said. “Next year is going to be much better.”

He said the men’s team has talent that is already here and ready to develop, and the women’s team has several top recruits on deck.

Ashley Corum, from Carlisle, is a three-time Pennsylvania state champion in the triple jump and was ranked No. 7 in the country as of last week.

Jordan Lee from Penn Hills recently took second place in the 400 at the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association Championships (PIAA), and her 4×400-meter relay team finished first.

Julia Koloski from Montrose, Pa., is also a state champion in the triple jump.

“She should help right away in the jumps,” Webb said.

Webb pointed out how this year, and especially last weekend’s meet, was a learning experience for most of the team.

“Next year will be better,” he said.