Track and Field team underperforms at outdoor championships

Even with first-place finishes by Antony Hobwana, Eric Jones and Mycaiah Clemons, neither of the… Even with first-place finishes by Antony Hobwana, Eric Jones and Mycaiah Clemons, neither of the Pitt track and field teams finished in the top half of competing schools at the Big East Outdoor Championships.

With 42 points, the men finished 10th out of 14 teams, and the women’s 44 points placed the team eighth out of 15 teams in the weekend event hosted by Villanova University.

Hobwana placed first in the 100-meter dash with atime of 10.57 seconds, just two-hundredths of a second off an NCAA regional qualifying time. He also placed second in the 200-meter dash with a time of 21.59. The sophomore’s times in both events qualified him for the IC4A Championships, which take place May 15-17 in Princeton, N.J.

Jones and freshman Folarin Ijelu also qualified for the IC4A Championships and were awarded All-Big East honors for their leaping abilities. Jones finished first in the triple jump with a mark of 15.02 meters and ninth in the long jump. Ijelu’s jump of 14.04 meters placed him third in the triple jump, and he finished fifth in the long jump with a score of 7.05 meters.

The final Panther to qualify for the IC4A Championships on the men’s side was sophomore Garrett Larkin. Larkin came in sixth in the shot put by throwing 16.24 meters.

On the women’s side, Clemons continued to lead the team by winning the 100-meter hurdles event at 13.59 seconds. The senior also finished seventh in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 63.39 seconds. Both times were NCAA regional qualifying times.

Finishing immediatelybehind Clemons in the 400-meter hurdles was junior Brianna Broyles, who finished eighth with a time of 65.33 seconds.

Freshman Cambrya Jones turned in an Eastern College Athletic Conference championship qualifying time of 11.87 seconds during her fourth-place finish in the 100 meters dash. She also scored a second-place finish in the 200-meter dash with an NCAA regional qualifying time of 23.77 seconds. Her performance earned her All-Big East honors.

Senior Janessa Murphy also qualified for the ECAC championship in the long jump and triple jump, and sophomore Kaitlyn Flynn in the heptathlon. Murphy also received All-Big East honors, as did Anita James, who jumped 12.14 meters in the triple jump.

The ECAC Championships will take place in Princeton May 15-17.