Several Panthers enjoy NCAA success

The hills were alive with the sound of competition this weekend at the NCAA Indoor Track… The hills were alive with the sound of competition this weekend at the NCAA Indoor Track Championships in the foothills of the Ozarks.

With a quartet of Panthers competing at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, Ark., Pitt track and field finished the winter season with a bang.

Senior long-distance runner Maureen McCandless finished third in the 5,000-meter race while her classmate, senior Marissa Dudek, landed fifth in the pole vault competition.

By finishing in the top eight in their respective fields, the upperclassmen earned All-America honors.

“They are a hard-working pair of athletes,” Pitt head coach Alonzo Webb said. “They competed within themselves and stuck to their routines.”

McCandless, a native of Bensalem, Pa., paced to a time of 15 minutes, 26.21 seconds, less than five seconds behind NCAA Champion Amy Hastings of Arizona State.

Dudek, of Pottstown, Pa., cleared 4.1 meters on her first try in the pole vault finals, but could not clear 4.2 in the fourth round. The eventual winner, UCLA’s Chelsea Johnson, topped 4.5 meters to take the title.

The women finished the season ranked 23rd in the nation in indoor track and field, and with several talented youngsters, Pitt should be a strong program for years to come.

“They are ready to compete right away,” Webb said. “It took some time to learn the new Big East but they are very competitive and ready to defend our outdoor conference title.”

In the men’s competition, 2005 All-American Justin Clickett finished 12th in the shot put with a toss of 17.91 meters.

Clickett, a junior from Union City, Pa., finished the season strong, repeating as Big East champion while winning Most Outstanding Field Performer at the Big East championships.

“Justin understands that it just wasn’t his day,” Webb said. “He could’ve gone out the day after and won the same competition. He doesn’t make excuses, but he wants to be on that podium getting a medal, so he will keep working hard.”

In his first trip to the national championships, sophomore Sam Bair finished 17th in the mile, posting a time of 4 minutes, 19.58 seconds.

The distance runner smashed the school record time in the mile earlier in the season and built on that success heading into nationals.

“He is definitely a true leader by example,” Webb said. “He didn’t perform as well as he would have liked, but he is a hard worker and will have more chances [in the future].

Losing only six seniors from a young squad, Pitt men’s track and field looks forward to future progress.

“It seemed like we were cursed this weekend,” Webb said. “But we do not make excuses. Sometimes things just don’t go your way. We will still field a very competitive group this spring and those guys will be back in the NCAA [Championships] again.”

The indoor season ended Sunday at the NCAA Championships, but the spring season begins in just two weeks when Pitt travels to Raleigh, N.C., to compete in the Raleigh Relays held March 24-25.