Panthers have strong showing in Akron invites

Both the men’s and women’s track and field teams got the indoor season off on the right foot… Both the men’s and women’s track and field teams got the indoor season off on the right foot this past Friday.

While neither squad was victorious, they both finished second at the Akron quad meet, which was hosted by the University of Akron and also featured Ohio University and Big East opponent Seton Hall.

The women finished the meet with 139 points, which was enough to double Seton Hall and place second, but it wasn’t enough to surpass host Akron, which finished with 176 points and won the meet.

Four Panthers claimed first-place finishes that helped Pitt solidify its spot at No. 2.

Sophomore Shantea Calhoun ran the 60-meter dash in 7.66 seconds, which was only one-tenth of a second away from an Akron Field House record.

Junior Julianna Reed took first in the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 8.69 seconds. The highlight of the meet for Reed came in the 400 meters when she set a personal best with a time of 56.13 seconds.

Senior pole-vaulter Marissa Dudek proved why she has been an All-Big East selection and holds the current school record at the pole vault. She raised the bar to 3.95 meters, and no one else at the event could clear it.

The women’s final first-place finish came from freshman Janessa Murphy in the long-jump competition. Murphy’s score of 5.81 meters held off her competitors by .23 meters.

While these four Panthers were the only women to claim gold, some of their teammates also left Akron with some success. Abby Zaylor finished third in the mile with a personal best time of 5:04.10. Shanea Calhoun (Shantea’s twin sister) finished third in both the 60- and 200-meter events, while Martina Hallman posted a second-place finish in the 60 meters and a third-place finish in the long jump.

The men’s team, which in recent history hasn’t been as successful as the women’s squad, showed improvement in their first meet of the season. Last year at the Akron quad they finished fourth, but their score of 146 was good enough for second place and almost enough to upset Akron, which won the meet with 157 total points.

The Panthers were led by strong performances from both their sprinters and long-distance runners.

Senior Troy Roberson placed first in the 400 meters with a personal best of 48.02, while sophomore Mike Wray won the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 8.05 seconds.

Pitt was also victorious in the longer events, as Tim Konoval finished first in the mile with a time of 4:13.39. The Panthers also claimed the top two spots in the 3,000-meter event as Sam Bair and Curtis Larimer took first and second, respectively.

That success on the track carried over into the field events as junior Justin Clickett won the shot put event with a throw of 17.16 meters. Sophomore A.J. Kielinski kept it going for Pitt with a personal best in the weight throw of 16.35 meters, which was good enough for second place.

Freshman Eric Jones got his first taste of collegiate success in the triple jump event. His mark of 13.71 meters was good enough for second in the event, but it also qualified him for the Big East Championships.

The men’s team will look to build on its early success as the women’s squad looks to return to championship form when both squads continue their indoor season and head to State College, Pa., to participate in the Penn State National Open Jan. 27-28.