Women’s track and field wins title; men take third

It is a feat not easily accomplished in the world of sports. The Pittsburgh Penguins did it in… It is a feat not easily accomplished in the world of sports. The Pittsburgh Penguins did it in 1991 and 1992 and the New England Patriots did it last year. Defending a title isn’t common nowadays, but the Pitt women’s track team can now add itself to the list.

Just months after winning the Big East Conference indoor title, the Pitt women defended the title by placing first last weekend at the Big East Outdoor Track ‘ Field Championships, held at the Bauer Track ‘ Field Complex on the campus of Rutgers University. The outdoor title was the first for the Pitt women in 11 years and the fourth overall in team history.

“I am so proud of them,” head coach Alonzo Webb said. “They really impressed me, not only by winning the championship, but by doing it in such a dominating way.”

What Webb referred to was the team’s 176 points scored, one shy of the meet record and 60 points better than the nearest competitor, Notre Dame. The women’s 4×100 meter relay team won its race but was disqualified for a lane violation. According to Webb, had the victory been given to Pitt, the women would have earned another ten points, smashing the Big East record.

Records aside, the big winner of the championship was senior Kimberly Lyles, who was named the Outstanding Track Performer of the Year and the first Panther to win the award since Debbie Bonner in 1989. Lyles was a repeat champion in the 200-meter dash, finishing third in the 100-meter dash and winning with the 4×400 meter relay team, Pitt’s first relay title in five years.

Other victors included sophomore Julianna Reed and freshman Martina Hallman, who finished first and second respectively in the 400-meter hurdles, giving Reed her first Big East outdoor title. Junior Marissa Dudek captured her second pole vault title and tied a stadium record in the process with a 3.8-meter jump.

Senior Tamara McGill earned her second consecutive heptathlon title in a convincing fashion. She totaled 5,407 points and broke her own meet record, which she set last year. Another senior, Amanda Walker, also won a second consecutive title in the shot put with a toss of 16.17 meters.

The final Pitt winner was junior Jill Knopsnyder, who won her first outdoor title in the javelin throw event. Jill attributed her victory to being inspired by injured freshman thrower Angela Hoover.

“Hoover was ranked first and likely would have easily won the javelin throw event,” Webb said. “She was badly injured and in need of surgery, but she refused to give up and managed one throw at the competitions. Her determination to compete injured was the motivating force behind Knopsnyder’s victory and the women’s team title.”

In addition to the team title, Webb and the rest of the Panthers’ coaches were named the women’s Big East Coaching Staff of the Year, a repeat title for them as well.

The men’s team also performed well on the weekend, moving up from a sixth-place finish last season to third place this year. Finishing with 117 points, the team trailed only champion Rutgers and runner-up Notre Dame, the same two teams who finished ahead of them at the indoor championships.

Perhaps the most surprising feat on the men’s side was their extremely rare sweep of the pole vault event. Freshman champion Keith Higham led teammates Matt Brousse and Brian Dodds in the 1-2-3 finish and 24 Panther points.

The other male winner was senior thrower Anthony Bonura, who won the javelin throw event. The men’s 4×100 and 4×400 meter relay teams also made great strides by finishing third in each event. Their performances impressed Webb, who believes the third place finishes to be a “great improvement.” In addition to the two individual event victories, the men’s team added nine All-Big East honors.

The Panthers’ next competition will take them to Princeton, N.J., on May 14-15, where the women will compete at the Eastern College Athletic Conference championships and the men at the IC4A Championships. These competitions mark the last opportunity for all athletes to attempt to qualify individually for the NCAA East Regionals. Numerous Pitt athletes have already qualified for the regional competition, which will be held on May 27-28 in Randall Island, N.Y. The NCAA East Regional will then determine who will compete at the NCAA National Championships in Sacramento, Calif., on June 8-11.