The Panthers’ track and field squads demonstrated the impact a top recruiting class can have… The Panthers’ track and field squads demonstrated the impact a top recruiting class can have on a program last weekend at the first annual Fred Hardy Invitational in Richmond, Va. Led by its young recruits, Pitt embarrassed the softer-than-usual competition by taking almost every event.

In addition to Pitt, the remaining nine teams competing at the invitational included Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University, William ‘ Mary, James Madison, Concord, George Washington, Shippensburg, West Chester and Richmond. The field also included several unattached athletes.

“Going into the competition, we knew that we would have a successful meet,” head coach Alonzo Webb said. “It was not a real high-powered meet.”

Webb made it clear that this was not one of the most competitive meets his team ran this season, yet he was quick to point out that what they did accomplish was noteworthy.

The men bested their opponents in large part because of the performances of their freshmen and sophomore athletes. Red-shirt freshman Sam Bair captured the top spot in the 1,500-meter run. Sophomore Andy Tomaswick won the 10,000-meter run. Sophomore Mike Long won the 3,000-meter steeplechase event. Freshman Keith Higham tied for first in the pole vault. Sophomore All-American Justin Clickett triumphed in the shot put.

Sophomore Corey Kuehner was the meet’s surprise performer, beating out his teammate Anthony Bonura and a Division II All-American en route to victory in the javelin. Kuehner, a former walk-on, also set a personal record in the process. Freshman Mike Wray took the 110-meter hurdle event to make it a clean sweep for the underclassmen. The men also overpowered their competitors in the 4×400-meter relay, finishing first. In addition to the few events the men did not win, they took numerous second places.

The women’s team refused to allow the men to steal the spotlight, achieving similar results. The women produced superior upperclass performances, but also obtained remarkable contributions from their youth as well.

The Pitt women took the top four places in both the 100- and 200-meter dashes with freshman Shanea Calhoun winning both races. Similar to the men, the first-place finishes did not end there. Suzette Bossart took the top spot in the 10,000-meter run. Tamara McGill and Julianna Reed took first and second places respectively in the 100-meter hurdles. Nicola Angstadt was victorious in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. Marissa Dudek triumphed in the pole vault competition. Lamoy Stephens finished first in the long jump. Angela Hoover was victorious in the javelin throw. Senior All-American Amanda Walker won the shot put and hammer throw events and just missed winning the discus throwing event. The women relay teams also performed well, winning the 4×100- and 4×400-meter relays.

The Panthers’ Corey Kuehner (javelin), Angela Hoover (women’s javelin), Julianna Reed (400-meter hurdles), Amanda Walker (shot put) and Justin Clickett (shot put) each recorded marks better than those required by the NCAA Regional qualifiers and are now close to being extended an invitation to compete at nationals.

The Panthers enjoyed great success at the invitational, with five athletes qualifying for the NCAA Regionals and 18 athletes winning their respective events.

The Panthers’ next competition will be the Western Pennsylvania Classic on Saturday at Carnegie Mellon University.