Five Panthers participated in the Women’s Track and Field NCAA Championships on June 10th in… Five Panthers participated in the Women’s Track and Field NCAA Championships on June 10th in Sacramento, Calif. Two Pitt sophomores, Maureen McCandless and Tamara McGill, placed in the top 15 in the country in their respective events.

After finishing 210th nationally in cross country this past fall, McCandless’ time of 17 minutes, 6.7 seconds in the 5,000-meter race during the season was good enough to qualify her for the track and field championships.

McCandless did not disappoint in Sacramento, placing 14th in the nation in the 5,000-meter race with a time of 16:54:38.

At the Big East Conference Championships last month, McGill won the heptathlon, qualifying her for the NCAA Championships and earning her the Big East’s award for Most Outstanding Field Performer of the Year. In Sacramento, McGill placed 14th in the heptathlon, scoring 5,162 points.

Also qualifying and appearing in the NCAA Championships for Pitt were sophomore Kimberly Lyles and juniors Elizabeth Bayne and Melanie Carter.

Bayne qualified for the NCAA Championship in the 400-meter hurdles. At the East Regionals, Bayne qualified by finished second, with a time of 57:58. She was recently named the Mondo Mid-Atlantic District Track Athlete of the Year.

Carter qualified for the NCAA Championships in the triple jump. Earlier in the season, Carter won the Eastern College Athletic Conference Championship and then the Big East Championship in the triple jump. Her jump of 12.76 meters in the East Regional qualified her to go to Sacramento.

After participating on two winning relay teams at the ECAC Championships, Lyles qualified for the NCAA Championships at the Big East Conference Championships with a time of 23:25 in the 200-meter race.

Also receiving an award was Pitt head coach Alonzo Webb, who received the Mondo Mid-Atlantic District Coach of the Year honor.