McGill shines at Texas relays

The Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays is one of the premier track meets in the country…. The Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays is one of the premier track meets in the country.

Boasting a field of more than 5,000 amateur, collegiate and professional track and field athletes, the Texas Relays have become something special.

For Pitt heptathlete Tamara McGill, the Texas Relays are now something very special. Competing against a field that included some of the best heptathletes in the nation, McGill turned in the performance of a lifetime.

McGill led the event after the first day and, heading into day two, wanted to build on what she had started.

“After her great first day, our goal was for her to reach 5,300 points because that should qualify her for national competition,” head coach Alonzo Webb said.

McGill fell just nine points short of 5,300, but in doing so captured the Texas Relays Heptathlon Championship. The 5,291 points was a personal best by nearly 300 points and places her among the best in country currently in the event.

“I knew she was capable of winning the event, but it still was surprising,” Webb said. “Seeing her win was very refreshing, but as she told me afterwards she feels she can do better and that she hasn’t put together her perfect performance just yet.”

The prestige of a Texas Relays title will undoubtedly follow McGill the rest of the season and earn her some respect in an event that she hasn’t completely bought into yet.

“I think that this will change her outlook on the event,” Webb said. “I’ve been telling her that she is a multi-eventer from the start, and I think now she’s starting to see it for herself.”

McGill wasn’t the only Panther to turn in personal record-setting performances.

Elizabeth Bayne established a time that places her in the elite of the NCAA with a fifth-place finish in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 58.45 seconds.

Melanie Carter also had a breakthrough day as she cleared 42 feet in the triple jump for the first time outdoors. Her hop, skip and a jump of 42 feet, 4.75 inches placed her ninth.

In the long jump, Carter’s jump of 5.91 meters placed her fourth in the B section of the event.

Freshman pole vaulter Marissa Dudek soared to new heights as she cleared the 3.70-meter bar for a new personal best. The vault by Dudek earned her third place in the B section of the women’s pole vault.

Amanda Walker tossed in a sixth-place finish in the shot put with her throw of 15.21 meters.

Shawn Paronish threw his javelin a new personal best distance of 63.65 meters, which earned him a fifth-place finish in the B section of the event.

The Panthers travel South again this weekend where they will compete in the Sea Ray Relays in Knoxville, Tenn. The University of Tennessee will host the meet.