Dec. 9, 2006

Final Stats

NORMAL, ILL. - The Marquette men's and women's track and field teams began the 2006-07 indoor track season with one of the best starts in program history, Saturday, at the Earlybird Track and Field Invitational at the Horton Fieldhouse in Normal, Ill. Thirteen student-athletes qualified for the BIG EAST Championships in to highlight the meet for the Golden Eagles. Sophomore Jeff Kluge on the men's side, and juniors Jessica Ehlen and Jenna Mahaffey on the women's, qualified in two events each, the shot put and weight throw.

"The meet went really well," said head coach David Uhrich. "We had many BIG EAST qualifiers today. This wasn't a really fast track, so we didn't have many qualifiers on the track, but we will get those once we get to bigger track."

Even with a bit of unsettledness after a snowstorm cancelled last weekend's scheduled opener at Notre Dame, both squads were extra anxious to get the season underway.

"It was a good first meet, but it was kind of a mentally difficult," said Uhrich. " We were really prepared for last week at Notre Dame. I think last week would have produced even better results on a better track and I think there was a little let down when we didn't go. Finals coming up also made today a little tougher. With all that, I am even more pleased with today's performances."

Kluge's qualifying marks earned him a tie for second place in the shot put (14.84m; 48-8.25), and his toss of 16.49m (54-1.25) propelled him to a third-place finish in the weight throw.

Also qualifying for the BIG EAST Indoor Championships in the shot put was sophomore Eric Matsuzewski with a toss of 14.83m (48-8), good for a fourth-place finish. In his first meet as a Golden Eagle, freshman Joe Kohut finished in 11th place in the event with a toss of 13.21m (43-4.25).

Sophomore Shawn McLarney also qualified for the BIG EAST Indoors in the long jump with a distance of 6.66m (21-10.25), good for fourth place.

Freshman high jumper T.J. Hodgson made an impressive first-meet showing, clearing a height of 1.93m (6-4) to qualify for the indoor championships, along with junior Ray Bratchett who placed second (2.03m; 6-8) in the event.

In his first meet for the Golden Eagles, freshman Dante Cross finished the 60m dash in fifth place in a time of 7.08. Fellow freshmen Michael Greene (7.30) and Joe Emmer (7.34) also competed in the event.

With hurdles added to the 60m sprint, freshman Michael O'Brien led Marquette with a seventh-place finish (8.74), just ahead of teammates McLarney (8.79) and junior Tom Sage (9.25).

In the 200m dash, Greene (23.60), Cross (23.78) and freshman Jay Emmer (24.03) finished ninth, 11th and 16th.

Senior Loren Wagner led a pack of four runners in the 400m dash, finishing in fifth place with a time of 51.03. Sophomore Antonia Jones (51.83), Jay Emmer (50.10) and Randey Fisher (54.51) also competed in the event.

Freshman Eric Meissner finished sixth in the mile run in a time of 4:44.87. Shortly after, the Golden Eagles strung together a 3-4-5-6 finish in the 800m run behind the efforts of sophomore Tyler Merten (1:56.38), junior Jed Burey (1:58.65), freshman Jeremy Bemis (2:02.87) and sophomore Bryan Bescher (2:04.87).

Burey, Greene, Mesiner and Sage combined for a fourth-place finish in the 4x400m relay (3:32.95).

On the women's side, Ehlen finished third (16.32m; 53-6.50) in the weight throw and seventh in the shot put (12.74m; 41-9.75) to lead the throwers. Mahaffey also recorded a shot put toss of 12.74m and a weight throw of 15.58m (51-1.50) for a fifth-place finish.

In their first meets for Marquette, freshmen Rachel Thiel (12.24m; 40-2), Kelley Corcoran (12.04m; 39-6) and Jamie Roth (9.73m; 31-11.25) also had impressive showings in the shot put. The three also competed in the weight throw. Corcoran led the pack with a toss of 12.60m (41-4.25), followed by Roth (12.35m; 40-6.25), Thiel (12.34m; 40-6) and sophomore Audra Ketelsen (12.21m; 40-0.75).

Two Golden Eagles qualified for the BIG EAST Indoor Championship in the high jump. The first was a freshman, Erynn James, who cleared a height of 1.63m (5-4.25) to finish third, and the second was sophomore Lana Rabas, who finished fifth, also with a height of 1.63m.

Sophomore Carrie Schmid also cleared an indoor championship qualifying standard, in the pole vault, distancing a height of 3.50m (11-5.75) for a third place finish. In fourth place, with a height of 3.35m (10-11.75), was junior Kristen Stoniecki.

On the track, senior Christina Flowers placed sixth in the 60m dash with a time of 8.13. Her qualifying time was 8.05. Freshman Brittany Willis finished in a tie for 16th with a time of 8.35.

Flowers came in ninth in the 200m with a time of 27.34, followed by sophomore Jaclyn Muller (28.00), freshman Laura Linnean (28.10) and sophomore Sarah Kuchta (28.96). Muller and Kuchta also competed in the 60m hurdles, crossing the line in 9.43 and 10.53.

Senior Lauren Chimielewski had a strong opening season performance in the 400m dash, finishing in a time of 1:00.79, good for a fifth-place finish.

As did the men, the women finished as a pack in the 800m run. Senior Kris Malin's time of 2:18.94 was good enough for second place. She was followed by freshmen Sarah Verdoliva (2:20.60) in third and Kaitlin Millin (2:22.13) in fourth.

In the long jump, Flowers flew a distance of 5.29m (17-4.25) for a second-place finish. Willis came in 12th (4.92m; 16-1.75) and Kuchta in 24th (4.20m; 13-9.5).

Linnean placed third in the triple jump with a distance of 10.90m (35-9.25).

Chimielewski, Malin, Millin and Verdoliva combined for a time of 3:58.37 in the 4x400m relay, good for a second-place finish.

No team scores were kept at today's meet.

Marquette returns to the track on Jan. 13 when it competes in the Carthage College DI Invitational in Kenosha, Wis.