2008 Woodie Awards
Track puts forth strong performance at Akron Open
By Matt Matusek
Rocket Staff Writer
Issue date: 2/3/06 Section: Sports
Preston Gibbs paced the Slippery Rock University track & field team's efforts at the Akron Open last Sunday in Akron, Ohio.
Gibbs earned two second-place honors, finishing with a mark of 22-9 in the long jump and setting a school-record of 47-6 1/4 in the triple jump.
The men's team finished a distant second behind hosting Mount Union, while the women took a fourth-place finish overall.
Gibbs also earned a provisional berth in the NCAA Division II indoor national championships with his effort in the triple jump.
For the women, Andi Rose placed third in the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 8.73, which is a new school record for the 60-meter hurdles and the time also earned her a provisional berth in the national meet.
"We were going up against some very good Division I athletes and we had some great performances even though some of our kids didn't place in the top three like they usually do," coach John Papa said.
Rose also took part in the 4x400 meter relay along with Alison Gardner, Melissa Sopher and Jill Rekich. The relay team finished third with a time of 3:57.21.
Shayne Cooper placed sixth in the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 8.28, just shy of the school record and the NCAA provisional qualifying mark. Steve Brenner tied for eighth place in the high jump with a jump of 6-4, and Jeff Weiss placed ninth in the 3,000-meter run with a time of 8:34.66.
"It's great to see so many of our athletes hitting the provisional mark and having a chance to go to nationals," Papa said.
Abby McKissick temporarily set a school record of 11-6 1/4 in the women's pole vault until teammate Jennifer Hansen set the new school record of 12-0.
The mark of 12-0 earned Hansen a seventh-place finish, while McKissick finished tenth.
Hansen, who bested the previous school vault record by 7 ΒΌ inches, and Rose, with her Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference and school-record time of 8.73 in the 60-meter hurdles, were named PSAC Athletes of the Week.
Gibbs earned two second-place honors, finishing with a mark of 22-9 in the long jump and setting a school-record of 47-6 1/4 in the triple jump.
The men's team finished a distant second behind hosting Mount Union, while the women took a fourth-place finish overall.
Gibbs also earned a provisional berth in the NCAA Division II indoor national championships with his effort in the triple jump.
For the women, Andi Rose placed third in the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 8.73, which is a new school record for the 60-meter hurdles and the time also earned her a provisional berth in the national meet.
"We were going up against some very good Division I athletes and we had some great performances even though some of our kids didn't place in the top three like they usually do," coach John Papa said.
Rose also took part in the 4x400 meter relay along with Alison Gardner, Melissa Sopher and Jill Rekich. The relay team finished third with a time of 3:57.21.
Shayne Cooper placed sixth in the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 8.28, just shy of the school record and the NCAA provisional qualifying mark. Steve Brenner tied for eighth place in the high jump with a jump of 6-4, and Jeff Weiss placed ninth in the 3,000-meter run with a time of 8:34.66.
"It's great to see so many of our athletes hitting the provisional mark and having a chance to go to nationals," Papa said.
Abby McKissick temporarily set a school record of 11-6 1/4 in the women's pole vault until teammate Jennifer Hansen set the new school record of 12-0.
The mark of 12-0 earned Hansen a seventh-place finish, while McKissick finished tenth.
Hansen, who bested the previous school vault record by 7 ΒΌ inches, and Rose, with her Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference and school-record time of 8.73 in the 60-meter hurdles, were named PSAC Athletes of the Week.
