TicketsApril 10, 2006
Complete Release in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader
FOR STARTERS:
The of track and field teams will travel to , , for the 2006 Sea Ray Relays, hosted by the . Events get underway on Wed., April 12, and conclude on Sat., April 15, at Tom Black Track at LaPorte Stadium.
BEARCAT BITES:
UC is in its first season of competition in the BIG EAST Conference in 2006. The conference features 16 men's and women's track & field teams, constituting the largest league in the nation. The 2006 BIG EAST Championships will be held on May 5-7 at the 's George J. Sherman Family Sports Complex.
The men's team boasts 42 BIG EAST qualifiers, while the women's squad has 16 qualifiers for the BIG EAST Championships. (long jump) and Renee Hein (high jump) have each met NCAA regional qualifying marks in their respective events.
Seniors Kenny Wade (200 meters), Ashley Wilhelm (long jump, heptathlon), and Shintara Carpenter (triple jump), and juniors Renee Hein (javelin) and Tara Meier (pole vault) are current school record holders.
Head men's coach Bill Schnier is in his 26th season at in such a capacity. Head women's coach Jim Schnur is in his 22nd year at and his sixth as head coach.
LAST TIME OUT:
The Bearcats finished third and fifth, respectively, at the All-Ohio Championships on April 8 at 's Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium. The men's squad posted 169 points, finishing behind host and , while the women scored 82.50. The men's team won six events, including both 4x100 (41.22) and 4x400 (3:16.94) relays. UC's women captured 15 top-five finishes, with Megan Knapp leading the way, finishing second in the 5000 meters (18:15.11). Bob Kandell (long jump) and Tara Meier (pole vault) each met regional qualifying marks, becoming the third and fourth Bearcats to qualify. Kandell was second in the long jump, leaping 24' 1-1/2", while Meier was third in the vault, clearing a school-record 12' 5-1/2". Kandell had an outstanding meet for UC, as he also won the 400 meter dash (48.64) , finished fourth in the 200 meter dash (21.73) and ran the third leg of the champion 4x100 relay. Chandler Groves won the long jump (24' 7"), while Alex Ramsey also grabbed the 800 meter championship, finishing in 1:56.40. The 3000 meter steeplechase was a strong event for the men, as Taylor Garvin (9:22.97), Bill Keckeis (9:31.75), and David Adams (9:41.59) finished first, second and fifth, respectively. The 400 meters was equally as strong, as Kandell, Antione Drakeford (48.71) and Lonnie Irving (49.68) each finished in the top five. For the women, Ije Obiorah was third in the triple jump (36' 7-3/4") and fourth in the long jump (18' 2-1/2"). Karen Berling was right behind Knapp in the 5000 meters, finishing third in 18:21.69. Jocelyn Gibson was a third-place finisher in the 1500 meters (4:44.95) and placed fifth in the 800 (2:18.48).
TAKING OFF:
Senior Chandler Groves, a regional qualifier in the long jump in 2005, has again met the regional qualifying mark this season. He won the event in the season-opening Early Bird Relays with a leap of 24' 1" and topped that with a 24' 6-1/4" jump in finishing second at the Raleigh Relays. bested that mark by leaping 24' 7" to win the All-Ohio Championship on April 8. He is seven inches shy of his personal best of 25' 2-3/4", set at last season's Conference USA Championships.
LIGHT MY KANDELL:
Junior Bob Kandell had a fantastic meet at the All-Ohio Championships on April 7-8. He qualified for the NCAA Mid-East Regional Championships with a 24' 1-1/2" long jump, finishing second behind teammate Chandler Groves. He won the 400 meters, eclipsing teammate Antione Drakeford at the finish line, and finished fourth in the 200 meters. Kandell also ran a leg in the champion 4x100 relay squad and accounted for 26.5 of UC's 169 team points.
MEIER, KLIMA TOPS IN POLE VAULT:
Junior Tara Meier and sophomore Brittany Klima are battling one another for the UC pole vault record. Klima broke Meier's indoor record this season and Meier returned the favor, topping Klima's outdoor record by 1/4" at the Early Bird Relays. She has since improved the mark, clearing 12' 5-1/2" to qualify for regional competition. Together, they hold nine of the top 10 marks in school history in the indoor vault and each of the top 10 marks outdoors.
FOUR BEARCATS QUALIFY FOR REGIONALS:
Four Bearcats have met qualifying marks for the NCAA Mid-East Regional Championships. and Bob Kandell each qualified in the long jump, posting leaps of 24' 7" and 24' 1-1/2", respectively. On the women's side, Renee Hein cleared 5' 8-3/4" in the high jump, while Tara Meier qualified with a school-record 12' 5-1/2" in the pole vault.
UP NEXT:
UC returns home to host its third and final meet of the season, the Southern Ohio Cup, on Sat., April 22, at Gettler Stadium.