May 10, 2006
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FOR STARTERS:
The University of Cincinnati men's and women's track and field teams, after finishing 5th and 13th, respectively, at the 2006 BIG EAST Championships last weekend, will look to add regional qualifiers at the Ohio River Challenge on Sat., May 13. The meet will be held at the of 's and will serve as the last chance for UC athletes to qualify for the NCAA Mid-East Regional Championships, which will take place on May 26-27 in
BEARCAT BITES:
UC's men and women finished 5th and 13th, respectively, in the first season of competition in the BIG EAST Conference this year. The conference features 16 men's and women's track & field teams, constituting the largest league in the nation.
Chandler Groves (long jump), Bob Kandell (long jump), Brittany Klima (pole vault), Tara Meier (pole vault) and Renee Hein (high jump) have each met NCAA regional qualifying marks in their respective events, while the men's 4x100 relay squad also has posted a regional qualifying mark.
Seniors Kenny Wade (200 meters), Ashley Wilhelm (long jump, heptathlon), and Shintara Carpenter (triple jump), juniors Renee Hein (javelin) and Tara Meier (pole vault) and sophomore Brittany Klima (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 Bearcat men finished fifth after scoring 80 points at the 2006 BIG EAST Championships on May 7 at the Sherman Family Sports Complex. The women's squad placed 13th after scoring 25.50 points. The men's team featured two event champions, as John Bowie captured the 100 meter dash title in 10.52. The 4x100 relay team also won a BIG EAST crown, crossing the line in 40.57. The pair of titles are the first BIG EAST Championships in UC history. also placed third in the 200 meters, finishing in 21.59. Cedric Powell was a standout performer for the Bearcats, as he placed second in the 200 meters (21.42) and third in the 400 meters (47.48). Chad Beamer in the pole vault (15' 3", 7th) and Michael Jarman in the hammer throw (172' 10", 7th) also scored for UC, as did the 4x400 relay squad, which finished second in 3:10.15. On the first day of competition, the men's squad was led by Chandler Groves, who finished third in the long jump with a 24' 6-1/2" leap. Also scoring in the long jump for UC were Tim Poirier (7th, 23' 3-1/4") and Bob Kandell (8th, 23' 2-1/2"). got fourth-place finishes from John Caplinger in the shot put (52' 7-1/2") and Andrew Smith in the high jump (6' 8-1/4"). The 3,000 steeplechase was a strength for the Bearcats as Kevin Schwarz finished third (9:07.90) and Taylor Garvin placed fourth (9:12.76). The women got a second-place finish from Renee Hein in the high jump. The junior cleared 5' 8-3/4", two inches shy of her personal best. She has qualified for NCAA regional competition. Shintara Carpenter, UC's record holder in the triple jump leapt 40' 1-1/4" to finish sixth in the event. The 4x100 and 4x400 relay teams each placed sixth in 47.42 and 3:45.10, respectively. On day one, Brittany Klima was the top women's finisher, placing third in the pole vault, matching her own school record with a 12' 5-1/2" clearance. Tara Meier finished eighth in the pole vault (11' 11-3/4") and Ije Obiorah placed seventh in the long jump with a personal-best 18' 10-3/4" leap. In the preliminaries of the 800 meters, Jocelyn Gibson was ninth, but ran a 2:11.71, just .47 off of Mandy McCumber's school record.
HEIN OF THE TIMES:
Junior Renee Hein placed second in the high jump at the BIG EAST Championships last weekend. The school record-holder in the indoor high jump, Hein is second in UC history in the outdoor jump. She has met regional qualifiers in each of her first three seasons and competed at the NCAA Championships last season.
BLAZIN' :
Sprinter John Bowie, who doubles as a defensive back on UC's football team, sped to UC's only individual title at the BIG EAST Championships last weekend. won the 100 meters in 10.52. He had already qualified for regionals with a 10.48 at the Sea Ray Relays. was part of the other UC event title, running the anchor leg of the victorious 4x100 relay team.
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. finished third in the long jump at the 2006 BIG EAST 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. Klima matched the mark at the Sea Ray Relays. Together, they hold nine of the top 10 marks in school history in the indoor vault and each of the top 10 marks outdoors. Klima finished third and Meier placed eighth at the 2006 BIG EAST Championships.
MAY THE SCHWARZ BE WITH YOU:
Kevin Schwarz made a big splash at the 2006 BIG EAST Championships, finishing fifth in the 3,000 meter steeplechase in a season-best 9:07.90, moving into seventh on UC's all-time list. It was just the second steeplechase of the seasonfor the junior who has dealt with injury issues throughout his career.
MADE:
Senior Taylor Garvin has been running well of late, capturing the 3,000 meter steeplechase title at the Sea Ray Relays one week after winning the event at the All-Ohio Championships. Garvin ran a 9:10.76 to place sixth at the 2006 BIG EAST Championships and ranks eighth on UC's list.
FOUR BY DOMINATION:
UC's men's 4x100 relay team has been victorious in all but one meet in which it competed this season. The Bearcats won the 4x100 at the BIG EAST Championships in a season-best 40.57, bettering its regional qualifying time set at the Sea Ray Relays.
SIX BEARCATS QUALIFY FOR REGIONALS:
Six 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. John Bowie sped to a 10.48 in the 100 meters at the Sea Ray Relays to qualify. On the women's side, Renee Hein has cleared 5' 10-3/4" in the high jump, while Tara Meier and Brittany Klima have each qualified with a school-record 12' 5-1/2" in the pole vault. The men's 4x100 relay squad also has posted a regional qualifying mark, running a 40.62 at the Sea Ray Relays.
UP NEXT:
The Bearcats will have two weeks off to prepare for the NCAA Mid-East Regionals, which will take place on May 26-27 in