Central Michigan University Athletics
Central Michigan University
Jack Shaw Open (at Western Michigan)
Women's Track Finishes Second at Jack Shaw Open
4/22/2006 12:00:00 AM | Track & Field
April 22, 2006
KALAMAZOO, Mich. - The Central Michigan University women's track and field squad finished second out of five teams at the Jack Shaw Open at the Kanley Track Complex today. CMU totaled 138 points on the day, well back of meet winner Western Michigan's total of 240 points. Grand Valley State finished third with 103 points, followed by Hillsdale College (38 points) and Hope College (23 points).
The Chippewas had five individual event winners in the 18 events - Tamera Thomas (100m hurdles), Mary Raney (shot put), Taylor Washington (long jump), Tomea Peebles (triple jump) and the 4x400m relay team. Six other Chippewas had second-place finishes - Thomas (100m), Najah Floyd (200m), Jenaie Edwards (400m), Kari Taylor (hammer throw), Michaela Danhoff (shot put) and the 4x100m relay team.
"I'm happy with the way we competed individually, but disappointed that we lost to Western Michigan by such a decisive margin in the meet," CMU head coach Karen Lutzke said. "Our individual performances are really improving, but we need more people to step it up for us as we head towards the Mid-American Conference Championships meet in a few weeks."
Those individual performances were highlighted Saturday by (who else?) Thomas. She matched the school record in the 100m, set by Shree Jones in 1998, with a time of 11.74. Thomas now owns part or all of five CMU school records, two outdoor (100m hurdles and 100m dash) and three indoor (60m hurdles, long jump and pentathlon). Today's time also was an NCAA qualifying mark, adding to her competition slate at the NCAA Mideast Regional on May 26-27. She previously qualified in the 100m hurdles.
Several of the top CMU finishers today had personal best efforts. Among the throwers, Danhoff's second-place shot put finish came with a PR of 43-2 1/2 and Allison Jakubowski finished third in the javelin with a personal best throw of 117-0 1/2. On the track, Floyd's time of 24.22 in the 200m was a new PR, as was third-place finisher Leslie Johnson's clocking of 24.27.
"I thought that our jumpers and throwers did very well today," Lutzke said. "I was very pleased with both Najah and Leslie. It was good to see them step it up at this meet."
CMU will be in action next weekend at the Hillsdale Relays at Hillsdale College. The two-day meet begins on Friday, April 28 and continues on Saturday, April 29.
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