Central Michigan University Athletics
Women's Track Hosts Jack Skoog Open on Friday
2/20/2008 12:00:00 AM | Track & Field
MOUNT PLEASANT - The Central Michigan University women’s track and field team will go through its final paces before the Mid-American Conference Indoor Championships this weekend, hosting the Jack Skoog Open on Friday, Feb. 22. The non-scored meet wil be held at the Skoog Track inside CMU’s Indoor Athletic Complex, with competition beginning at 5 p.m.
CMU has not competed on its home track since January 11, when it hosted the Chippewa Open. Since that time, the Chippewas have competed at Akron, Michigan, Bowling Green and Eastern Michigan, the site of next weekend’s conference meet. They have steadily improved, going from finishing fourth of four teams at Akron to third of six teams at the Michigan Intercollegiates to winning a four-team quadrangular meet at Bowling Green.
“We’ve been getting better and this week we can make final preparations for the conference meet,” CMU head coach Karen Lutzke said. “Some of our athletes will take the week off, while others will run some different events to try and fine tune one or two things before the MAC meet. The hard work has been done throughout the season. Now, we need to stay healthy this week and remain focused on continuing to improve to be at our best next week.”
Last weekend, while the rest of the team prepared to compete at the Eastern Michigan Classic, two Chippewas were given the opportunity to compete against the best from across the country at the prestigious Tyson Invitational at the University of Arkansas, site of next month’s NCAA Indoor Championships. Junior Kelly McClure and senior Jenaie Edwards went south to measure themselves against the toughest competition to date in their season, and both acquitted themselves well. McClure finished fifth in the 5000m, running the second-fastest time in that event in CMU history. Edwards placed 24th out of 96 competitors in the 400m, with the second-fastest time in the MAC in that event in 2008.
“It was really a great experience for Jenaie and Kelly to compete at the Tyson Invitational,” Lutzke said. “Their performances at Arkansas should give them confidence that they can compete not only against the best in the MAC, but also the best in the country. Plus, they had the opportunity to see top-flight athletes compete in other events and observe how those athletes prepare and compete at a high level.”
At Eastern Michigan on Saturday, CMU’s sprinters and throwers turned in some of their best performances of the season to date. Senior Tempestt Stanford won the 60m and took second in a season-best time in the 200m, while freshman Jordan Dunn was the runner-up to Stanford in the 60m. Sophomore Whitney Johnson had a new personal best effort to finish third in the weight throw, while freshman Norianna Brown also had a personal best to take third in the shot put.
Friday’s home meet is a good way to wrap up the schedule before the MAC Championships begin next Friday in Ypsilanti at EMU’s Bob Parks Track. CMU will welcome athletes from several schools in Michigan, including Adrian College, Alma College, Ferris State University, Northwood University, and Spring Arbor College. The meet will get underway at 5 p.m. with the throwing events, which are contested in the turf bay inside the IAC. Running events kick off at 6 p.m. on Skoog Track.
