McElroy, Howard Lead Chippewas At N.C. State

Saturday, March 30

Raleigh, N.C.

Central Michigan University

Raleigh Relays

Photo by: Ole Miss Athletics

3/30/2019 7:54:00 PM | MTF, Track & Field

CMU returns to action next weekend at Western Michigan

By: Nick Vuylsteke, CMUChippewas.com

RALEIGH, N.C. – Megan McElroy and Erin Howard both recorded second-place finishes to lead the Central Michigan track & field team at the Raleigh Relays, hosted by North Carolina State at the Wolfpack's Paul Dail Track Facility.

McElroy, a sophomore from Carthage, Ill., was second in the women's javelin with a throw of 153 feet, ½ inch; Howard, a sophomore from Lansing, placed second in the women's shot put with a throw of 50 feet, 8 inches.

McElroy won the women's javelin last weekend at the Vanderbilt Black and Gold Invitational.

"Megan has been killing it in the javelin," CMU director of track & field Jenny Swieton said. "She's good, aggressive, and she's been keeping that ball rolling."

CMU also got third-place finishes from Logan Targgart in the men's hammer throw (208-9) and from Calli Stemple in the women's high jump (5-5).

The Chippewas' Isaac Sadzewicz and A.J Frens tied for sixth place in the men's pole vault at 15-7 ¼, and CMU's Hannah Davis, Lauren Beckman, Morgan Merlino and Ana Garcia Arias combined up to place sixth in the 4x1,500-meter relay, finshing in 19:23.95.

CMU's Quiara Wheeler placed seventh in the women's hammer throw at 187-2, while Megan O'Neil placed 13^th in the women's 10,000 run in 34:22.09, a 22-second personal record and a number that should easily land the senior from Stanwood an NCAA first-round qualifying spot.

"That time has always gotten into the first rounds in the NCAAs," Swieton said. "When everything shakes out, it should put her in a position to try to get out of the first rounds and make it to the NCAA Finals."

FINDING MOTIVATION
More than a month has passed since the CMU women's team placed first at the Mid-American Conference Indoors Championships, and with the MAC Outdoor Championships more than a month away, the Chippewas are looking to keep their motors revving.

"We're working to stay focused because we've been going at this for a long time," Swieton said. "I think our team has done a good job at staying focused when they need to, and just going out and getting better. I think everybody is a little mentally fatigued from the travel and being at it for so long. But the MAC Championships are going to sneak up on us, so we got to be ready to go."

NEXT
The Chippewas travel to Kalamazoo to compete in the Compass Cup, hosted by Western Michigan, on Saturday, April 6.