Wheeler Shatters Weight Throw Mark Again As CMU Takes 6 Firsts

Saturday, February 6

Mount Pleasant, Mich.

2 p.m.

Central Michigan University

CMU Jack Skoog Invitational

CMU's Quiara Wheeler (right) celebrates with a teammate after she broke her own program record with a 21.15-meter toss in the weight throw on Saturday.

Photo by: Keara Chaperon '22

Wheeler Shatters Weight Throw Mark Again As CMU Takes 6 Firsts

2/6/2021 8:22:00 PM | Track & Field

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By: Andy Sneddon, CMUChippewas.com

MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – Quiara Wheeler continued her torrid 2021 indoor track and field season and Central Michigan won six events on Saturday at the annual Jack Skoog Invitational at the Chippewas' Jack Skoog Track.

Wheeler, a senior from Flint, broke her own program record with a 21.51-meter toss in winning the weight throw. It marked the second time this season that Wheeler has eclipsed her own program mark.

She threw it 20.74 meters three weeks ago in the season opener, and then came within a whisker – 20.73 – a week later in a meet at Grand Valley State.

No team scores were recorded as the Chippewas competed with Mid-American Conference brethren Toledo and Bowling Green. The Rockets and Falcons did not enter any athletes in the weight throw, but that didn't quell the competitive juices of Wheeler or her fellow Chippewa throwers, who, as a group, ranked No. 2 in the nation this week.

Wheeler's 21.51-meter toss is the fifth best this season among all NCAA Division I throwers. It also stands as a Skoog Track record.

"She's amazing," CMU coach Jenny Swieton said. "She's such a good leader, she's such a good example for everybody on our team. There were no other schools in the weight throw, but she still got herself fired up enough to break the program record again. That just shows maturity and composure and she's just really, really good.

"Our weight-throw group is so good that they compete with each other, so anytime we're at a meet they have people to compete against. The whole group rallies around her and they fire each other up. They encourage each other to do really great things."

The Chippewas also got wins from Kaitlynn Rush in the 60-meter dash (7.71 seconds), Peyton Korytkowski in the 60 hurdles (9.06), Alyssa Vandegriff in the high jump (1.60 meters), Kasey Staley in the pole vault (3.75 meters), and Hayley Manners in the long jump (5.90 meters).

CMU got second-place finishes from Reghan Draper (60), Emma Fountain (800), Emily Paupore (mile), Shelby Korytkowski (pole vault), Sarah Daniel (long jump), and Marissa Dunn (weight throw). The Chippewas' 4x400 relay team of Fountain, Peyton Korytkowski, Taylor Korytkowski and Emma Francis also placed second.

Vandegriff, Draper, Fountain and Francis are redshirt freshmen; Rush, all three Korytkowskis, Paupore, Daniel and Laurenz are true freshmen.

"The biggest thing for us is we competed for the win in every event, even if it was a little over our head right now," Swieton said. "Even the freshmen competed for wins; they're not afraid of anybody, and that's huge. They weren't afraid to compete and I think that's all you can ask for.

"We get better every single week. They're more aggressive, they're confident, they're willing to put themselves out there and I'm super excited about where we're going.

"I feel like today was exactly what we needed. It shows them what the MAC is all about and I think that's super important to see MAC schools before you get to the MAC meet so you're not like, what's going on? They kind of know what they're getting into."