Meekins, Anderson Compete at NCAA East Regional

05/25/07 5:30PM

GAINESVILLE, FLA - William and Mary’s women’s track team opened the NCAA East Regional on Friday, attempting to qualify four athletes on to the national championship meet. Individuals who finish in the top five of their events earn an automatic bid to the NCAA meet, while those who finish in the top-12 are eligible for an at-large bid.

High Jump
1,500m Preliminaries

Senior Bonnie Meekins (Herndon, Va.) started the Tribe’s effort, tying for ninth in the high jump after clearing 5’ 7.25”. Ranked 20th nationally in the heptathlon after her school-record performance in winning the ECAC title (5,457 points), Meekins is all but assured of her first trip to the NCAA Championships, as the field normally consists of 24-27 heptathletes.

Freshman Emily Anderson (Golf, Ill.) picked up yet another qualifying mark for the USAT&F Junior Nationals in the 1,500m, running 4:33.53 in the preliminaries of the 1,500m. While the time wasn’t able to advance her to tomorrow’s finals, it is the second-fastest time of the season for Anderson, coming behind the personal-best mark of 4:31.26 she set at the Colonial Relays.

W&M will continue in competition at the Regional tomorrow, as CAA Champions Nicole Kazuba (Chantilly, Va.) and Kate Willever (Pennington, N.J.) compete in the pole vault and 3,000m steeplechase, respectively.