Women’s T&F Earns Eight Qualifying Marks on First Day at Richmond

Kazuba Sets School Outdoor Record in Pole Vault

03/28/08 9:56PM

RICHMOND, VA - The records fell fast and furious Friday evening at the Fred Hardy Invitational for the William and Mary women’s track team, which set three meet and stadium records, as well as a school and freshman outdoor record en route to posting eight qualifying marks to championship meets.

First Day Field Results
First Day Track Results

The depth of the Tribe’s program was evident especially in the pole vault, where sophomore Nicole Kazuba (Chantilly, Va.) cleared a personal-best 12’ 8” to qualify for the NCAA Regional and the ECAC Championships. Her height also broke Charlotte LaRoche’s four-year old school outdoor record of 12’ 7.5”, and is behind only LaRoche’s 13’ 1” indoor jump in 2002 on the school’s performance list. Two other pole vaulters also broke the old meet and stadium records, as senior Erin Gnass (Brentwood, Tenn.) and freshman Emily Jeremiah (Mechanicsville, Va.) each topped the bar at 11’ 11.75”. Both qualified for the ECAC Championships with the height, and both set personal records to stand tied for third in school history—in Jeremiah’s case, it was an incredible 1’ 9.75” above her previous career-best. Senior Nicole Bost (Mechanicsville, Va.) cleared 10’ 8” to give the Tribe a sweep of the top four spots, and sophomore Jennifer Garrott (Burke, Va.) also cleared 10’ 8”, tying her career-best for 10th all-time in school history.

In the 3,000m steeplechase, freshman Betsy Graney (Harper Woods, Mich.) powered her way to victory in a stadium and meet-record time of 10:55.60. Her time also set the William and Mary freshman record, ranks Graney fourth all-time at the College, and cleared the qualifying standard for the IAAF World Junior Championships this July in Poland. Junior Emily Arena (Manassas, Va.) was fourth in 12:20.83.

William and Mary’s final meet and stadium records came courtesy of Allie Lewis (Roanoke, Va.), Kelly McElroy (Wyomissing, Pa.), Meghan Burns (Coopersburg, Pa.), and Emily Anderson (Golf, Ill.), who teamed up to run 8:58.87 and win the 4x800m relay with an ECAC-qualifying time. Also qualifying for the ECAC Championships were the College’s hammer throwers, Ashley Williams (Williamsburg, Va.) and Abby Lemon (Berryville, Va.), who finished 1-2 in today’s competition. Williams had a mammoth personal-best throw for the second consecutive meet, reaching out 163’ (nearly 10 feet past her previous best) to win the event and move up to second in school history. Lemon, the school record-holder, threw 160’ 4” this afternoon, comfortably past the ECAC standard.

Williams also set a personal-best in the shot put competition, putting the shot 42’ 1.25” for second place. Her effort ranks ninth all-time at the College. Classmate Carly Morse (Sumerduck, Va.) placed third with a put of 42’. Sophomore Dana Harvey (Mechanicsville, Va.) won the 400m hurdles with a personal-best time of 1:03.89, hurdling over three athletes to rank in a tie for seventh all-time at the College. Freshman Sarah Rybarczyk (Snohomish, Wash.) took fourth in the event in 1:07.22, more than four seconds better than she timed two weeks ago to open the season. Last, but certainly not least, senior Brenna Blevins (Pulaski, Va.) won the high jump after clearing 5’ 3”, only a quarter of an inch behind her personal-best.

The Fred Hardy Invitational concludes tomorrow.