Runners, throwers break records at track and field UAA Championships
The men’s and women’s track and field team rounded out the regular season this weekend at the two-day outdoor UAA Championships, hosted by Emory University in Atlanta. The men’s team scored 107.5 points, just passing Emory’s 106 and earning Carnegie Mellon the third-place title. The women’s team came in fifth with a total score of 78 points. Washington University in St. Louis and Emory won the men’s and women’s meets, respectively.
Both Carnegie Mellon’s men’s and women’s teams saw great individual and relay performances.
On the men’s team, senior Dustin Musselman won the javelin with a throw of 52.71 meters. Musselman, along with first-year Tim Kikta, junior Ryan Kissell, and sophomore Noel Titus, also competed in the 4x100-meter relay. Their time of 44.10 seconds won third place and All-UAA status. The 4x800 team of junior Rob Morhard, senior John Briguglio, first-year Mike Standish, and senior Nate Bussiere also had a great performance, placing second with a time of 7:26.20.
Career bests were recorded by first-year Zachary Erra-Hernandez in the discus throw (44.23 meters), sophomore Daniel Cardenas Rivero in the pole vault (4.00 meters), sophomore Daniel Ching in the 400-meter hurdles (54.05 seconds), and Kikta in the 400-meter dash (49.92 seconds).
On the women’s team, first-year Jackie Guevel won both the 100- and 400-meter hurdles while setting four records. Her 14.18-second finish in the 100-meter hurdles set both school and UAA records, as did her time of 1:02.12 in the 400-meter hurdles. Guevel is first in the nation for the 100-meter hurdles and fourth for the 400-meter hurdles.
New school records were also set by the 4x800-meter, 4x400-meter, and 4x100-meter relay teams. Sophomore Emily Wobb, senior Courtney Baker, junior Christine Warner, and senior Laura McKee won fourth in the 4x800 with a time of 9:33.20. McKee, Guevel, Baker, and junior Luci Laffitte won third place with a time of 3:48.45 in the 4x400-meter relay. A fifth-place finish was earned by the 4x100-meter relay team composed of Laffitte, junior Lisa Marion Garcia, Guevel, and senior Kim Nederlof with a time of 50.09 seconds.
Sophomore Carissa Iannone also turned in great individual performances, earning her career best in both the javelin (35.77 meters) and hammer throw (38.27 meters). Senior Melissa Hwang earned her career best in the triple jump (10.87 meters) and long jump (5.02 meters).
The team’s sportsmanship during the meet was notable. “I would like to say that while our team performance was excellent this year, I was more humbled by the support that each teammate, field or track, had for each other across the two days,” Wobb said.
The Tartans will go on to compete at Allegheny College in Meadville, Pa., May 13. All qualifying Tartans will then go on to the National Championship at Ohio Wesleyan University May 26–28.