April 17, 2006

Results

SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. - Some members of the women's track and field team headed to nearby Slippery Rock this weekend for a local invitational. With nine ECAC-qualifying performances, several Panthers turned in their best performances of their careers.

In the long jump the Panthers took first and second with season-best performances. Sophomore Martina Hallman (Miami, Fla./Miami Southridge) placed first with a mark of 5.93 meters. Junior Janessa Murphy (Malvern, Pa./Great Murphy) finished second with a personal-best mark of 5.90 meters. Both were conference and ECAC-qualifying performances.

Junior Julianna Reed (Pittsburgh, Pa./Hampton) had a great meet in hurdles, finishing first in the 400 and second in the 100. In the 400-meter hurdles, she turned in a time of 1:01.38, and in the 100-meter hurdles finished with a time of 14.04. Hallman took third in both events with a personal-best time of 14.26 in the 100 and 1:02.18 in the 400. Sophomore Selena Sappleton (Brooklyn, N.Y./A. Philip Randolph) had a top-five finish in the 100-meter hurdles with a personal-best time of 14.60. All were Big East and ECAC-qualifying performances.

The Pitt freshmen had a successful meet as well. Raquel Bender (Penn Hills, Pa./Penn Hills) set a new personal-best time of 24.43, capturing first place in the 200 meters. Rachel Botham (Shoreline, Wash./Shorewood) took first in the 3,000 meters with a personal-best time of 10:46.18. In the 400 meters, Pitt took second through fourth. Jenn Seitz (Allison Park, Pa./Hampton) finished with a time of 58.68. Bender came in third with a time of 59.05, and Catie Hare (Hanover, Pa./South Western) took fourth at 1:00.08. Murphy placed fourth in the 100 meters with a time of 12.32, and Hayle Ritchey (Penn Hills, Pa./Penn Hills) finished second in the javelin with a mark of 40.69 meters.

Pitt's upperclassmen had some top performances on the track with senior Abby Zaylor (Chagrin Falls, Ohio/Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin) placing first in the 1,500 meters with a time of 4:43.02. Junior Krystal Epps (Butler, Pa./Butler) took first in the 800 meters with a time of 2:20.37, and Zaylor finished fifth at 2:25.93.

Both Panther relay teams finished second overall. The 400-meter relay finished with a time of 48.53 while the 1,600-meter relay came in at 4:05.03.

The Panthers' next meet will be this weekend at the Penn State Dual Meet. The Nittany Lions will host Saturday's competition.