University of Louisville
BIG EAST Outdoor Championships
Women's Track and Field - BIG EAST Champions, Again!
May 08, 2011 | Women's Track and Field
May 8, 2011
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. - A cliché to summarize the accomplishments of the University of Louisville women's track and field team at the BIG EAST Outdoor Championships wouldn't be fitting.
By capturing the team title over West Virginia on Sunday afternoon at Jumbo Elliott Track at Villanova Stadium, the Cardinal women became just the second team in BIG EAST Conference history to win four-straight outdoor titles and the first to capture indoor and outdoor league titles in the same year since Pittsburgh managed to achieve the feat in 2005.
"First of all, props to my coaching staff for the job they have done with our athletes," coach Ron Mann says. "We scored a ton of points in the field events, and that really carried us.
"To win the BIG EAST title, ever, is an accomplishment. To win two in a row or four in a row is virtually unheard of. Of the teams in the BIG EAST, no one has done that. I'm so humbled and proud of the athletes, the coaching staff, and all the props in the world to the city of Louisville, our athletic administration and our President, Dr. James Ramsey."
The men's squad also put together a strong performance, taking third with 99 points. Since joining the BIG EAST and competing in the outdoor championships - the first time took place in 2006 - the Cardinal men have yet to finish lower than third.
"Any given year, one of 4-5 teams can win," Mann says. "Going into the championships, we had a chance to win and came very close. It didn't fall our way today, but those things happen. We really want to build this for the future - be a conference contender on a year in, year out basis - and we're doing that."
Senior D'Ana McCarty, the BIG EAST Most Outstanding Field Performer of the Meet, was just one component that led Louisville to the team victory. She became only the fourth athlete in BIG EAST history to win three field event titles in one meet. McCarty, who captured the discus throw on a toss of 52.72m/172-11, also won the shot put and hammer throw titles during the first two days of competition. Of the team's 117 points, its second most in the four-title run, McCarty's three titles made up a combined 30 points.
"I think it's fitting she has a billboard on the way from Indianapolis to Columbus, with her picture on it," Mann adds on McCarty, who now has six BIG EAST titles. "It's well deserved, and she deserves all the credit in the world. She has led this team for four years, and she's done a great job."
Khadija Abdullah, Chinwe Okoro and Hannah Baker also scored in the discus throw, placing third, fourth and seventh, respectively. From the one event alone, the throwers added 23 points, which ultimately gave Louisville the boost it needed for the team title.
The Cardinal women received an additional 10 points, as Rachel Gehret captured her second career outdoor title. A senior, she cleared a personal-tying best 1.81m/5-11.25 to win the crown. In the same event, Megan Schubert placed fourth after leaping over the bar at 1.78m/5-10. In the women's triple jump, Gehret took runner-up after leaping to a career-best 12.70m/41-8.
On the track, the 4x100m relay team of Margret Harris, Rachel Gehret, Chelsea Brown and Gabrielle Jackson raced to a time of 46.08. On the final leg, Jackson bolted past West Virginia's Megan Mischler on the final straight away to secure the third-place finish. In the 4x400m race, the same quartet sprinted to a fifth-place finish in 3:43.17. Not only was it a season-best mark, but the school-record time breaks the previous mark by a second (3:44.84).
Brown and Jackson also starred in a third event, the 400m hurdles finals. Brown took third after racing to a personal-best 59.79, while Jackson's personal-best time of 59.90 earned her a fourth-place finish.
Matt Hughes put together another quality race in the distance events on the men's side. After winning the 3,000m steeplechase on Saturday in facility-record fashion, the senior placed runner-up in the 5,000m in 14:15.70.
Jordon Frazier and Luke Lovelace also competed on Sunday in the finals of their respective events. Lovelace placed eighth, running to a career-best 3:48.45. Frazier's season-best time of 52.47 was good enough to place seventh.
In the field events, Kyle Gann tied his personal-best school-record 5.05m/16-6.75 to finish runner-up. Throwers Weston Banks and Josh Greenwald earned third- and fifth-place finishes in the discus throw, respectively. Banks' mark of 53.77m/176-5 was a career best.
The Cardinals return to action for one final meet - the Cardinal Twilight on Friday, May 13, at the Cardinal Park Track and Soccer Stadium - before preparing for the NCAA East Region Preliminary from May 26-28 in Bloomington, Ind., on the campus of Indiana University.
For all of the latest information on Louisville cross country and track and field, log on to uoflsports.com, or, for up-to-the-minute updates, follow the team's Twitter account at www.twitter.com/louisvilletrack.
2011 BIG EAST OUTDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS (PHILADELPHIA, PA. | MAY 6-8)
Women's 4x100m Relay
3. Louisville `A' (Harris, Gehret, Brown, Jackson) - 46.08
Men's 1,500m Finals
8. Luke Lovelace - 3:48.45
Women's 400m Hurdles Finals
3. Chelsea Brown - 59.79
4. Gabrielle Jackson - 59.90
Men's 400m Hurdles Finals
7. Jordon Frazier - 52.47
Women's 5,000m Finals
13. Kim Grieshaber - 17:22.79
18. Emily Borsare - 17:42.31
Men's 5,000m Finals
2. Matt Hughes - 14:15.70
12. Tyler Byrne - 14:40.10
Men's 4x800m Finals
12. Louisville `A' (Bruce, Lovelace, Dooley, Wolfe) - 8:03.22
Women's 4x400m Relay Finals
5. Louisville `A' (Harris, Gehret, Brown, Jackson) - 3:43.17
Women's Triple Jump Finals
2. Rachel Gehret - 12.70m/41-8 (wind: 0.2)
10. Charachesicia Lockhart - 12.00m/39-4.5 (wind: 0.6)
22. Maggie Gilbertson - 10.47m/34-4.25 (wind: 0.2)
Women's High Jump Finals
1. Rachel Gehret - 1.81m/5-11.25
4. Megan Schubert - 1.78m/5-10
Men's Pole Vault Finals
2. Kyle Gann - 5.05m/16-6.75
Women's Discus Throw Finals
1. D'Ana McCarty - 52.72m/172-11
3. Khadija Abdullah - 47.33m/155-3
4. Chinwe Okoro - 47.13m/154-7
7. Hannah Baker - 45.43m/149-0
10. Amashi Kendall - 44.38m/145-7
Men's Discus Throw Finals
3. Weston Banks - 53.77m/176-5
5. Josh Greenwald - 52.64m/172-8
Men's Triple Jump Finals
10. Seon Powell - 14.15m/46-5.25 (wind: 1.7)
Players Mentioned
