SLU Track and Field, in the middle of the 2015 outdoor track season, completed a successful meet coming off of sending a split squad to three meets from April 10-12. SLU Medical Center Stadium saw numerous Billikens record personal bests at the SLU Invitational on Friday, April 10, and Saturday, April 11. The meet also marked the second, and final, home meet for SLU’s outdoor track season.
A new school record in women’s pole vault was set, with junior Stephanie Uhrich breaking her own record by jumping a mark of 3.52 meters. The mark was also good enough for first place in the event.
Sophomore Hannah Rohde and senior Jamee Holmes also won their events. Rohde won the women’s 400 meters with a time of 56.33 seconds, while Holmes won the seeded 1,500 meters with a personal record of 4:36.02 minutes. Sophomore Emma Kidd won the unseeded event with a time of 4:55.91.
Meanwhile, the Billikens did equally as well in relays. Sophomore Rachel Staab, Rohde, sophomore Maddie Bryan, and freshman Mackenzie Bonk, made up the women’s 4×100 meter relay. They placed first in the event with a time of 48.45 seconds.
The men’s team saw sophomore Kyle Clinkingbeard win the top heat of the 400 meter contest; he ran a 50.23 second race. The men’s 4×400 meter relay race was an exciting race that went down to the wire. SLU lost by only four-tenths of a second, finishing in second place, with a 3:18.49 mark. The team was made of Clinkingbeard, sophomore Nathan Hall, senior Tommy Whittaker and sophomore Griffin McCurren.
SLU head coach Jon Bell was pleased with the teams’ performances, and saw the future of the Billikens squad shine on the track.
“The core of our performances came from our freshmen and sophomores, which is a great sign for the program’s future,” Bell said.
In addition, Bell was glad to be able to have a successful home send-off for the seniors on the team.
SLU will look to build on this week’s successes with two upcoming meets, April 16-18. Next week will see SLU’s squad split between relays and individuals. The relay teams will head off to Walnut, California, to compete in the Mt. SAC Relays on Thursday, April 16, and Friday April 17. Individual runners will head to Indiana State, in Terre Haute, Indiana, for the Gibson Invite.
On May 2-3, the Billikens will run at the A-10 Championships in Fairfax, Virginia. According to Bell, the Billikens will use the SLU meet and the upcoming meets to prepare for the championship portion of this year’s season.
