It was a record-setting weekend for the West Liberty University track and field teams as Coach Justin Simpson‘s men’s and women’s squads combined to set a total of 11 school records in meets at Ohio University and Bucknell University.
A trio of Hilltoppers had a hand in multiple records at OU’s Cherry Blossom Invitational.
Hunter Patterson established new school standards for the 100 and 200-meter sprints while also running a leg on the record-setting 4×100 relay team. Sierra Lanham broke her own school record in the long jump, set a new school standard in the 100-meter sprint and ran a leg on the women’s record-setting 4×100 relay team. Mikhi Anderson set a school record in the 110 hurdles and joined Patterson in running a leg on the 4×100 relay.
In addition to the record-setting performances, several other Hilltoppers made major moves up the qualifying ladder for the Mountain East Conference championship meet. The MEC Championships will be held April 30-May 2 at Bobcat Stadium on the campus of Frostburg State University.
Here’s a look at all the West Liberty record-setters from the weekend, showing where they rank this spring at the conference and regional levels:
Hunter Patterson erased one of the oldest records in the WLU books with his NCAA provisional qualifying time of 10.49 seconds in the 100-meter sprint. The previous standard of 10.50 seconds had been set by Gary Murray in 1984. It’s the fastest 100 meters in the region this spring while his 200-meter record of 21.45 seconds ranks among the top three regionally. He anchored the 4×100 relay team that posted a school-record 41.92 clocking – second in the MEC and Top 10 in the region.
Anderson also notched an NCAA provisional mark with his record-setting 14.40 in the 110 hurdles. It’s the second-fastest in the region this spring. In addition, Anderson shared the school’s 4×100 relay record with Hunter Patterson, Gage Patterson and Elian Lamar.
Ben Bumgarner’s record-setting 5000 meter run at OU was also an NCAA provisional qualifying mark. His 14:23.78 clocking was the third-fastest time in the region this spring.
Running at the mammoth Bucknell meet on Sunday, Michael Harriman delivered a school-record time of 1:51.91 in the 800 meter run. It was the second-fastest time in the region this spring and less than a half-second off an NCAA provisional mark.
On the women’s side, Lanham continued her spectacular freshman season. Her 5.66 meter long jump (18 feet, 7 inches) is the longest in the MEC this spring and tied for second in the region. She also set a school record with a time of 12.34 seconds in the 100 meter sprint and shared the 4×100 relay school record of 47.71 seconds with Maggie Kovalcik, Madison Cadle and Hailey Carreon. The 47.71 clocking is tops in the MEC and No. 6 regionally this spring.
Junior distance ace Hannah Kemp took nearly 20 seconds off her own school record in the 10000 meter run late Saturday night with a time of 36:47.88. That’s the third-best 10K in the MEC this season and fourth in the Atlantic Region.
Rounding out the record book rewrite, sophomore thrower Suzan Johnson shattered a decade-old record in the hammer throw with a heave of 47.61 meters (156 feet, 2 inches). Eclipsing Kylie Emfinger’s 2012 record of 46.26 meters by more than five feet, it’s No. 1 in the MEC by nearly two feet and No. 6 in the region.
Coach Simpson and his Hilltopper squads will get back to their record pursuits on Wednesday with a short trip out Route 88 to the John Falconi Invitational at Bethany.
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