CLARION READY FOR PSAC TRACK & FIELD MEET MAY 13-15

Meet to be held at Slippery Rock University

The Clarion University men’s and women’s track and field teams are getting ready for the PSAC meet being held Thursday through Saturday at Slippery Rock University.

“We are excited that the PSAC meet is finally here,” Clarion’s 10^th-year head coach Pat Mooney said. “We have a pretty good contingent of athletes who have qualified on for the women’s championships, and we have a couple of men who have a chance to score some points.”

GOLDEN EAGLE WOMEN HAVE 15 QUALIFIED FOR PSAC’S

The Clarion women’s track and field team will send 15 athletes to the PSAC’s to compete in 18 events including one relay.

“The strength of the women’s team lies in the throws and the distance events,” Mooney said.

Last season Clarion finished sixth at the PSAC meet, and Mooney thinks the Golden Eagles can move up a couple of spots this year.

“We have a little more experience this season,” Mooney said. “I hope we score some more points. We are trying to move up a spot or two. We hope to improve on last year’s mark.”

Leading the way at the PSAC’s for the Golden Eagles will be five athletes who placed fifth or higher in seven events at last year’s PSAC Championships.

Senior Jen Boerner (Amherst, NY/Sweet Home) will run in both the 1,500 and 3,000. She was third at PSAC’s in the 1,500 last season and is a four-time PSAC qualifier in both events.

Fellow senior Julie Evenoski (New Castle/Neshannock) will also compete in two events the javelin, an event that she holds the school record in, and the shot put. She was second at PSAC’s and eighth in the nation in the javelin last season and fifth at PSAC’s in the shot put. She was also third at PSAC’s in the javelin in 2002 and fifth in the shot put in 2001.

Junior Melissa Terwilliger (Blasdell, NY/Frontier) will give Clarion three athletes competing in two individual events, as she will be running both the 3,000 and 5,000. Terwilliger was third at PSAC’s in both events last season and is the school record holder in both events. She also finished fifth in the nation in the 10,000 last year, an event that she also holds the school record in. Terwilliger finished fourth in the 10,000 at PSAC’s in 2002 and is hoping to run the event again at nationals this season.

Senior Carrie Bullman (Chicora/Karns City) will throw the javelin at PSAC’s for the Golden Eagles. It was an event she finished third in at PSAC’s last year and 11^th in the nation. She was second in the javelin at PSAC’s in 2002 and is a two-time national qualifier in the event.

Another senior, Jen Klock (Whitehall/Whitehall) rounds out the returning top-five placewinners for the Golden Eagles. She will throw the shot put. The school record holder in the shot put, Klock has finished second at PSAC’s in the event the last two years after taking fourth as a freshman.

Another notable returning PSAC qualifier for the Golden Eagles is senior Jessica Crouch in the javelin. Last season she was an NCAA qualifier in the event and finished 13^th at the PSAC meet.

Additional key PSAC qualifiers for the Golden Eagles include junior Sarah Rodgers (Chicora/Moniteau) in the 1,500, sophomore Katie Jarzab (Oil City/Oil City) in the 10,000, freshman Tasha Wheatley (Saltsburg/Kiski Area) in the 3,000 steeplechase, freshman Holly Urban (Doyelstown/Central Bucks East) in the 800, sophomore Nikki Plassio (Irwin/Hempfield) in the high jump, freshman Teagan Riggs (Meadville/Meadville) in the long jump, freshman Lacy Silvis (Shelocta/Indiana) in the pole vault and freshman Erin Jones (Wattsburg/Seneca) in the pole vault.

Clarion will also send its 1,600-meter relay team to the PSAC’s. The team will consist of Boerner, Rodgers, Urban and sophomore Susan Despot (State College/Bald Eagle Area).

CLARION MEN HAVE FIVE COMPETING AT PSAC’S

The Golden Eagle men’s track and field team will have five athletes competing at the PSAC Championships.

Senior David Duriancik (Vandergrift/Kiski Area) and sophomore Ben Bevevino (Clarion/Clarion) will be participating in two individual events each.

Duriancik will compete in the 3,000 steeplechase and the 1,500. He was fifth in the steeplechase at PSAC’s last season and ninth in 2002.

“The steeplechase should be a barn-burner of an event,” Mooney said. “Any one of four or five runners including Dave could win the event.”

Bevevino will run in the 400 hurdles and will compete in the long jump. He will also run a leg of the 1,600-meter relay.

“Ben just started to hurdle again in the last couple of weeks,” Mooney said. “He had two personal records (400 hurdles and long jump) last week at Lock Haven. He could slip into the scoring very easily, especially in the hurdles.”

Joining Duriancik and Bevevino in the individual events will be sophomore Jarrett Williams (Verona/Penn Hills). Williams will run the 100-meter dash, an event that he has qualified in the last two years. Williams will also join Bevevino in the 1,600 relay.

Completing the 1,600-relay team will be freshman Zac Shekell (Foxburg/A-C Valley) and freshman BJ Roth (Clarion/Clarion).

NOTES: Depending on national qualifying times and distance, Clarion could have a few athletes competing in the NCAA Division II National Meet being held May 27-29 at Cal-Pomona.