Bearcats Find Great Success at Armory

February 7, 2016

Entering the half-way point of the indoor season, the University of Cincinnati track and field program took to the road to compete in the Armory Invitational, one of the top meets this weekend. With the conference championships now just two weeks out, the Bearcats set out to improve upon their earlier marks and did just that.

“We had a very good meet (in New York),” Susan Seaton, UC’s Director of Track & Field/Cross Country, said following the Armory meet. “We made progress in a lot of events; we needed to improve in the sprints and we did that this weekend. I was excited to see how well we did on the track and with the records in the field. To do so well on a big stage like the Armory is great for us as we prepare for the conference meet.”

Overall, including marks attained at the Meyo Invitational in South Bend, Ind., the Bearcats posted 21 personal-bests, including 15 marks that rank among the UC all-time Top 10. School records also were attained twice, both coming in the weight throw. Here is a look at how the Bearcats fared on Saturday.

// WOMEN’S RESULTS

at Armory Track Invitational

– The sprinters had a very strong day on the track as Kenya Woodall, Bryana Robinson and Haisha Bisiolu all recorded times in the 200m dash that rank among the program’s all-time Top 10. In the heats, Woodall was the second-fastest to the qualifier with her time of 24.18, which also stands as the No. 2 mark all-time at UC, before she placed fourth overall. Robinson followed a similar path, running 24.54 in the heats (eighth qualifier) to move up to No. 5 all-time, before placing seventh overall (24.57). Bisiolu, who did not advance out of the heats, clocked in at 24.96 to run the No. 9 time in UC history,

– The group of Woodall, Robinson, Javette Lee and Jada Grant also combined to run 3:46.44 in the 4x400m relay to finish fifth overall. The relay team, which holds the No. 3 time in program history, added today’s mark to the list at No. 10.

– Annette Echikunwoke kept her record streak alive as she finished third in the weight throw with a toss of 20.46m (67-01.50), which equals her own school record that she set one week at the Indiana Relays. The toss marks the fourth meet in a row this season that Echikunwoke competed and the fourth she finished with the school record in the event. Monica Phillips (17.64m) and Leah Heckaman (16.89m) also competed in the weight throw, finishing ninth and 13th, respectively.

– Freshman Brooke Catherine, who placed ninth overall in the pole vault, moved up to a tie for the No. 10 spot on UC’s all-time Top 10 list with a clearance of 3.75m (12-03.50). Alyssa McBride, already the No. 4 all-time vaulter in UC history, cleared 3.90m (12-09.50) to finish fifth overall and record a season-best clearance for the third week in a row.

at Meyo Invitational

– UC had runners in just one race, with both Bearcats recording personal-best times in the 800m run. Alexis Anton led they way by running 2:13.75, which ranks as the sixth-best all-time in program history, while Meg Westerheide finished in 2:16.43 to better her previous best.

// MEN’S RESULTS

at Armory Track Invitational

– It was another record performance in the weight throw for Josh Province as the senior was the event runner-up with a toss of 19.57m (64-02.50) to break his own school record. Today’s mark bettered the previous mark, set two weeks ago at the Gladstein Invitational, by four inches. In the same event, Macklin Tudor (16.50m/54-01.75) finished ninth overall and John Zedella (15.54m/51-11.75) was 12th.

– Two other events had Bearcats competing, including the heats of the 200m dash and the triple jump. On the track, Mykel Chambers ran 22.82 to finish 35th in the sprint while Tariq Sanders placed 13th in the horizontal jump with a mark of 14.39m (47-02.50).

at Meyo Invitational

– The Bearcats top finishes came in the 800m run as Michael Vitucci (1:51.96) and Jarrod Hart (1:53.27) placed 13th and 21st, respectively, in the event. Vitucci’s time was .27 off his personal best while Hart’s time stands as a personal best, bettering his previous mark by over one second.

– Dan Huben collected the other PR on the day in South Bend as he ran 8:31.78 in the 3,000m run. Toby Loveridge (8:21.64) and Greg Sanders (8:43.16) also competed in the same event.

– Seamus Collins was the final competitor at Notre Dame as he posted a time of 4:15.63 in the mile.

The Bearcats will once again divide their ranks next weekend as member of the program will compete in the SPIRE DI Invitational in Geneva, Ohio, with a small group heading to Fayetteville, Ark., for the Tyson Invitational.

Women’s Results

at Armory Track Invitational / New York, N.Y. – Day 2 (2/6/16)

200m Dash

Heats