Grandt Leads WVU at Penn State National

By Kelly Tuckwiller for MSNsportsNET.com
January 30, 2010

 

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Senior All-American Clara Grandt led the No. 23 West Virginia University track and field team in an excellent performance today, in the final day of the Penn State National as she took first in the invitational mile.

 

“This weekend was a very balanced team performance,” coach Sean Cleary says.” It is clear that we have to keep working and believing in ourselves to maximize our potential, but I was encouraged by the effort that we exhibited this weekend. In time, the final pieces will be in place.”

 

Grandt, a West Union, W.Va., native, captured first in the event with a time of 4:48.40, marking the second-straight meet she has finished in the top spot.

 

Junior Kaylyn Christopher then posted a good showing in the invitational 800-meter run, as she placed sixth with a conference qualifying time of 2:10.07.

 

Also meeting BIG EAST qualifying times were redshirt freshmen Aubrey Moskal and Hallie Portner, who finished sixth (5:05.95) and ninth (5:06.90), respectively in the mile, while junior Jessica O’Connell placed second in the 800-meter run (2:10.53).

 

In the high jump, freshman Sydney Cummings led the team in fourth place, while junior Katelyn Williams followed in fifth. Each cleared 1.70 meters.

 

Senior April Rotilio continued to shine, finishing seventh in the 200-meter dash with a time of 24.80, as senior Keri Bland and freshman Arielle Gaither took sixth (1:15.57) and 20th (1:18.40) in the 500 meter.

 

Juniors Kate Harrison and Stephanie Caruso also had a good meet, finishing seventh (3:00.01) in the 1,000 meter and fifth (10:03.25) in the 3,000-meter.

 

WVU is set to return to University Park, Pa., next weekend, as it competes in the Sykes-Sabcock Challenge Cup hosted by Penn State.