By Jared Fields, Managing Editor
Wildcat track and field members are separated throughout the country this weekend at the Penn and Drake relays, while others are staying in Abilene for a meet with McMurry.
Pole vaulters Kyle Dennis and Angie Aguilar are the only athletes traveling to Des Moines, Iowa, for the Drake Relays.
“Kyle’s ready to jump 18 feet if the weather’s any good,” said head coach Don Hood.
Dennis ranks first in the nation with a jump of 5.2 meters.
Similarly, Aguilar tops the women’s pole vault rankings.
In Philadelphia at the Penn Relays, Hood is taking 23 athletes.
Vladyslav Gorbenko is returning after a three-week hiatus to compete in the triple and long jump.
“Vlad looks very good,” Hood said. “He practiced [Wednesday] and looks really good.”
Davy Manga is competing in the triple jump, trying to better his provisional mark while also competing in the shuttle hurdles relay.
In the shuttle hurdles, four people line up in two lanes and each run the 110-meter hurdle race. Like a relay, the the next person takes off after the previous person passes them.
Distance runners will also be competing at the Penn Relays. In the steeplechase, Nicodemus Naimadu and Olha Kryv’yak will run in the event.
Naimadu has automatically qualified for the stepplechase, along with the 5,000- and 10,000-meter runs. Beside the steeplechase, Kryv’yak has qualified in the 1,500-meter run.
Kryv’yak’s time of 10:38.35 currently ranks her second in the nation in the steeplechase and her provisional time of 4:31.40 last weekend at TCU in the 1,500 ranks her sixth in the nation.
The men’s team is running two relays in Philadelphia: the 4×200 and sprint medley. Meanwhile, the women’s team is running four relays: the 4×400, sprint medley, 4×800 and 4×200.
“I think the mile relay has a chance,” Hood said. “I think they’ve got a good opportunity to do something there. Hope to get under 3:40.”
Currently the relay ranks third in the nation with a time of 3:41.28.
Hood also likes his men’s 4×200 relay team’s chances of doing something this weekend.
“The 4×200 was second last year, and may have a chance to be better if the sticks are good,” Hood said.
After this weekend’s events, the Wildcats have the LSC Championships in Commerce on May 4-6.
