So far this season, the women's track team has been having a very productive season. As the Lady Lions compete in meets, they are continually being rewarded with lifetime best times and distances.
Last weekend at Michigan, Kelli Hunt had an excellent 5,000-meter race. Along with a lifetime best, she provisionally qualified for NCAAs. But, not by much.
"I just squeaked in," Hunt said.
Hunt ran a 16:47.23 in the race, just under the the qualifying time of 16:47.7. Right now, Hunt will still attend the NCAAs, but if other people manage better times, her spot could get bumped.
Tomorrow, the team will be at Kent State to compete against the host team and Western Michigan, and Hunt won't be running the 5,000.
Instead, she will compete in the 3,000-meter race. With a little luck, she will find the results at Kent State quite pleasing.
"I would like to provisionally qualify there, but I would have to take a good 13 seconds off my time," Hunt said. "Hopefully I'll just improve my time."
Hunt has a good chance of improving her time in the 3,000, conidering that she will be running on an excellent track.
"The facility there is fabulous," Coach Teri Jordan said. "We're excited about that."
The track is similar to the one at Iowa State that the men's track team had the chance to compete on last weekend. Jordan said the track at Kent State should be "equally as helpful."
The Lady Lions are hoping for some good results while they have a chance to run on the Kent State track. In fact, Jordan said that a school record may be in danger of falling.
"This weekend, our 800 (meter) school record could go," Jordan said, adding that Dawn Eidson, Mary Beth Powers, Jill Mallon and Sue Huelster are all close to, and capable of breaking the record of 2:09. Along with that, the any of the runners could qualify for NCAAs.
Notes:
-- Jenny Weaver will be hoping to do well in the mile race, as she was just under three seconds away from qualifying in that event.
-- Holly Jones will be taking on four events for the second week in a row. Jones will compete in the high jump, long jump, triple jump and shot put for the Lady Lions.
