University of Richmond Athletics
Women's Track Wins A-10 Championships
02/22/2003 | Women's Track & Field
Feb. 22, 2003
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KINGSTON, R.I. - The University of Richmond women's indoor track & field team won its first-ever conference championship on Saturday in Kingston, R.I. The men's team finished sixth.
Led by A-10 Coach of the Year Lori Taylor, the Spiders set six school records and had four conference champions. Richmond and Rhode Island were tied heading into the final event, where the Spiders finished fourth and the Rams finished sixth in 4x800 relay.
In what is being considered the most electric women's Atlantic 10 Conference indoor track and field championship ever, the Richmond Spiders came out on top. The championship meet is compressed into an exciting three-hour format with the men's meet contested first (11:00AM-2:00PM) and the women's meet following (3:00PM-6:00PM). The meet format makes a double (two events) difficult, but necessary for a team title.
In the women's championships Rhode Island jumped out to a 35-point lead after the pole vault, high jump, and weight throw, but the Spiders team kept fighting. Going into the last 4 events (3000M, DMR, 4x400, and 4X800) Rhode Island held a 7 point lead over Richmond.
Off of Ruth Chege's 3000-meter win, along with Anne Rettig's and Lyndsey Webber's 4th and 5th place showing, the Spiders scored 19 points for the event. Rhode Island scored nine points.
The stage was set for the most exciting 25 minutes of track & field in recent history. With the three relays remaining. Richmond held a three-point lead. In the DMR Rhode Island ran well to place second (8pts) and the Spiders placed fifth (4pts). This put Rhode Island back in the lead by one point.
The Spiders knew Rhode Island had a great 4X400 because they had been running it all season. The Richmond coaching staff decided to run Sarah Stuber, Danielle Eaton, Ruth Chege, and Julee Wilson. The loaded relay was their curve ball. No one knew that Chege could run 58 seconds for the 400-meter.
On paper Rhode Island looked like they could potentially pick-up three more points on the Spiders in this event. After the first two brilliant legs (Stuber and Eaton) Rhode Island and Richmond were neck and neck.
Chege, who had just won the 3000-meter race 15 minutes earlier, took the baton and handed off even with Rhode Island. It was a great effort. Julee Wilson took the baton with one of Rhode Island's best athletes, Rachel Oakes. The stage was set for the meet champion in the 400-meter (Wilson) competing against the Rhode Island standout (Oakes).
What transpired over the next 400 meters is legendary. They battled back and forth. It was truly a treat to watch - a true battle of will. Wilson would not back down and every time Oakes tried to pass, Wilson held her off. With 60 meters to go Oakes made one last attempt, but Wilson would not be denied. It was an effort that took serious heart. The Richmond quartet set a school record by 5 seconds and what a time to do it! The win over Rhode Island in the 4X400 meter relay meant that going into the last event of the day, the 4x800, both teams were tied. Richmond's 4X400 meter relay effort seemed to surprise Rhode Island.
With nearly an infinite number of combinations in scoring the meet would come down to the last event of the day.
"We pulled the team together and told them where the team title stood," said Head Coach Lori Taylor. "If we beat Rhode Island, the team title is ours. No sugarcoating, plain and simple. And it didn't get any clearer than that. It was a lot of pressure to say the least, but we had three seniors on the relay. Our lead leg, Michelle Macdonell, ran brilliantly. She ran a season best by nearly 6 seconds and handed off even with Rhode Island. Our 2nd leg was freshman, Diana Morse. She ran great and gave us a lead."
From there, Rhode Island seemed to panic. Their third leg tried to catch Richmond's Lauren Manero, who had placed seventh in the mile 30 minutes earlier, in the first of four laps. The Rams third leg started to suffer after the second lap and Spiders' advantage grew. By the time Manero handed to Richmond anchor Cathleen Campbell the Spiders' lead had grown to 14 seconds.
Campbell had to run four laps to lead the team to their first ever women's conference title. Campbell took the baton and cleared the first 200 meters in 32.1 for her 800 meters of the leg. Hitting 400 meters in 68 seconds the Richmond lead grew. During the last two laps the Spiders team and entourage crowded the track making deafening noise as Campbell crossed the line ahead of Rhode Island securing the title for the Richmond Spiders.
"It's great to see the hard work these women have put in come to fruition," Taylor who earned Coach of the Year honors for the Spiders win. "As a team they never gave up. I also want to thank our staff Ron Jones, Angela Bertholdt, and my husband, Steve, for their efforts. We are one staff and their efforts have made this possible."
"Our women have come along way since we arrived 15 months ago. It is certainly rewarding to see them grow and mature as student-athletes. Our team captains Sarah Stuber, and Sarah Taylor did an outstanding job this season. They took control when they needed to and lead this team. Behind any championship title or achievement you will find great athletes and great leaders. Were fortunate to have both on this team. The staff and I couldn't be prouder of these outstanding men and women."
Richmond's Ruth Chege (Brooklyn, N.Y.) earned the meet's Most Outstanding Performer after winning the mile (4:51.57) and a tactical 3000 meters (10:02.79. She ran the third leg of the school record setting 4X400M relay.
The mile was one of the most anticipated match-ups of the meet with Chege going up against LaSalle's Sheila Click. Click, the 2002 Atlantic 10 Cross Country Champion, took the lead from the start with a 71 opening 400-meters. Chege, Dayton's Kara Storage and Duquesne's Carrie Hucko were in close pursuit. By the 800-meter mark it was Klick (2:23) with a slight lead ahead of Chege (2:23.8). Chege and Klick ran side-by-side for the next 500-meters with the pace slowing and then Chege made a bold move (33 seconds for the next 200-meters) to take the lead and pull away for the win. Chege's mile performance (4:51.57) is number three postion on the All-Time performance list for the championship.
Richmond junior Julee Wilson (Chester Springs, Pa.) won the long jump with an indoor school record of 5.93M (19'05.5"), the 400 meters (57.95), and anchored the school record-setting 4x400 meter relay. For Wilson, the long jump effort places her in the number two postition on the All-Time performance list for the conference championship.
Ashley Bell (Glen Allen, Va.) continued her record setting assault. The Richmond sophomore couldn't have picked a better place to do it. Bell smashed three school records to place second in the triple jump with 39'04.5", sixth in the 55-meter dash with her best effort in the trials of 7.20 seconds, and fifth place in the 55-meter hurdles with a time of 8.15 seconds. Bell also placed fifth in the long jump with 18'02.25". Her triple jump effort of 39'04.5" ranks her sixth on the conference championship All-Time performance list.
Richmond junior Anne Rettig's (Charlottesville, Va.) fourth (10:20.67) netting the Spiders 19 team points.
Rachel Shrewsberry (Dearborn, Mich.) placed second in the shot put with 44'07", while teammate Diane Schrieber (Johnsonburg, Pa.) placed fifth with 41'04.75". Schrieber also placed eighth in the 20-pound weight throw (46' 05.25"). In the 1000-meter race, Bridget Kennan (Newport News, Va.) and freshman Sarah Stuber (Prosper, Texas) placed sixth in the 500-meter dash with a time of 1:18.43. She also returned for the 4X400 meter relay, running the first leg. Lauren Manero (Wilton, Conn.) placed seventh in the mile and ran the thirdrd leg of the 4X800 meter relay. In the pole vault, freshman Cathy McClane (New Paltz, N.Y.) placed sixth (9'06.25").
On the men's side, Pete Jennings (Fort Washington, Pa.) earned All-Conference honors by placing second in the 1000-meter run with a personal best of 2:27.86. His performance places him fifth on the All-Time performance list for the championship. Junior Rashad Smith (Philadelphia, Pa.) placed seventh in the 200-meter (22.65) just missing Ryan Tolhurst's school record of 22.55 set in 2001. Senior Matt Hannay (Princeton, N.J.) and also had a seventhth place showing in the 3000-meter run.
NEW SPIDER RECORDS 55-meters - Ashley Bell - 7.20 55-meter hurdles - Ashley Bell - 8.15 4x400M relay - Sarah Stuber, Danielle Eaton, Ruth Chege, Julee Wilson - 3:55.30 Long Jump - Julee Wilson - 19'05.5" Triple Jump - Ashley Bell - 39'04.5" 5,000-meters - Lyndsey Webber's - 17:29.53
Women's Team Scores: Richmond 134.50 Rhode Island 132.50 Temple 115 St. Joseph's 81.50 Duquesne 74 Massachusetts 60.50 LaSalle 59 Dayton 51 Fordham 33The Spiders continue the indoor season at the Virginia Tech last chance meet. The event will be held on March 28 to Feb. 1.All-Conference Performers:
WOMEN: Ashley Bell, Triple Jump, 39' 04.5" (12.00M)
Ruth Chege, Mile, 4:51.57, CONFERENCE CHAMPION
3000M, 10:02.79, CONFERENCE CHAMPION
Bridget Keenan, 1000M, 2:57.59
Rachel Shrewsbery, Shot Put, 44' 07" (13.59M)
Lydnsey Webber, 5000M, 17:29.53
Julee Wilson, Long Jump, 19' 05.5" ( 5.93M), CONFERENCE CHAMPION
400M, 57.95, CONFERENCE CHAMPION
MEN: Peter Jennings, 1000M, 2:27.86
