Women’s Track & Field Travels to Atlanta in Hopes for Regional-Qualifying Performances

May 15, 2008

Clemson, SC – The women’s track & field team will travel to Atlanta, GA this weekend to compete in the Georgia Tech Invitational, Clemson’s last scheduled meet prior to the NCAA East Region Championships (May 30-31, Tallahassee, FL). Twelve student-athletes will travel in hopes of advancing to the regional meet, which serves as the qualifier for the NCAA Outdoor Championships.

Five student-athletes have already qualified for the East Region meet, led by Patricia Mamona in two events. The native of Portugal owns the top marks on the team in both the long jump and triple jump. She ranks second in school history in the triple jump and owns a season-best mark of 43’4.5″. Mamona is entered in the triple jump Saturday at 2:00 PM. She will be joined by Nakeisha Wineglass, who hopes to qualify for her second straight regional in the event.

Polly Hardy ran a career-best 13.45 in the 100m hurdles last weekend, and hopes to improve upon that time starting with Friday’s prelims at 6:30 PM. Should she advance to the finals, they will be held at 3:40 PM Saturday.

A pair of Lady Tigers have qualified regionally in the javelin throw, Linda Buchholz and Bethanie Wachna. The school record-holder in the event, Buchholz recorded a season-best mark of 148’7″ at the same facility earlier this outdoor season. Wachna ranks second in school history. Liane Weber will join those two in the javelin Friday following the men’s competition (6:00) in hopes of qualifying for the East Region meet.

Rochelle Kokayko will compete Friday in the hammer throw (following the men’s competition at noon). The junior has qualified in each of her first two seasons for regionals, but is lacking just over two feet to reach this year’s standard of 177’7″. She had a throw of 175’3″ at the Orange & Purple Classic last weekend.

April Sinkler, who qualified for regionals in the long jump last weekend, will compete with teammate Anastasia Wilson in the high jump at 11:00 AM Saturday. Both have the ability to reach the regional standard height of 5’8.75″. Wilson’s season-best is 5’7.75″, while Sinkler recorded an indoor mark of exactly 5’8.75″.

Caroline Kennedy, sixth-place finisher in the pole vault last season at the East Region Championships, will compete Saturday at noon. She has yet to record a regional mark this season, and needs to improve by just two inches to reach a height of 12’7.5″. Her personal best in the event is 12’6″.

Catheryne Porter, who has shown outstanding improvement in the discus, will compete Saturday as well. She is shy just a few meters in the event, and will begin competition at 1:00 PM. The final competitor for the Lady Tiger program this weekend will be Kristine Scott in the 200m dash, scheduled for 6:00 PM Saturday.