Track and Field Enters Dave Rankin Invitational
4/18/2008 12:00:00 AM | TRACK AND FIELD
CHICAGO The DePaul men’s and women’s track and field teams continue their 2008 outdoor season this weekend at the Purdue Dave Rankin Invitational. The Blue Demons join competition from 11 teams on Saturday at Dave Rankin Track in West Lafayette, Indiana.
In addition to host Purdue, DePaul lines up against squads from Notre Dame, Ball State, Illinois, Grand Valley State, IPFW, Lipscomb, Loyola-Chicago, Tennessee Tech, Idaho and UW-Milwaukee.
DePaul opens the meet at 8 a.m. (CST) when Tammy Burris, Ebonie Cobb, Melissa Fraser and Virginia MacFabe enter the women’s hammer throw. Burris, Fraser and MacFabe have all surpassed the BIG EAST Championship qualifying mark of 45.12m, while Burris holds a team-best mark of 53.29m.
Brad Millar enters the men’s hammer throw immediately following the women’s event. The Blue Demon sophomore boasts a trio of throws this season better than the NCAA Regional Championship qualifying standard of 55.60m. Saturday morning also places Millar in the javelin throw and discus events.
Joe Strawder joins the men’s long jump at 10 a.m. after Cynthia Edwards and Lauren Rajski compete in the women’s long jump. Strawder opened the season with an NCAA Regional qualifying leap of 7.41m, while Edwards holds a team-best jump of 4.61m. Strawder and Edwards are also slated to compete in the men’s and women’s triple jump events.
The Blue Demons enter competition on the track at 10 a.m. when Stephanie Hughes and Reda Josifi take on the women’s 10,000m run. Claire Duck follows in the women’s 1,500m run at 11:40 a.m. before Michael Fry and Greg Udzielak race in the men’s 1,500m run. Duck clocked a BIG EAST qualifying 1,500m time of 4:29.72 earlier this month at the Chicagoland Championships.
Kyra Coffey and Jessica Rodriguez race in the women’s 400m dash at 12:15 p.m., while Jamil Chammas, Richard Fugiel, Gabe Harris, Z. Stein and Gabriel Vargas follow in the men’s 400m dash at 12:20 p.m. Coffey posted a 400m time of 58.21 last month at the Bobby Lane Invitational and Harris holds three times faster than the BIG EAST qualifying standard of 49.04.
Mary Cate Quiett and Stephanie Williams look to compete on Saturday after setting DePaul records last week at the Sun Angel Track Classic. Quiett enters the women’s 800m run at 12:35 p.m. after setting a school 800m record of 2:10.24, while Williams races in the women’s 200m dash at 1:10 p.m. after clocking a DePaul record of 24.48 last week.
Saturday’s competition closes out with the women’s and men’s 4x400m relays at 2:05 p.m. The Blue Demons are also slated to compete in the women’s and men’s 100m dash, women’s and men’s 400m hurdles, women’s and men’s 5,000m run, women’s shot put, women’s 4x100m relay, men’s pole vault, men’s 3,000m steeplechase, men’s 800m run and men’s 200m dash.