S P O RT S
T H E DA I LY TA R G U M
Senior sets two records at Champs BY ANTHONY HERNANDEZ STAFF WRITER
Exactly 114 days have passed since the Rutgers women’s track and field team began its winter season in WOMEN’S TRACK S t a t e College, Pa. The team stepped off the Gettler Stadium track in Cincinnati yesterday, wrapping up a two-day stint at the 2010 Big East Championships. The Scarlet Knights gaze upon their calendars today to find that only two weeks remain in what is a long and arduous track season — for eight seniors, the end is in sight. But following a 12th place finish with 31 points in the outdoor edition of the conference championships that set a number of personal best marks, head coach James Robinson identified there’s still more opportunities ahead. “I think they [the seniors] should be focused on making the most of all the opportunities they have left,” said Robinson. “They can always look back and reflect back when the seasons done. They still have opportunities to run and jump and throw and that’s what they should be focused on.” Senior captain Michelle Gomes made the most of her chances over the weekend in Cincinnati, with a second place and fourth place finish in the 200 and 100meter events, respectively. The Orlando, Fla., native broke the school record in each race, clocking in an 11.62 second time in the trials of the 100-meter race and a 23.70 second mark in the 200-meter gallop.
The school record in the 200meter race stood since 1987, the year Gomes was born and the senior noted that breaking both records served as an early present for her birthday, which is today. “I’m very proud with how I performed,” said Gomes, who scored 16 of the team’s total points. “It was definitely a good early birthday for me.” Senior Jessica Bandy also posted a satisfying finish in the javelin, ending her weekend with
MICHELLE GOMES a third place standing after a 149feet, 10-inch throw. Also scoring in the field for the Knights were the pair of juniors, Nwamaka Okobi and Natalie Clickett. A Big East champion in the discuss her freshman year, Clickett aimed at repeating in the event this season, but fell a bit short after a 151-feet, 2-inch throw left her in sixth place, just outside of making the finals. “I’m disappointed with myself primarily,” said Clickett. “There are no excuses, I should have been able to make my way into the pack and that’s just something that didn’t happen.”
Okobi eked out a fifth place finish in the triple jump with a 39feet, 4 1/4-inch combined leap. Cincinnati saw significant rainfall the entire weekend but Robinson did not allow that to be an excuse for the few missed oppor tunities in the conference meet. “It was raining for everybody, you can’t blame too much on the rain,” said Robinson on the weekend weather. “The rain didn’t really stop people from performing.” The Knights still have two meets to look for ward to this outdoor season, one of which is this weekend here on the Banks. The Rutgers Invitational at the Bauer Track and Field Complex this weekend of fers the first homecoming for the squad in four years, something Robinson hopes can draw a good fan turnout to suppor t the team. “We never really have that opportunity,” said Robinson of competing at home. “I hope everybody can come out and support.” After four years here at Rutgers, Gomes arguably had one of her best performances in what was one of her final meets in scarlet and white. Though the team did not finish as high as it hoped this weekend, Gomes still appreciates the experience she had during her career as a Scarlet Knight. “I promised myself that I would go out with a bang and never have any regrets after a meet,” said Gomes. “It’s something that I’ve done and tried to do every time I step onto the track.”
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