Women’s track team takes top finishes in ten events

Ricky Rud

The ISU women’s track and field team dominated, but the men’s squad struggled at Saturday’s Panther Classic in Cedar Falls.

The ISU women owned 10 of the Cyclones’ 11 first-place finishes. Sophomore Rebecca Williams continued to reign over her competition by winning the women’s 200-meter dash with a time of 25.34 seconds. In the previous three meets, Williams placed either first or second in the 60-meter hurdles, but did not compete in that event Saturday.

Ada Anderson finished first in the 400-meter dash with a time of 56.59. Freshman Sara Boisen won both the women’s 600-meter run and the 60-meter hurdles. In the 800-meter run, teammates Jenny Mockler and Cynthia Spearman placed first and second, respectively. Jessica Huff also won her event, the 1000-meter run, with a time of 2:55.9.

In the field events, freshman Leigh Wagner placed first in the high jump with a leap of 5-3 3/4. Teammate Jo Legg tied for third in the same event at 4-11 3/4.

Senior Davonna Carr won the women’s long jump at 19-6, the best jump of her career. Carr said she knows she can still improve, even though it was her best effort to date.

“It is a P.R., a personal record, for indoor and outdoor,” Carr said. “But the meet before, I jumped 20 feet but I scratched by [the line] just a little bit. So I know I can jump 20 feet. Nineteen feet-six inches is a little bit closer to it, but it wasn’t 20 feet.”

Tamela Jadin, who broke the ISU pole vaulting record last year, broke her own record with a jump of 11-5 3/4.

“I knew it was going to come soon,” Jadin said. “I was at that plateau for a while and I knew when the opportunity came, it was going to be big.”

Jadin said she has her sights on setting more records.

“When it comes to meets, I think I have some mental barriers that I have to get over. I mean, pole vaulting is very mental in addition to the physical aspect of it,” Jadin said. “I know I can do 11-6 now, so now it’s the fact of trying to clear 12 [feet]. So I’m taking the steps that’ll get me there.”

The men didn’t fare nearly as well as the women, taking only one event — finishing first, second and third in the weight throw.

Tony Stewart finished in first with a throw of 54-7 1/2, and teammates Kris Ruhland and Kendall Fogle threw 54-5 1/2 and 52-2, respectively.

Ruhland said it’s not a coincidence that he and his teammates finished high and close together.

“Our skills are pretty equitable in terms of weight,” Ruhland said. “Since we all throw around the same [distance], it really helps motivate each other to throw farther.

“Tony and I have been within six or seven centimeters the past couple meets. So we keep trying to push each other further and motivate each other.”

In the shot put, sophomore Jamal Salahuddin placed second with a throw of 56-4 1/2 and Daniel Kaczmarczyk placed second in the triple jump with a leap of 49-10.

Senior Ryan Boyington finished third in the 400-meter dash with a time of 49.36. Chris Gardner took fourth place in the men’s 800-meter run with a time of 1:58.33.

The ISU track teams resume competition Friday and Saturday in the Iowa State Classic at the Lied Recreation Center.