Spring Break
INDOOR TRACK: Two get bids for NCAAs
by Sean Petterson
Staff writer
Sports | 3/10/09
Posted online at 2:37 AM EST on 3/10/09
Throughout the women's indoor track season, the team had high finishes in jumping events, and at its biggest meet of the season at the University Athletic Association Championships last Saturday, jumpers Ali Sax '09, Anat Ben Nun '09, and Suzanne Bernier '10 continued that trend.
The trio combined to tally 31 out of the team's 68 points, finishing in the top three in the long jump, triple jump, high jump and 55-meter hurdles in leading the women's team to a fourth place finish out of seven conference teams. Washington University in St. Louis won the meet on the women's side with 138 points. The men's team also competed and finished seventh out of seven teams with 17 points. Emory University won the meet with 106 points.
Ben Nun and Sax both qualified for the NCAA Division III National Championships in the triple jump with their performances.
Bernier's previous UAA Championships ended with her coming short of victory in the high jump, but she bucked that trend this year, finishing first with a jump of 1.62 meters.
"[Bernier] was great," coach Mark Reytblat said. "She had been finishing second and third and this was the first time she won the high jump [at the UAAs]."
Ben Nun and Sax also had top finishes, taking first and third place, respectively. Ben Nun jumped 11.72 meters, beating second-place finisher, rookie Lauren Attiah of Emory, by .14 meters. It was Ben Nun's third UAA triple jump championship in four years.
"[Being a UAA champion] feels wonderful," Ben Nun said. "Finishing my four years with a win was the best thing I could hope for."
Sax displayed her versatility, as she took seventh in the long jump, third in the triple jump and fourth in the 55-meter hurdles, earning 10 points alone for the Judges.
"I've been working hard with things like endurance because it is difficult to go from one event to another," she said. "It's just being able to withhold the [same] level of performance over two days of competing."
The trio combined to tally 31 out of the team's 68 points, finishing in the top three in the long jump, triple jump, high jump and 55-meter hurdles in leading the women's team to a fourth place finish out of seven conference teams. Washington University in St. Louis won the meet on the women's side with 138 points. The men's team also competed and finished seventh out of seven teams with 17 points. Emory University won the meet with 106 points.
Ben Nun and Sax both qualified for the NCAA Division III National Championships in the triple jump with their performances.
Bernier's previous UAA Championships ended with her coming short of victory in the high jump, but she bucked that trend this year, finishing first with a jump of 1.62 meters.
"[Bernier] was great," coach Mark Reytblat said. "She had been finishing second and third and this was the first time she won the high jump [at the UAAs]."
Ben Nun and Sax also had top finishes, taking first and third place, respectively. Ben Nun jumped 11.72 meters, beating second-place finisher, rookie Lauren Attiah of Emory, by .14 meters. It was Ben Nun's third UAA triple jump championship in four years.
"[Being a UAA champion] feels wonderful," Ben Nun said. "Finishing my four years with a win was the best thing I could hope for."
Sax displayed her versatility, as she took seventh in the long jump, third in the triple jump and fourth in the 55-meter hurdles, earning 10 points alone for the Judges.
"I've been working hard with things like endurance because it is difficult to go from one event to another," she said. "It's just being able to withhold the [same] level of performance over two days of competing."
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