Open gives team confidence
By Greg Doddridge
Staff
Writer
Purdue junior Elizabeth Metzinger provisionally
qualified for the NCAA Indoor Championships in the pole vault during
the Purdue Open Friday night. Her vault of 12-6 was good enough for
first place at the open.
"It was a confidence booster in the most because
I was working through some (hip) injuries," said Metzinger.
Metzinger said her goal for this year is a vault
of 13-6, which would qualify her automatically for the NCAA indoor tournament.
Purdue coach Ben Paolillo said, "What I look
for in this meet is how hard they compete and I really felt for the
most part up and down the line they did that."
Senior Tina Johnson placed first in the 60-meter
dash with a time of 7.79 seconds. "Everyone beat me out of the
blocks, but I caught up," Johnson said.
Johnson also won the long jump at 19-3 and placed
second in the triple jump at 38-8 1/2. Assistant coach Lissa Olson had
to talk Johnson into doing the triple jump at the Purdue Open; however,
when all was said and done, Johnson said she felt comfortable in the
triple jump.
Paolillo said, "She likes the long jump, but
is definitely capable in the triple jump."
In the sprints, junior Krissy Liphardt won the
60-meter high hurdles in 8.62 seconds — almost beating her school
record.
"I was trying to run a perfect race for my
hurdles and I was just short of it," said Liphart, who also placed
second in the 400-meter dash with a time of 57.82 seconds.
"I went out too slow and I wanted to go out
in 25 seconds (for the first lap) and I went out in 28 seconds."
Senior Angela Craft placed third in the hurdles,
while freshman T’Nita Waters placed fourth in the 60 and third
in the 200.
In distance, sophomore Teresa Kamleiter was third
in the 3,000, junior Barbara Wenger placed third in the mile and sophomore
Jesse Wilder placed fourth in the mile. Senior Kimberly Snyder finished
runner-up in the 5,000 with a time of 18:20.17.
"My goal coming into the race was 18:45 because
I took a couple of weeks off because I was having some foot problems,"
said Snyder.
In the high jump, former Boilermaker All-American
Carri Long placed first for the Purdue track club. Freshman Kristen
Truscott was second with a jump of 5-7 1/4, above her goal of 5-7 for
the open. Craft was third at 5-3 3/4.
On Truscott’s goal of 5-7, Long said, "I
think that was a great goal for her to start with and now it’s
time for her to set it even higher."
Regarding last year’s NCAA national indoor
runner-up in the high jump, Paolillo said, "I wish Carri Long was
still competing for the team."
In the throwing events, freshman Tiffany Britten
won the shot put with a throw of 42-11. Senior Serene Ross placed first
in the 20-pound weight throw with a distance of 58 feet, just missing
the NCAA provisional qualification mark of 58-1.
Ross said, "It’s right where I left off
last year. I’m happy, but I’m not satisfied. I’ll never
be satisfied.
"I’d like to be consistent in the sixties
(feet)."
Also, the Purdue 800-meter relay team came in second
while the Purdue distance medley team won its event.
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