Sports > February 14, 2008

By Andrew LeRay | Staff writer

The Wake Forest track and field team was back in action on Feb. 8 and 9, sending competitors to both the Virginia Tech Elite Invitational and the Appalachian State Limited Open.

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The Deacs followed a solid showing at the Akron Open with more impressive finishes in Blacksburg, Va., and Boone, N.C.

“My ultimate goal this season is for our team to finish in the top half of our conference and for a lot of people to contribute to that accomplishment,” said senior Molly Kennedy.

“I personally want to place in the top seven in the conference meet and keep setting new personal records.”

Kennedy had three top 10 finishes at the Appalachian State Limited Open on Feb. 8.

Kennedy placed sixth in the 55m hurdles with a time of 8.42, seventh in the shotput and first in the 300m dash with a time of 40.79.

“I know everything I’ve got to do, all the events I’m going to compete in, so I just try to relax and have fun doing them,” said Kennedy, when asked how she mentally prepares herself for competing in multiple events in a single day.

“It can get hard doing events all day long, but if you don’t have fun with it, then it won’t go well and you will just be disappointed.”

Also at the Appalachian State Limited Open, senior Liz Hankinson competed in and won the mile run with a time of 5:30.07.

Freshmen Suzie Clinchy and Kelly Laffey finished the mile run behind Hanksinson, in sixth and seventh place respectively.

In Blacksburg, Va., at the Virginia Tech Elite Invitational, freshman distance runner Marley Burns finished the 5000m run in second place with a time of 17:44.71.

Freshman Anna Nosenko completed the 3000m run in 9:51.73, landing her in sixth place. Junior Nicole Schappert followed her second place performance in the 3000m run at the Akron Open on Feb. 2 by finishing in first place in the mile run in Blacksburg, Va. Schappert won the event with a time of 4:51.04.

On the men’s side, senior Kevin Marion established a new personal best time in the 200m dash.

Marion finished in first place with a time of 21.81, which was .03 seconds faster than his previous best time run on Feb. 2 at the Akron Open.

Freshman Allan Lunkenheimer placed in fifth in the 400m dash with a time of 48.68.

In the 3000m run, freshman Greg Billington followed up his 11th place finish at the Akron Open with a fifth place finish at the Virginia Tech Elite Invitational.

Billington finished the race with a time of 8:32.09.

In the long jump competition, Marion and fellow senior Kerry Major finished fifth and sixth place respectively.

The men’s and women’s track teams will return to action Feb. 15 and 16 in Fayetteville, Ark., at the Tyson Invitational.