Mountaineers break records and earn NCAA Championship bid at East Preliminary Round

Success came in bulk on Saturday for WVU Track and Field, despite having just three participants at the NCAA East Preliminary Round.

All three Mountaineers ran Saturday on the East Preliminary Round’s fourth and final day in Lexington, Ky. Redshirt junior Cassandra Williamson competed again in the 800-meter after qualifying for the NCAA quarterfinals on Thursday as redshirt seniors Mikenna Vanderheyden and Sarah Tait competed for the first time this weekend in the 3,000-meter steeplechase.

Out of 24 quarterfinalists in the 800-meter, Williamson placed 15th, capping off a successful outdoor season. Her final time of 2:03.49 broke her previous program record, which she set at the Big 12 Championship earlier this month.

As for the steeplechase, both Mountaineer seniors found success. Tait, who was seeded 29th in the region before Saturday’s event, finished the event in 10:08.86 and placed 13th overall.

Mikenna Vanderheyden, in her final season at WVU, outdid her classmate with a personal best time of 10:00.84. Her performance ranks third among all Mountaineers in history and ninth among runners at the Preliminary Round, putting her in the group of 12 steeplechase competitors advancing to the NCAA Championship in Eugene, Oreg.

“Mikenna took control and willed her way to Eugene, living out a five-year dream,” coach Sean Cleary said. “Sarah (Tait) stepped up big time today to finish in the dreaded place of missing the final race by one spot. To see how far she has come in three weeks is a testimony to her mental strength and willingness to put it all out on the line with a less than ideal build up. We are so very proud of them both.”

Vanderheyden’s first NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championship will run from June 5 to June 8. Vanderheyden will compete in the steeplechase semifinals on Thursday, June 6 at 6:02 p.m. for a chance in the finals on June 8.

Photo from WVU Track & Field