Women’s Track and Field Contend at Bucknell and Slippery Rock

Apr. 16 - (PITTSBURGH, Pa.) – The Carnegie Mellon women’s outdoor track and field team split up this weekend, with seniors Jocelyn Sikora (Orlando, Fla./Dr. Phillips) and K.J. Helmstetter (Beavercreek, Ohio/Miami Valley) traveling to Lewisburg, Pa. to compete at the Bucknell Invitational Friday night, and the rest of the team traveling to Slippery Rock, Pa. to race in the Slippery Rock Invitational all day Saturday. Both groups put together strong performances in their final races before the University Athletic Association (UAA) Championships held on April 22 and 23.

On Friday, Sikora raced in the 1500 meters at Bucknell against solid competition and wound up finishing 23rd overall with a time of 4:48.18. Helmstetter ran the 3000 meter steeplechase in a personal best time of 11:51.30, placing her 11th overall and second all-time in Carnegie Mellon history in the steeplechase.

At Slippery Rock on Saturday, the women’s team collected some personal best times despite the windy conditions. In the 800 meter race, sophomore Ashley Bakelmun (Wayne, N.J./Wayne Hills) came close to breaking her previous best time en route to coming in second overall with a time of 2:23.91. Senior Kim Kicielinski (Pittsburgh, Pa./Baldwin) finished fourth in the 3000 meter steeplechase with a personal best time of 12:49.76 and junior Amber Fuller (Los Angeles, Calif./F Bravo Medical Magnet) finished seventh in the 400 meters, running a personal best time of 1:01.09. Fuller’s performance puts her fourth all-time in the 400 meters in Carnegie Mellon history.

Senior Drea Garvue (Bellevue, Wash./Northwest) finished third in the 3000 meter race in a time of 11:17.51 and sophomore Carrie Kmetzo (Doylestown, Pa./Central Bucks) took fifth with a personal best time of 11:34.02. Freshman Carolyn Clayton (Northhampton, Mass.) set a personal record in the 1500 meter run as she came in sixth with a time of 5:06.66.

The Carnegie Mellon women’s track and field team will travel to Cleveland, Ohio where Case Western Reserve University will host the 2006 outdoor UAA track and field championships on Saturday, April 22 and Sunday, April 23. The Tartans hope to improve off their fifth place finish of last season.