Northern Illinois track and field sprinters Megan Gregory and Jenelle McCalla raced to NIU school records at the 2010 Mid-American Conference Outdoor Championships Friday afternoon, when the Huskies concluded their second day of competition at the UB Stadium in Buffalo, N.Y.
With their career-best performances, Gregory and McCalla each qualified for final-round action which will take place tomorrow, May 15, in the third and final day of competition at the championships.
“Our first two days of championships have been very competitive,” said head NIU track and field coach Connie Teaberry. “Our athletes stepped forward and did a great job competing, which resulted in three girls qualifying for finals.”
Gregory saw the Huskies top finish of the afternoon when she raced to a second-place finish of 13.88 in the 100-meter hurdles, being outpaced by only Shanaye Carr of Central Michigan.
McCalla captured the second school record of the afternoon when she raced to a personal-best time of 1:01.76 in the 400-meter hurdles. The seventh-place finish by the freshman broke Carolyn Vasquez’s record (1:02.44) which was set at the Toledo Triangular in 2006. Rebecca Cronin also competed in the event, racing to an 11th-place 1:04.39, a personal record for the Huskie.
NIU saw its third Huskie qualify for finals when Rasheta Butler raced to a time of 11.83 in the 100-meter dash. Butler’s seventh-place finish tied her own school record, which she set at the Huskie Open, April 29. Butler went on to race to a career-best 24.51 in the 200-meter dash, where her ninth-place finish just missed qualifying for finals.
Chanel Kellyman and Gregory followed Butler’s lead in the 200-meter dash as each Huskie notched personal records in the event. Gregory raced to a time of 25.08, while Kellyman finished in 25.15, placing 16th and 18th respectively.
Fellow Huskie Deidra McIntosh also had a strong outing at the championships when she scored the Huskies lone point of the afternoon with her performance in the long jump. McIntosh earned an eighth-place finish, when she leapt to a mark of 18-08.00 to score for NIU.
“I am extremely proud of the girls and I look forward to seeing what they do tomorrow in the final day of competition at the MAC Championships,” said Teaberry.
While the Huskies sit in 12th place after the second day of competition, NIU will conclude action at the championships tomorrow with some of the Huskies strongest events set to take place in the third and final day of competition. Tomorrow’s events include the distance events, triple jump, and finals for the 100-meter dash, 100-meter hurdles, and 400-meter hurdles.
