UNC improves at Fast Times

With the ACC championships only a week away, the North Carolina track and field team focused on improving individual performances at the Carolina Fast Times meet Saturday.

Another goal for some athletes might have been to qualify for the upcoming regional meet, but UNC coach Dennis Craddock said he did not expect many of his athletes to achieve that on Saturday.

“We’ve been working them pretty hard this week, and next week is ACCs,” Craddock said. “We’re trying to rest them up. I think they’re performing right where they should be at this point.”

Despite the loss of 2004 Olympian Laura Gerraughty to an injury, the women are working toward a high finish at the conference championship.

Danielle Rodgers placed second in the 400 meter run with a time of 56.54 seconds. Anna Hay won the 1500 in 4:39.33. Lindsay Bond was second in the 100 hurdles at 14.09.

Sheena Gordon took first in the triple and high jumps with leaps of 41 feet, 3.25 inches and 6 feet, respectively. Both marks were season bests for the junior and also met regional qualifying standards.

Senior Erin Donohue took first in the 800 with a time of 2:08.41. Megan Kaltenbach was second in 2:14.22.

Donohue’s time was good for regional qualification. She was also a member of the winning 4x400 relay team.

Senior John Hubbard said that a change in approach can make all the difference in an event. After moving his approach back two feet because he said he had been crowding the bar, Hubbard posted his best mark of the season in the high jump, winning the event with a leap of 6-11.

With the new method, he plans to carry on his good performance to ACCs.

“It’s going to help a lot,” he said. “I don’t expect anything less than third, and I really expect to win.”

Going into the conference championship, the women are faced with the reality that they will not claim another Triple Crown this year, and the men are out to maintain performances good enough to land them in the top three.

“It’s hard coming from such a great year last year to be fighting for our lives this year,” Craddock said.

But Donohue will compete for a title individually and said she hopes that the entire team can pull through for a title.

“I’m going to do my best as always, but I’d really like to win,” Donohue said. “We had so much success last year, and this year everybody’s working, but it hasn’t quite worked out.

“Hopefully everybody will do their best (at ACCs), and we’ll try to pull out a win.”

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