Track and field team runs away with invitational win

“We’re just right on the edge of making a big breakthrough.” -Assistant coach Don Yentes

Marshall University’s women’s track and field team scored a home victory in the Marshall Invitational this weekend at the Jeff Small Track in the Chris Cline Athletic Complex.

The Thundering Herd scored 154 points at the meet, 55 points higher than the second place winner, Ohio University.

Marshall took first place victories in the long jump, triple jump, 60-meter dash, 200-meter dash, 400-meter dash and the 4-x-400 meter relay.

The team also took second place in the triple jump, 60-meter dash, 200-meter dash, 400-meter dash and took third in the 60-meter dash, 200-meter dash and 60-meter hurdles finals.

The Herd competed against bigger schools like Virginia Tech and the University of North Carolina at Asheville, but still claimed a victory.

Antonique Butler, sophomore and this weekend’s triple jump winner, said the competition was tough, but she was more at ease in front of a home crowd.

“I was a little nervous at first,” Butler said. “But as I got more into the competition I was more relaxed and I felt fine.”

Junior hurdler Asia Bange, recovering from a hamstring strain, won the preliminaries in the 60-meter hurdles and placed third in the 60-meter hurdles finals.

“It was kind of good for coming back, not practicing all week,” Bange said.

Assistant coach Don Yentes said the team’s success at the meet and this season is a group effort.

“They’ve done a nice job, we’re just right on the edge of making a big breakthrough,” Yentes said. “We got out there and competed well, so it’s a good meet.”

The team continues to prepare for the C-USA indoor championship March 13-14.

“We’ve still got some work to do,” Yentes said. “But we’re moving, making strides and we’re kind of at a plateau, we just need to make the step up.”

Bange said she is hoping to beat her personal best time of 8.54 seconds in the 60-meter hurdles and aims for a time of 8.3 to 8.4 seconds, to place her in the top three in the conference.

The Herd competes Friday in the Buckeye Tune-Up in Columbus, Ohio.

Kasey Madden can be contacted at [email protected].