The Rowan women’s track & field team took part in the Bomber Invitational this weekend, competing against top-ranked Division III opponents as well as some from Division I.
The Profs had moderate success at the competition, though not many first-place finishes.
However, that did not matter much to head coach Derick “Ringo” Adamson.
“For us to run fast sometimes, the environment has a lot to do with it. I think that’s why they get up and run so well at conference; they know what’s at stake,” Adamson said. “This weekend, the fifth-ranked team was there and that facility will make you want to run. We didn’t go all the way there to sit on our rears and not perform. They put on a show and it’s about time. They mean business.”
The lone first-place finish of the weekend came from Christin Bettis, who ran a 5:01.57 in the mile. It was Bettis’ second time this year winning the event.
Bettis was also named New Jersey Athletic Conference Women’s Indoor Track Athlete of the Week.
In total, four athletes came in second place and four more came in third.
The brown and gold also had three girls compete in the heptathlon. Kim Johnson, Kari DiTonno and Amanda Brown came in sixth, eighth and 10th, respectively.
Adamson pointed to Bettis and Johnson as athletes that stood out. In addition to her heptathlon attempt, Johnson had a nationals-qualifying mark of 17′ 5.25″ in the long jump.
“Outside of Christin Bettis, Kim Johnson is 34 points away from being on the NCAA list for the heptathlon,” Adamson said. “Now, I think this weekend she set a school record, but I’m not sure because it was never ran before. All the [competitors] that have been here have never attempted and she went out there and had one hell of a score. If she gets another crack at it, which she will at the NCAAs, all hell’s going to break loose.”
The Profs will next see next action this weekend at the St. Joseph’s Winter Invitational in South Huntington, New York. With the NJAC Championships coming up, Adamson said there are still a few things that he’d like to iron out.
“I have some freshmen here that I can put into some events because it’s unlimited on people,” Adamson said. “So where are they going to go and drop their times in these events? It will be a risk on my part, but I think these girls can break a freshman school record. They’re that good. We’ve got high jumpers out of the wazoo. I like what I’ve seen. They’re good.”
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