The West Virginia track and field team will return to New York City this weekend, just one week after its program-best fourth place finish at the Big East Indoor Championships.
The Mountaineers will compete against a strong group of teams, including fellow Big East schools Villanova, Georgetown and Syracuse, along with strong competition from Boston College, N.C. State, Wake Forest and Columbia.
"The competition will be excellent this weekend," said WVU head coach Sean Cleary. "I am excited to see how our group responds to this opportunity."
This weekend will mark the last time the team will be able to qualify for the NCAA Championships next weekend – the main priority for West Virginia, Cleary said.
The Mountaineers will have three runners compete in the mile event, while Chelsea Carrier will compete in the hurdles, and April Rotilio will try to qualify in the 400-meter event.
"April is already the school record holder in the event." Cleary said. "She looks to better that mark and qualify for the NCAA meet in the 400-meter."
Cleary said Carrier will use this meet as a final preparation before the NCAA Championships next weekend.
The junior finished third in the 60-meter hurdles at the Big East Championships, posting an NCAA qualifying time of 8.38 seconds.
The Mountaineers will have Keri Bland, Jessica O'Connell and Kaylyn Christopher all trying to punch their tickets to the NCAA Championships in the mile event.
West Virginia will see tough competition in the mile event, though, as Villanova took three of the top five spots at the Big East Championships last weekend.
Junior Sheila Reid finished in first with a time of 4:49.64. The Wildcats also had freshmen Bogdana Mimic and Brooke Simpson post times of 4:52.58 and 4:50.92 to finish second and fifth, respectively.
N.C. State freshman Emily Pritt finished first in the mile event at the Atlantic Coast Conference Championships, posting an NCAA qualifying time of 4:51.43. Boston College junior Caroline King and Wake Forest sophomore Dina Nosenko finished with NCAA qualifying times of 5:01.05 and 4:52.44 to place second and fifth, respectively.
"This will be a meet made up of schools looking to have their kids qualify on the last weekend for qualifying," Cleary said. "Villanova, Georgetown, Boston College and Columbia will be in attendance to bring many of the best east coast schools together."
West Virginia is ranked as the No. 2 team in the mid-Atlantic region in the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Poll. Villanova follows the Mountaineers, as it is ranked No. 3, while Georgetown is No. 4.
"Being ranked second in the region is a testament to the front and depth of our squad," Cleary said. "We have kids ranked in a few more events on the national level than some of the other teams in the rankings. We are very proud of the well-roundedness of this group."
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