Marshall University Athletics
BOGACZYK: Herd Opens New Track in Style
12/4/2014 12:00:00 AM | Track and Field
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. - The wait was worth it.
Nearly 15 years after Marshall last played host to a track and field meet, the Thundering Herd took to its new Jeff Small Track on Thursday night and opened the 2014-15 indoor season with its best feet forward.
Led by a school-record performance by sophomore Tianya Hankerson in the 600 meters and victories in the 60 and 200 by classmate Kametra Byrd, Marshall won seven of the 11 events in the opening-night Ohio Duel, topping the Bobcats 70-49.
It was as much about finally having a home meet as plenty of success for the Herd, as the 300-meter Small oval in the Chris Cline Athletic Complex indoor facility was christened.
"It's really a dream come true for sure," said Marshall Coach Jeff Small, the 20-year veteran for whom the track is named. "I didn't think anybody would ever think we'd have something like this at Marshall University, and I think there are a lot of people from the community here tonight saying the same thing.
"Wow."
A crowd of about 250 watched Ohio win four of five field events to open the meet before the Herd took to the oval and dominated. Hankerson's 600 Herd record started the running events. The Fruitland, Md., native posted a 1:35.81, topping teammate Loren Dyer's 1:37.12, set last season.
Catika Slay, Andrea Chidester, Naja Greer and Shanice Johnson finished the night by winning the 4x400 relay.
Of course, every winning time was a facility record, but Hankerson's 600 took it a step farther.
"It means a lot, getting the first (record) in here," Hankerson said. "I really didn't expect it. My best time before this was a 1:38. I just wanted to go with the flow, try my best.
"This track is fast, and it makes such a difference since we didn't have a track before. It's amazing on my body, on my mental and physical state; it just feels good to run here."
Byrd's double included a 60-meter time of 7.68 seconds, just .09 off Hope Julmiste's 7.59 school mark set last winter. The Herd had the top three finishers in that sprint.
"It's very nice, being able to run in here," said Byrd, of Miami. "We used to practice on the top floor over there (in the Henderson Center) and I never felt I could run my best. I think this makes me better, and I hope to run even better in the future.
"It's a fast track, it's kind of different for me because its 300, and I'm used to running 400 outdoors. But it's great. I think I can run really fast in here.
"I didn't know I could win. I mean, I knew who I was running against. I thought I'd do well in the 200. That's my favorite race. The 60, I can have an issue when I drive. I just told my teammates to push me like they push me in practice."
Marshall also got wins from Antonique Butler in the triple jump (11.41 meters, or 37-5 1/4), Asia Bange in the 60 hurdles (8.54 seconds) and Greer in the 400 (58.23).
The Herd had five of the top six in the 60 hurdles and the top three in the 400. Catika Slay had seconds for Marshall in the high jump and long jump.
Small said Marshall wanted to use the dual meet with the Bobcats as a trial run in the new facility, "kind of like a soft opening by a restaurant. I think things went pretty well."
The Herd track and field student-athletes haven't had a home oval after the Lefty Rollins Track was torn up following the 2005-06 school year - the Herd's first in Conference USA -- to make way for new dorms and the MU Rec Center and its adjacent field next to the Henderson Center.
Marshall hadn't had a home track meet since April 4, 2000, when the aforementioned Bobcats came to the outdoor Rollins oval and won the Ohio Dual Meet 82-81 (men) and 105-63 (women).
The 300-meter Small Track oval, with its adjacent field event stations, was dedicated Oct. 25, two weeks after the indoor facility was christened as part of the Cline Athletic Complex.
The Ohio Dual was Marshall's only event before the semester break, and replaced what in recent years has been an early December trip to the Oiler Open at Findlay (Ohio) University.
The next two multi-team meets on the Jeff Small Track will feature men's and women's competition - the Thundering Herd Invitational - with 13 women's teams and 6 men's squads -- on Jan. 30-31, and the Marshall Invitational on Feb. 13-14, with 11 women's teams and five men's teams.
Players Mentioned
