Temple University Athletics
Saturday, January 12
Staten Island, N.Y.
Temple University
at
Great Dane Invitational
Track & Field Finalizes First Marks of 2019 at Great Dane Invitational
1.12.19 | Women's Track and Field
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. – The Temple University track and field squad had a solid day at the Great Dane Invitational to open up the 2019 portion of the indoor season. After traveling to Staten Island, N.Y. to compete for the second time this season on the banked track at Ocean Breeze, the Owls had a day filled with season debuts and personal records.
Meet Highlights
> The meet started off with a track debut from freshman Kennedy Culmer in the 60m dash. At her first ever meet in Cherry and White, Culmer ran a solid 8.00 on the straightaway to advance into the preliminary round. She stayed consistent in the prelims, hitting the same time of 8.00 to finalize her first mark in the event for the year.
> Freshman Marissa White continues to make her mark as a steady 400m runner for the Owls. Besting her previous personal record of 58.65 from the Lehigh Season Opener, White ran the 400 in 57.72 to earn third in the event. White took the race out strong, powering past her opponents and winning her heat.
> Sophomore McKenzie Gelvin had a breakthrough 800m race to bring back a first place finish to North Broad. Neck and neck with the competition going into the second half of the race, Gelvin broke away to earn a steady lead in the final 200 meters. The sophomore dropped nearly two seconds, bringing her previous personal record of 2:19.12 down to 2:17.03 and winning her first race of the 2018-19 season.
> The freshman distance trio of Lexi Walsh, Emma Seifried and Shay Strawser hit the track for the first time in Cherry and White after a stellar cross country season. Competing together in the 3000m run, Walsh led the Temple group with a time of 10:42.73. Seifried finished two places later in 10:45.97, and Strawser finished strong with a time of 10:57.33.
> Sophomore Aisha Brown competed at the high jump pit for the first time since her standout freshman campaign. The dual-sport athlete had a solid rust-buster meet, finishing third overall after clearing 1.65m.
> A few more familiar faces hit the track for the first time this season with Lucy Jones, Michelle Joyce and Katie Leisher all running the mile. Jones finished seventh overall with a time of 5:06.41, and Leisher nearly missed the top 10, finishing in 5:10.13 to earn 11th overall. Joyce rounded out the group with a time of 5:17.11.
From the Coach
> "Being our first meet back from the holiday break, we saw a lot of freshmen compete for the first time and saw some exciting races," said head coach Elvis Forde. "Emma, Shay and Lexi all did a wonderful job staying composed with it being their first-ever indoor meet, and it is great to have a reference point to see where they are at this time. As for the returners, many of our student-athletes were trying to shake the dust off from the break, which is expected at this time of year."
> "There were some really great performances today—McKenzie Gelvin set a new PR and looks like she is really starting to come into her own. It's not just about the time she ran, but the attitude she ran with and the way she competed today was great. Another great one was Marissa White—for a freshman coming off of break I thought she put on a great performance. Also, Ashton Dunkley had a good run along with the typical distance crew of Lucy, Michelle and Katie that came out for the first time this season. The other one is Aisha Brown—she came back out to compete for the first time in about six months, and I thought she did wonderful. Not only in high jump, but she showed her determination and competitiveness in the 4x4 and may have earned herself a spot in that relay."
> "Now we will continue to work and train hard as we get into the difficult part of the season that epitomizes what it means to be a student-athlete. I look forward to seeing what they can do moving forward in the season."
Up Next
> The Owls will be back in action next Saturday, January 19 when they return to Ocean Breeze to compete at the Penn Eight Team Challenge.
Meet Highlights
> The meet started off with a track debut from freshman Kennedy Culmer in the 60m dash. At her first ever meet in Cherry and White, Culmer ran a solid 8.00 on the straightaway to advance into the preliminary round. She stayed consistent in the prelims, hitting the same time of 8.00 to finalize her first mark in the event for the year.
> Freshman Marissa White continues to make her mark as a steady 400m runner for the Owls. Besting her previous personal record of 58.65 from the Lehigh Season Opener, White ran the 400 in 57.72 to earn third in the event. White took the race out strong, powering past her opponents and winning her heat.
> Sophomore McKenzie Gelvin had a breakthrough 800m race to bring back a first place finish to North Broad. Neck and neck with the competition going into the second half of the race, Gelvin broke away to earn a steady lead in the final 200 meters. The sophomore dropped nearly two seconds, bringing her previous personal record of 2:19.12 down to 2:17.03 and winning her first race of the 2018-19 season.
> The freshman distance trio of Lexi Walsh, Emma Seifried and Shay Strawser hit the track for the first time in Cherry and White after a stellar cross country season. Competing together in the 3000m run, Walsh led the Temple group with a time of 10:42.73. Seifried finished two places later in 10:45.97, and Strawser finished strong with a time of 10:57.33.
> Sophomore Aisha Brown competed at the high jump pit for the first time since her standout freshman campaign. The dual-sport athlete had a solid rust-buster meet, finishing third overall after clearing 1.65m.
> A few more familiar faces hit the track for the first time this season with Lucy Jones, Michelle Joyce and Katie Leisher all running the mile. Jones finished seventh overall with a time of 5:06.41, and Leisher nearly missed the top 10, finishing in 5:10.13 to earn 11th overall. Joyce rounded out the group with a time of 5:17.11.
From the Coach
> "Being our first meet back from the holiday break, we saw a lot of freshmen compete for the first time and saw some exciting races," said head coach Elvis Forde. "Emma, Shay and Lexi all did a wonderful job staying composed with it being their first-ever indoor meet, and it is great to have a reference point to see where they are at this time. As for the returners, many of our student-athletes were trying to shake the dust off from the break, which is expected at this time of year."
> "There were some really great performances today—McKenzie Gelvin set a new PR and looks like she is really starting to come into her own. It's not just about the time she ran, but the attitude she ran with and the way she competed today was great. Another great one was Marissa White—for a freshman coming off of break I thought she put on a great performance. Also, Ashton Dunkley had a good run along with the typical distance crew of Lucy, Michelle and Katie that came out for the first time this season. The other one is Aisha Brown—she came back out to compete for the first time in about six months, and I thought she did wonderful. Not only in high jump, but she showed her determination and competitiveness in the 4x4 and may have earned herself a spot in that relay."
> "Now we will continue to work and train hard as we get into the difficult part of the season that epitomizes what it means to be a student-athlete. I look forward to seeing what they can do moving forward in the season."
Up Next
> The Owls will be back in action next Saturday, January 19 when they return to Ocean Breeze to compete at the Penn Eight Team Challenge.
Players Mentioned
Jumps
/ Women's Track and Field
Sprints
/ Women's Track and Field
Mid-Distance
/ Women's Track and Field
Mid-Distance
/ Women's Track and Field
Mid-Distance
/ Women's Track and Field
Distance
/ Women's Track and Field
Distance
/ Women's Track and Field
Distance
/ Women's Track and Field
Distance
/ Women's Track and Field
Distance
/ Women's Track and Field
Sprints
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