The Bowdoin Orient

February 16, 2001
Volume CXXXII, Number 16

Bowdoin track sweeps Maine state titles - Women

Also see: Men's track takes state title

by CAIT FOWKES, COPY EDITOR

   The women entered the field house at Bates with one goal: to walk out later that evening as State Champions. Little did they know what the night had in store for them. From doubling and even tripling in events, to running through season ending injuries, the team successfully pulled together to defeat Colby, Bates and the University of Southern Maine by over thirty points. The goal was attained.
   Perhaps the bravest moment on the track was seen in the 800m run. Kate Waller '02, who has endured a foot injury for the better part of the season, tore the ligaments in her foot during her race. "Waller's 800 was one of the most courageous races I've ever seen. Kate knew the team needed her to finish the race even though she injured her foot seriously after 600 meters. She ran the final 200 meters in a lot of pain, and finished in second place. She's one of the toughest athletes I've ever coached," comments Coach Slovenski.
   The high jump also provided an interesting outcome. With the height of the bar at 5'5", none of the jumpers successfully cleared the height, leaving a seven-way tie for first place; four of the seven jumpers were Bowdoin women. After a jump-off amongst the seven, Julia Febiger '03 emerged victorious while Ellie Doig '03, Liz Wendell'03 and Caitlin Fowkes '03 tied for second place. This was an impressive feat considering that the high jump competition lasted for over two hours and the jumpers competed in other events while still in the high jump competition.
   In the pole vault Marika Decyk '02 claimed first place with a vault of 10' while Wendell and Anne Barmettler '03 claimed the fifth and sixth scoring positions. The triple jumpers were a great contribution to the team's victory; Casey Kelley '02, Karen Yeoman '02 and Acadia Senese '03 placed second, third, and fourth. This performance was simultaneous with the 4x400m relay where Yeoman and Kelley ran the first and second leg of the race (with Brittany Blanchette '04 and Shaina Zamitis '02 running third and fourth leg) that finished in second place, less than a second behind Colby.
   The sprinters also claimed victories throughout the evening. Sara Bodnar '03 won the 55m and Kristin Dummer '04 and Bodnar placed first and second in the 200m. The 4x200m relay, run by Weeks '03, Bodnar, Kat Martens '04 and Dummer, finished first as well. The middle distance runners were a huge contribution to the meet. Martens placed second in the 400m with Lynne Davies '04, and Blanchette finishing fifth and sixth.
   The 800m runners claimed first, second and third place with Jane Cullina '04, Waller and Bre-Anne MacKenna's '03 strong finishes. The 4x800m team also finished in first with a strong third leg run by Kate Brinkerhoff '03, who out-kicked the Bates runner to take the lead. In the 600m run Febiger, Zamitis and Brinkerhoff finished first, second and fifth. Febiger had an outsanding evening, winning both the 600m and the high jump.
   Coach Slovenski remarks, "Julia Febiger has been the leading scorer for our team all winter, and she competed like a champion on Friday night. She shows a lot of poise under pressure."
   As for the distance races, Kala Hardacker '04 and Libby Barney '03 finished first and second respectively in the 1000m and 1500m. Jesse Gray also ran a strong 3000m race and claimed a second place finish. The men's team supported the women throughout the meet, hollering names and encouraging runners, throwers and jumpers.
    The state meet was a great meet for the women and the team is looking to place well at New England's this Saturday at Brandeis.

Julia Febiger '03 takes first in the high jump. (Henry Coppola/Bowdoin Orient)