SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. -- Jen Mehall and Ben Steingrabe each set a Slippery Rock University school record on Saturday to headline the host team's effort in the Slippery Rock Open indoor track and field competition at Morrow Field House.

Mehall, a junior from Erie (McDowell HS), set a new mark in the women's pole vault when she had a winning leap of 10 feet, 7 inches. The old record was 10-6 and was set by Megan McCarl in 1999.

Steingrabe, a junior from Hermitage (West Middlesex HS), had a winning time of 7.88 seconds in the 55-meter dash. Steingrabe also ran the second leg of the winning men's 4X400m relay (3:32.00).

Senior Linsey Westerman claimed a pair of individual first-places and anchored the winning women's 4X400-meter relay (4:13.07).

Westerman led a 1-2-3 finish by Rock runners in the 55m hurdles with a winning time of 8.55 seconds and won the 400m dash in a time of 1:01.42.

Freshman Melissa Sopher finished second in the 400m (62.29) and was third in the 55m hurdles (9.07). Sopher also ran the lead leg of the winning 4X400m relay.

Freshman Andrea Rose ran the second leg of the 4X400m relay and finished second in the 55m hurdles (8.85).

Freshman Allison Gardner, who ran the third leg of the winning relay, finished second in the 200m dash with a time of 28.62. Teammate Jill Rekich placed third (28.73).

Three other Rock women captured blue ribbons: Freshman Samara Bailey won the triple jump with a leap of 33-6½, while junior Mackenzie Gurcak won the shot put (42-8) and senior Jess Miller captured the high jump with a leap of 5-3.

Steingrabe's win in the 55m hurdles and the 4X400 relay victory were two of six first-place finishes recorded by Rock men.

Sophomore Andy Tessena, who ran the third leg of the winning relay, also won the 440m dash with a time of 53.61.

Senior Jon Sheffield won the mile run with a time of 4:29.64, senior Nick Wilpula won the pole vault with a leap of 15-6 and sophomore Bill Jordan captured the long jump with a leap of 21-7.

Wilpula's vault was sufficient to earn him a provisional berth in the NCAA Division II Indoor Track and Field Championships, which will be held March 14-15 in Boston.

Joining Steingrabe and Tessena on the winning 4X400 relay were juniors Aaron Rekich and Derrell McBroom.

Rekich also finished second behind Steingrabe in the 55m dash with a time of 8.14.

Other second- or third-place finishes by Rock student-athletes included:

WOMEN
Mary Elder (jr., Volant/New Wilmington HS) 3rd Pole vault (9-0)
Meredith Hubbard (jr., Gibsonia/Pine Richland HS) 3rd Mile run (5:27.18)
Kristen Jones (so., Enola/Bible Baptist HS) 2nd Triple jump (32-6) and 2nd Long jump (15-11)
Heather Kozuchowski (fr., Spartansburg/Corry HS) 2nd Shot put (40-11)
Jamie Schoepke (fr., Verona/Penn Hills HS) 3rd High jump (5-1)
Traycie Stewart (fr., Euclid, OH/Euclid HS) 3rd Long jump (15-11)
Allie Yun (sr., Cranberry Twp./Seneca Valley HS) 3rd 300 meters (11:20.83)

MEN
Justin Gavazzi (fr., Cecil/Canon MacMillan HS) 2nd 800 meters (2:03.43)
Nick Luden (jr., Grove City/Seneca HS) 3rd Mile run (4:39.49)
Mike Wagner (fr., Apollo/Kiski Area HS) 2nd Mile run (4:30.00)

# ROCK PRIDE #