Penn's track and field teams battled through a season filled with record-breaking performances as well as setbacks. In the end, though there was to be no miraculous endings.
The three Penn representatives at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Drake University were all unable to achieve their ultimate goals, with none earning All-America status.
Westman can't get rolling. Junior Max Westman struggled through the two-day decathlon last Wednesday and Thursday, earning 6115 points and finishing in 21st place, last among all finishers. Five others, however, dropped out of the event before it finished.
"I don't think it's the physical aspect, I think it's more the mental aspect that put me out of contention," Westman said. "Sometimes if the decathlon's not going too well in the first couple of events, you get down."
The low point for Westman was the pole vault, in which he failed to clear any height, earning no points for the event. His sole top-10 finish was in the discus throw which, Westman says, is "probably the only event I did alright in."
Westman will return next year with "no doubt" that he can again qualify for the NCAA Championships. And with a renewed mental focus, he may be able to push himself to earn the All-American status that eluded him this year.
Carlin falls short of finals. Graduated senior Jesse Carlin had a truly extraordinary season. It included wins in the 800-meter event at the Heptagonal Championships, the Eastern College Athletic Conference meet and the NCAA East Regional.
Sooner or later, though, the magic had to stop. And that happened last Thursday in the semifinal heat at the NCAA Championships. Carlin fell 1.5 seconds shy of qualifying for the final heat.
Her time of 2:05.88 was less than half a second behind her school record, but at this meet even that would not be good enough. She clocked the tenth-fastest time of the semifinal heats and, unfortunately for her, only eight qualify for the finals.
Junior Geena Gall of Michigan won the event, finishing the final heat in 2:03.91.
The loss, though, does not diminish Carlin's career. She leaves Penn holding twelve school records individually and as a part of relay teams in both indoor and outdoor events.
Now, Carlin turns her eyes to the US Track and Field Olympic Trials, which will be held June 27 - July 6 in Eugene, Ore. She has already qualified for the 'B' standard, which makes her eligible for the trials if she has a top-30 time. Currently, her time is 19th best.
Kim hits roadblock. A week after failing to qualify for the finals at the NCAA East Regionals, outgoing senior Stacy Kim again failed to make it out of the preliminary round.
She came in 23rd in the preliminary heat for the 1500m last Wednesday, and only 16 competitors advanced
