2008 Woodie Awards
Women's track holds quiet confidence
By: Tim Ottusch
Issue date: 2/13/08 Section: Sports
After CMU won the Bowling Green State University Quadrangular this past weekend, coach Karen Lutzke believes the team can win the Mid-American Conference Indoor Championships.
Considering how the women's track team has fared against other MAC schools, she might have a point.
"That's our goal; that's something that we definitely strive to do," Lutzke said. "It's got to come together the weekend of the MAC Championship."
Central has scored higher than four of the six MAC teams it has faced. The Chippewas lost to Akron, last year's defending indoor champion, by 53 points at the Akron vs. "Michigans" meet on Jan. 18 and to Western by 15 points at the Michigan Intercollegiates on Feb. 1 and 2.
Central also beat Eastern at the Intercollegiates by 44 points. The team then beat Ohio by 61 points, Bowling Green by 46 and Toledo by 42 at the BGSU Quadrangular last week.
"After this weekend we're definitely where we need to be heading into the last few weeks before the MAC meet," Lutzke said.
Jumpers paced the team at BGSU. Freshman Aleisha Leeper placed third in the long jump and triple jump while junior Jodi Matsko placed second in the long and fourth in the triple hump. The two combined to score 24 of the team's 170 points.
"I'm just starting to learn the triple jump and I haven't really done it that much," Matsko said. "And competing against those girls and knowing that I can compete and place third and fourth really builds my confidence."
Both Matsko's and Leeper's jumps have improved since the beginning of the season. Matsko's long jump increased one foot, one-half inch in the BGSU Quardrangular. In the triple jump, her combined total improved five inches.
Leeper has improved her jump by one-fourth inch in the triple jump and more than four feet in the long jump. Her mark in the long jump was eight inches longer than her long jump of 16 feet, 11.5 inches the week before at the Michigan Intercollegiates.
"Aliesha has improved a lot, especially coming in as a first time athlete, coming in as being a freshman," Matsko said.
Some of the team will travel to Ames, Iowa, to compete in the Iowa State Classic, while others will compete in the Eastern Michigan Classic in Ypsilanti this weekend.
sports@cm-life.com
Considering how the women's track team has fared against other MAC schools, she might have a point.
"That's our goal; that's something that we definitely strive to do," Lutzke said. "It's got to come together the weekend of the MAC Championship."
Central has scored higher than four of the six MAC teams it has faced. The Chippewas lost to Akron, last year's defending indoor champion, by 53 points at the Akron vs. "Michigans" meet on Jan. 18 and to Western by 15 points at the Michigan Intercollegiates on Feb. 1 and 2.
Central also beat Eastern at the Intercollegiates by 44 points. The team then beat Ohio by 61 points, Bowling Green by 46 and Toledo by 42 at the BGSU Quadrangular last week.
"After this weekend we're definitely where we need to be heading into the last few weeks before the MAC meet," Lutzke said.
Jumpers paced the team at BGSU. Freshman Aleisha Leeper placed third in the long jump and triple jump while junior Jodi Matsko placed second in the long and fourth in the triple hump. The two combined to score 24 of the team's 170 points.
"I'm just starting to learn the triple jump and I haven't really done it that much," Matsko said. "And competing against those girls and knowing that I can compete and place third and fourth really builds my confidence."
Both Matsko's and Leeper's jumps have improved since the beginning of the season. Matsko's long jump increased one foot, one-half inch in the BGSU Quardrangular. In the triple jump, her combined total improved five inches.
Leeper has improved her jump by one-fourth inch in the triple jump and more than four feet in the long jump. Her mark in the long jump was eight inches longer than her long jump of 16 feet, 11.5 inches the week before at the Michigan Intercollegiates.
"Aliesha has improved a lot, especially coming in as a first time athlete, coming in as being a freshman," Matsko said.
Some of the team will travel to Ames, Iowa, to compete in the Iowa State Classic, while others will compete in the Eastern Michigan Classic in Ypsilanti this weekend.
sports@cm-life.com
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