NEW ORLEANS -- The Trine women's track and field team earned its first appearance in the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Regional Rankings, released today.
The Thunder debuted at No. 9 in the Great Lakes Region regional rankings. This is the first time the Trine women have ever appeared in the rankings. The USTFCCCA uses individual performance rankings from TFRRS to calculate projected order of finish in a regional meet. The Thunder boast six performances ranked among the top 10 in the Great Lakes Region.
CLICK HERE for USTFCCCA Regional Rankings.
Kara Eck (Auburn, Ind. / DeKalb) holds the team's top regionally-ranked performance at third in the weight throw. Eck's top toss of 17.33 meters (56 feet, 10.25 inches) ranks sixth in the nation. Jenn Steyer (Fenton, Mich. / Lake Fenton) boasts the seventh-best throw in the region at 16.27 meters (53 feet, 4.25 inches), which is ranked 19th nationally.
Eck also ranks seventh in the region and 20th in the nation in the shot put. The two-time Indoor All-American is well-positioned to earn a return trip to the national meet in both events. Steyer is in the mix for her first nationals bid in the weight throw.
Trine runners boast two of the top-five regional times in the 400-meter dash. Sophomore Jensyn Garrow (Archbold, Ohio / Archbold) and freshman Jenna Gales (Mendon, Mich. / Mendon) are ranked fourth and fifth respectively, with their time separated by just 0.11 seconds. Garrow's 1:00.22 time is 30th in the nation, while Gales' 1:00.33 is 32nd.
Gales and Garrow also make up half of the fifth-best 4-x-400 relay team in the region. Freshmen Hope Scholma (Montpelier, Ohio / Montpelier) and Kaylyn Forrest (Cassopolis, Mich. / Ross-Beatty) make up the other half of the relay.
Trine hosts the Don and Riley Zimmer Indoor Classic tonight in Keith E. Busse / Steel Dynamics Athletic Recreation Center. Events are scheduled to begin at 5 p.m.