Seniors lead in Indianapolis
By KATHLEEN O'BRIEN
Assistant Sports Editor
Seniors Jen Engelhardt and Chris Cochran continued their string of first-place finishes with individual victories in the Cannon IV Classic this weekend in India-napolis.
Cochran won the 200-meter dash in a time of 21.30 seconds. Racing on a 200-meter banked track, he only missed an NCAA qualifying time by five-hundredths of a second.
"My time wasn't really where I wanted it to be," Cochran said, "But in retrospect, that's not important. It was a good tune-up for the Big East."
With the Big East Championships coming up Saturday and Sunday, Cochran is seeking an individual title for the second year in a row. Last year, he won the 400-meter dash.
Engelhardt, a two-time All-American, won her fourth straight high jump with a clearing height of 5-feet, 9 3/4 inches.
Engelhardt has come out on top in every meet this season, with an opportunity to make it five straight at the Big East Championships. Her first three years of collegiate competition, she just missed a Big East indoors title, winding up in second every season.
Another Notre Dame senior, Matt Thom-pson, threw his way to second place in the weight throw with a hurl of 57 feet, 3 1/2 inches.
Freshman Jamie Volkmer placed third in the pole vault, leaping 10-11 3/4 despite poor conditions.
"It was actually kind of funny," Volkmer said. "We were vaulting into the corner, and they didn't have much of a warm-up space for us. So it was kind of a learning experience."
Volkmer has consistently vaulted around 11 feet for the Irish, setting a new school record in the event in her first collegiate meet.
On the men's side of the pole vault competition, sophomore Josh Heck cleared 15-3 to earn fifth place.
Sophomore Derek Dyer threw 48-10 in the shot put — a throw that was good enough for seventh place. Classmate Quill Redwine took eighth place in the men's triple jump with a leap of 47-9 1/4.
Sophomore Dore DeBartolo was the lone Irish member to compete in multiple events. DeBartolo was 10th in the shot put with a throw of 43-5, and 11th in the weight throw with a hurl of 49-2 1/4.
"Basically the meet was a tune-up for the Big East," Cochran said, "And it gave everyone a chance to get another meet under their belts."
All Sports Stories for Monday, February 14, 2000
