Sophomore Emily Richards sets new school and meet record to lead Women's Track and Field at the Centre (Ky.) Invitational

By Ashley Birchmeier

DANVILLE (Ky.) — The Ohio Northern women's track and field team won the Centre (Ky.) Invitational Saturday at Farris Stadium.

Northern improves to 33-1 overall on the season.

The Polar Bears claimed six first place finishes in the meet and two new ONU school records.

Sophomore Emily Richards led the way claiming a first place finish and a new school and meet record in the 400-meter run with a time of 56.79. She broke the previous school record of 57.20 held by Erin Hipp.

She also teamed up with junior Allie Gast, junior Meagan Ellinger and senior Kristine Wagner to claim first place in the 4x100 with a new school record time of 49.60, breaking the previous time of 49.66.

Senior Margaret Sorg won the 3,000 steeple chase in 12:14.51, followed by sophomore Danielle Sutter in third in 12:27.78 and freshman Janelle Posthuma in fifth in 12:52.88.

In the 400-hurdles, junior Michelle Mosler won the event with a time of 1:06.98.

Also winning eventds were freshman Stephanie Walton in the long jump with an ONU freshman record of 17 feet 11 inches, freshman Maddy Reed in the pole vault with a height of 11 feet .75 inches and the 4x400-meter relay of Ellinger, junior Michelle Mosler, Wagner and Richards in 3:58.85.

Gast also claimed a second place finish in the 100-hurdles in 15.24, while claiming third in the 400-hurdles in 1:09.21 and fifth in the 100-meter dash in 12.95.

In the 5,000-meter run, freshman Colleen Grainger finished second in 19:08.17.

Senior Michaela Dramis also claimed a second place finish in the meet, finishing second in the hammer with a pitch of 140 feet 4 inches.

Sophomore Kelly Wollenslegal finished second in the pole vault with a height of 10 feet .75 inches, followed by senior Gabrielle Heck in fifth with a height of 9 feet 7 inches.

Freshman Ashlie Bauman claimed third in the 1,000-meter run in 41:09.09.

In the 5,000-meter, Genevieve Marchese finished fourth in 19:25.17, while senior Julie Amos took fourth in the high jump with a height of 4 feet 9.75 inches.

Also claiming third place finishes were McCutchen in the 800-meter run in 2:27.09, Dramis in the javelin with a pitch of 100 feet 2 inches and junior Dianna Johnson-Ward in the triple jump with a leap of 35 feet 6.5 inches.

In the 1,500-meter run, senior Rebekah McCutchen took fifth with a time of 4:56.56.

Northern returns to action Saturday as they compete at the Marv Frye Invitational hosted by Ohio Wesleyan.