Freshman Maddy Reed leads Women's Track & Field on day one of the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships
By Ashley Birchmeier
WAVERLY, Iowa — Freshman Maddy Reed posted a successful first trip to the NCAA Divsion III Outdoor Track and Field Championships on Thursday at Walton-Hoover Stadium on the campus of Wartburg College.
Reed claimed a 10th place finish in the pole vault in her first ever National meet apperance, clearing a height of 12 feet 5.5 inches. The freshman entered the meet ranked 10th overall with a season best height of 12 feet 6 inches.
"This was a great experience," said Reed. "It was a lot of fun and will fuel me headed into next season."
Senior Kristine Wagner kicked-off the day for the Polar Bears as she completed four of the seven events in the heptathlon.
The senior opened with the 100-meter hurdles, claiming 729 points and a 14th place finish, running her second fastest time in :15.88.
In the high jump, Wagner finished 12th with a height of 4 feet 11.5 inches, earning 632 points.
Wagner also had success in the shot put, throwing her second best pitch of the season at 29 feet 10.75 inches. She finished 15th in the event claiming 471 points.
She rounded out the day with the 200-meter run, earning 770 points and a ninth place finish in 26.31.
Wagner will enter day two of the heptathlon ranked 15th overall with 2,602 points.
"I was really nervous, between the tears and feeling like I was going to throw up it actually was a lot of fun," said Wagner. "Such a competitive environment and the women in the heptathlon are great but at the end of the day we are all here for the same thing."
"We had a really good first day," said ONU head coach Jason Maus. "Wagner is right where she was a week ago. For Maddy's first trip to Nationals and finish tenth as a freshman is awesome."
The Polar Bears will return to the track Friday at Noon as Wagner finishes the final three events of the heptathlon.
Junior Allie Gast will also compete in the 100-meter hurdle prelims at 4:30 pm (CST), followed by sophomores Matt Molinaro and Emily Richards in the 800-meter run at 5:45 pm (CST) and 6:00 pm (CST), respectively.
