Women's Outdoor Track & Field sends 11 to Dr. Keeler Invitational, Harrison Dillard Twilight

By Blake Moore

NAPERVILLE, Ill. & BEREA — Eleven women's track and field student-athletes represented Ohio Northern Thursday and Friday at the Dr. Keeler Invitational and Harrison Dillard Twilight meet, competing for career-best marks and berths in the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships.

The two invitationals, which were held as last chance qualifiers for the national meet, were not scored.

On Thursday afternoon, senior jump specialists Mallory Weininger (Upper Sandusky) and freshman Jessica Siefker (Elida) kicked off the last chance competitions in the high jump competition at the Dr. Keeler Invitational. The former leapt over the bar at 1.56 meters (5' 1.25") to tie for fifth while the latter cleared 1.51 meters (4' 11.5") for a 15th-place result in the 17-person event.

Meanwhile, sophomore Megan Wright (Eaton/Twin Valley South) and senior Kristina Myers (Grove City/Central Crossing) ended 31st and 35th in an interdivisional 5,000-meter run field with career-best 18:30.62 and 18:41.37 efforts, respectively.

Seven Polar Bears competed Friday at Baldwin Wallace in the Harrison Dillard Twilight meet.

On the track, sophomore Kylie Vestal (Youngstown/Austintown-Fitch) topped the performances with a new career-best in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. She posted an 11:34.04 clocking Friday afternoon to end fifth in a nine-person field.

Senior Taylor Fisher (Wapakoneta) also ended fifth in the 400-meter hurdles, posting a 1:06.54.

Junior Madeleine Routhier (West Unity/Hilltop) and sophomore Chyanne Retcher (Ney/Fairview) rounded out the track competitors with appearances in the 800- and 1,500-meter runs. The former crossed the tape in 2:25.86 while the latter recorded a 5:04.59.

In the field, senior thrower Tia Harris (Newton Falls) had a solid outing in the shot put and hammer throw competitions. She heaved the shot put 12.90 meters, just 0.02 meters off her current school record effort, for a ninth-place finish and launched the hammer 43.15 meters.

Junior All-American Maggie Krause (Chagrin Falls/Kenston) and junior Allison Stevens (Naperville, Ill./Central) ended tied for third and seventh in the 14-person pole vault field with 3.62- and 3.32-meter clearances.

Ohio Northern will wrap up its pre-national championship slate next Wednesday and Thursday, May 15 and 16 at the Gregory Invitational at North Central (Ill.).