Women’s Outdoor Track and Field wins 13 events to claim team title at Manchester (Ind.) Invitational

By Wes Mayberry

NORTH MANCHESTER, Ind. — The Ohio Northern women's outdoor track and field team posted first-place finishes in 13 events en route to winning the five-team Manchester (Ind.) Invitational on Saturday at Spartan Stadium.

The Polar Bears (4-0 overall) scored 363 points to finish ahead of second-place Manchester (Ind.) with 131 points and third-place Franklin (Ind.) with 62 points.

Sophomore Chloe Gibson (Ostrander/Buckeye Valley) led the way for ONU with a pair of first-place finishes and a second-place showing.

Gibson won the 100 meters in :12.93 and the long jump with a personal-best mark of 5.41 meters, which ranks sixth all-time at ONU. She added a second-place finish in the javelin throw with a mark of 30.32 meters.

Senior Lexi Neff (Northfield/Walsh Jesuit) won the 800 meters in 2:29.56 and joined junior J.J. Herron (Miamisburg), sophomore Katelyn Messner (Granville) and freshman Kaitlin Prusnek (Findlay) to win the 4x400 relay in 4:21.82.

Herron added a second-place finish in the 400-meter hurdles in 1:07.35.

Sophomore Kendra Krichbaum (Ashland) won the 200 meters in :26.61 and joined junior Allie Starner (Wellington), freshman Stacey Legg (Monroeville) and senior Anna Schatzle (Brookville, Ind./Franklin County) in winning the 4x100 relay in :50.94.

Sophomore Olyvia Ashbrook (Johnstown/Northridge) won the 400-meter hurdles in 1:07.09 and was second in the 100-meter hurdles in :16.39.

Senior Kenzie Detmer (Liberty Center) won the triple jump with a mark of 10.45 meters and was third in the javelin throw with a mark of 29.35 meters.

Junior Rosie Schroeder (Aurora, Ill./Waubonsie Valley) won the 100-meter hurdles in :16.25 and was fourth in the 400-meter hurdles in 1:10.78.

Freshman Natalie Armbruster (Cincinnati/Mount Notre Dame) won the 3,000-meter steeplechase in 12:36.16, freshman Claire Schweller (Paulding) won the pole vault with a height of 3.42 meters, and freshman Riley Heitkamp (Fort Loramie) won the high jump with a mark of 1.55 meters.

Sophomore Izzy Burman (Benton Ridge/Liberty Benton) won the hammer throw with a mark of 47.29 meters, was third in the shot put with a mark of 11.48 meters and was fifth in the discus throw with a mark of 34.89 meters.

Sophomore Hannah Friend (Luckey/Eastwood) finished second in the discus throw with a personal-best mark of 38.02 meters, which ranks sixth all-time at ONU. She was also fourth in the shot put with a mark of 11.18 meters and fifth in the hammer throw with a mark of 40.99 meters.

Sophomore Sami Sellers (Van Wert/Lincolnview) was second in the shot put with a personal-best mark of 11.54 meters, which ranks 10th all-time at ONU. She was also fourth in the discus throw with a mark of 36.34 meters, seventh in the javelin throw with a mark of 27.74 meters and seventh in the hammer throw with a mark of 38.66 meters.

The Polar Bears return to action on Friday and Saturday at the All-Ohio Championships and Bucknell (Pa.) Bison Classic.