Women’s Outdoor Track and Field wins 5 events, claims team victory at Mike Becraft Invitational

By Wes Mayberry

ADA — The Ohio Northern women's outdoor track and field team posted victories in five events en route to taking the team title at the third annual Mike Becraft Invitational on Saturday at Kerscher Stadium.

Saturday marked the second and final day of the meet, and the Polar Bears (21-3 overall) topped the nine-team field with 267 points on Senior Day. Findlay was second with 116 points, and Adrian (Mich.) was third with 69 points.

In the field events, senior Anna Schatzle (Brookville, Ind./Franklin County) won the pole vault with a mark of 3.61 meters, and freshman Lauryn Wolters (Anna) won the triple jump with a mark of 10.55 meters.

On the track, sophomore Olyvia Ashbrook (Johnstown/Northridge) won the 400-meter hurdles in 1:07.92, and senior Taylor Ellerbrock (Columbus Grove) won the 5,000 in 18:27.37.

The team of sophomores Chloe Gibson (Ostrander/Buckeye Valley) and Kendra Krichbaum (Ashland) and freshmen Stacey Legg (Monroeville) and Haley Cannon (Oregon/Clay) won the 4x100 relay in :50.51.

Finishing second in that event was the team of Wolters, freshman Claire Schweller (Paulding), junior Rosie Schroeder (Aurora, Ill./Waubonsie Valley) and senior Kenzie Detmer (Liberty Center) with a time of :52.12.

The Polar Bears had 11 other top-three finishes on the day.

Gibson was second in both the long jump (5.24 meters) and triple jump (10.53 meters), and Schweller was second in the pole vault with a mark of 3.51 meters.

Freshman Lindsay Weininger (Upper Sandusky) was second in the high jump with a mark of 1.59 meters, and sophomore Hannah Friend (Luckey/Eastwood) placed second in the discus throw with a mark of 39.57 meters.

Junior J.J. Herron (Miamisburg) was second in the 800 in 2:26.19, and sophomore M.J. Zindars (Delaware/Buckeye Valley) finished second in the 5,000 in 21:07.54.

Legg placed third in the long jump with a mark of 4.92 meters, Cannon was third in the 200 in :27.18, and freshman Lynncoln Tynan (Marietta) was third in the 5,000 in 21:41.75.

The team of Ellerbrock, Herron, senior Lexi Neff (Northfield/Walsh Jesuit) and sophomore Abby Matthews (Lithopolis/Bloom Carroll) added a third-place finish in the 4x400 relay in 4:19.06.

Also notable was a personal-best throw of 11.85 meters from sophomore Izzy Burman (Benton Ridge/Liberty Benton) in the shot put, which earned her a fourth-place finish in the event and ranks eighth all-time at ONU.

The Polar Bears return to action on Saturday at the Ashland Open.