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Championship Central (Results)
KIRKSVILLE, Missouri – In an epic back-and-forth battle between Lewis University and the University of Indianapolis on the final day of the 2019 Great Lakes Valley Conference Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Championships, it would be the Flyers’ win in the 4x400-meter relay that would give Lewis its fourth straight outdoor crown in the second-closest finish in league history.
Heading into the final event at Gardner Track inside Stokes Stadium on the campus of Truman State University in Kirksville, Missouri, the Flyers were 3.5 points behind the Greyhounds. UIndy sent out its 4x400 relay squad in the first of two sections, which the Hounds won in 3:57.69. That set up the second section, featuring top-seeded Lewis, with the Flyers needing to win the event and another team to finish in second with a faster time than UIndy. Lewis crossed the line first in 3:52.02 and was followed by Bellarmine University with a time of 3:54.58, which gave the Flyers a 180-179.5 victory over UIndy.
Lewis and UIndy now own the top-two finishes in league history as the two programs tied for the 2002 GLVC Outdoor Championships with 216.5 points each.
McKendree University finished third overall with 116 points, while Maryville University (71) edged host Truman State (70.5) for fourth. Bellarmine (50) was sixth, Missouri S&T (39) and University of Southern Indiana (39) tied for seventh, while Drury University (33), William Jewell College (21) and University of Illinois Springfield (18) finished ninth through 11th, respectively. Quincy University competed but did not score.
The Flyers now own a league-best 10 Conference crowns.
Among the individual highlights in field events on Saturday, Bellarmine senior Yashira Rhymer-Stuart – the reigning NCAA Division II Indoor Champion – cleared an NCAA automatic qualifying standard and set a new GLVC record with a win in the high jump at 1.78 meters. UIndy senior Katie Monk won gold in the discus (48.55m), Lewis senior Cierra Pulliam captured first in the triple jump (12.29m), and Truman State senior Elle Renault placed first in the javelin, (39.35m).
On the track, Lewis started off the day with a win in the 4x100-meter relay (46.48) and then saw junior Joelle Ataessien pick up a victory in the 100-meter hurdles (14.29), followed by freshman Jada Hoffman in the 100-meter dash (12.06), and sophomore Ashleigh Macleod in the 800 meters (2:09.85) – her second straight win in the event. UIndy senior Mickayla Wenzel crossed the line first in the 1,500 meters (4:33.87), while junior teammate Kerigan Ertel won the 400-meter hurdles (1:01.47) and sophomore Lauren Bailey picked up the win in the 5,000 meters (17:22.30). McKendree sophomore Mya Watson-Blake earned a victory in the 200 meters (24.49), while Bellarmine junior Ashley Reyna-Padilla placed first in the 400 meters (56.20).
At the conclusion of the Championship, the league coaches voted Lewis’ Macleod as the GLVC Track Athlete of the Year, just one year after she earned GLVC Freshman of the Year accolades at the 2018 Outdoor meet. Maryville sophomore Casey Berberich was named the GLVC Field Athlete of the Year. Lewis’ Hoffman was tabbed the GLVC Freshman of the Year, while the Flyers’ Dana Schwarting was recognized by his peers as GLVC Coach of the Year.
Additionally, UIndy was honored as the GLVC James R. Spalding Sportsmanship Award winner, while 12 student-athletes who have distinguished themselves through sportsmanship and ethical behavior were also named as their sport’s honoree for the award. These individuals must also be in good academic standing and have demonstrated good citizenship outside of the sports-competition setting. The honorees are now eligible to become one of their school’s two Spalding Sportsmanship Award winners, which will be announced later this month.
2019 GLVC Track Athlete of the Year: Ashleigh Macleod, So., Lewis
2019 GLVC Field Athlete of the Year: Casey Berberich, So., Maryville
2019 GLVC Freshman of the Year: Jada Hoffman, Lewis
2019 GLVC Coach of the Year: Dana Schwarting, Lewis
James R. Spalding Sportsmanship Award Team Winner
Indianapolis
James R. Spalding Sportsmanship Award Honorees (Women's Outdoor Track & Field)
Sofia Corias, Bellarmine
Lauren Shipley, Drury
Claire Eaton, Illinois Springfield
Keri Ertel, Indianapolis
Teresa Zaragueta, Lewis
Casey Berberich, Maryville
Shayna Phillips, McKendree
Camille Baker, Missouri S&T
Alex Petrovic, Quincy
Sarah Hamilton, Southern Indiana
Marissa Gress, Truman State
Katie Sliger, William Jewell