With a winter that seems to be eternal, the SRU women’s track team fought through the cold, snow and blustery conditions to finally host a home meet after the Dave Labor Invitational was canceled earlier this month.
Despite temperatures dipping below 30 degrees at times for the SRU open, The Rock’s women’s track and field team battled to 11 event wins this past Thursday. Sophomore Emily Horstman had a phenomenal day on the track, winning two solo events and winning two more as part of SRU’s relay teams. Horstman claimed the 100-meter and 200-meter dashes with 12.14 second and 25.28 second times, respectively.
In the 4×100 meter relay, Horstman was joined by junior Megan Stephenson, freshman Amanda Oliver and freshman Raegan Hess in an event win with a 49.62-second time. The 4×400 relay was also an event win by The Rock, coming from Horstman, Oliver, freshman Alexis Marchando and freshman Vanessa Shedlock, who delivered a 4:22.02 time. Hess also won the long jump and claimed an NCAA provisional mark while doing it, leaping 5.85 meters.
“Pole Vault U” kept their name, dominating the competition with two Rock vaulters making NCAA provisional marks. Junior Courtney Mcquaide and sophomore Maddy Marshal both vaulted 3.91 meters, with McQuaide winning the event and Marshal taking second. The mark is first in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) and eighth in the NCAA.
Three Green and White athletes claimed their first career event wins during the event. Freshman Lexi Salopek with a 10.75 meter triple jump, senior Kelci Yale with a 45.34 meter hammer throw and sophomore Elaina Powell with a 38.74 meter javelin toss.
The final event win of the day went to senior Sophie Mazza in the 100 meter hurdles with a 15.05 second finish.
SRU kept their momentum from the home meet and brought it to Erie for the PSU Behrend invitational two days later.
Powell headlined the event, hitting SRU’s only NCAA provisional mark with a 44.83 meter Javelin throw, which ranks 13th in the NCAA for the year.
Slippery Rock completely dominated the throwing events, taking first in every one. Senior Anna Frengal took the shot put and discus with 12.98 meter and 36.46 meter throws, respectively. Kelci Yale was a repeat winner, again taking the hammer toss with a 45.79 meter throw. SRU swept the podium in the hammer throw, with sophomore Abby Way taking second and Frengal taking third.
The 4×100 meter relay squad of Stephenson, Horstman, Oliver and Hess won again as well, this time with a 41.76 second time. Horstman and Hess claimed individual events again as well, with first place finishes in the 100 meter dash and 200 meter dash, respectively.
Mazza was the last repeat winner on the weekend, again taking the 100 meter hurdles with a 15.30 second finish.
The last two Rock wins went to Shedlock in the 400 meter dash (57.17 seconds) and freshman Kaylee Young in the triple jump (10.78 meters).
SRU will now turn their attention to the Ashland open this weekend, their last meet before the PSAC championships next weekend, which will be hosted by SRU at Mihalik-Thompson stadium.
