DELAWARE, Ohio – Williams College leads the field with 14 points through four events after the first of three days at the 2014 NCAA Division III Women's Outdoor Track & Field Championship from Selby Stadium and the George Gauthier Track on the campus of Ohio Wesleyan University.
The Ephs' 14 points came in three events, which included one national championship performance. After back-to-back third-place finishes in the hammer throw, Williams senior Amina Avril captured her first national title with a mark of 192-0. Williams also received seventh-place finishes from seniors Jenna Adams and Shayna Barbash. Adams scored two points in the pole vault after clearing 12'1.50", while Barash's two tallies came in the 10,000-meter run (36:01.49).
Wisconsin-Whitewater sits in second place with 12.5 points, while La Verne, Amherst and Washington University (Mo.) are all tied for third with 10 points each.
Finishing second behind Avril in the hammer was Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute senior Lydia Frangos with a mark of 189-11, while St. Scholastica's Becky Huberty placed third (188'9").
Amherst's Naomi Bates, defending national champion in the indoor long jump, won her first outdoor long jump title with a leap of 19-9. Wisconsin-Whitewater junior Lexie Sondgeroth was second with a jump of 19'0.75", while Wisconsin-Platteville freshman Amber Williams took third with a mark of 19'0".
Washington University senior Anna Etherington won a national championship in the pole vault after setting a stadium record with a mark of 13-7¼. MIT sophomore Cimran Virdi took home second-place honors after clearing 13-5¼, while third went to Westminster sophomore Marissa Kalsey (12-7½).
La Verne senior Lenore Moreno set a Selby Stadium record in the 10,000-meter run after completing the race in 34:25.39. Senior Nicole Michmerhuizen from Calvin finished second with a time of 34:33.75, while Elmhurst senior Alyssa Poremba was third after clocking in at 35:28.92.
After the first four events of the heptathlon, Carleton sophomore Amelia Campbell leads the 22-athlete field with 3204 points. The defending national champion in the event, senior Elizabeth Krug of Hendrix, sits second with 3094 points, while Illinois Wesleyan's Allie Boudreau scored 3013 points. Wisconsin-Stout senior Jessika Smith and George Fox junior Charity Ann occupy spots four and five in the overall standings with 2981 and 2979 points, respectively.
In preliminary action on Thursday, St. Lawrence sophomore Amy Cymerman posted the fastest 3000-meter steeplechase time after crossing the finish line in 10:41.32. Heidelberg senior Sophie Goobic won her heat with a time of 10:41.96, while MIT senior Martina de Geus had the third-best time at 10:42.48.
Three-time defending national champion Christy Cazzola of Wisconsin-Oshkosh won the prelims of the 1500-meter run with a mark of 4:33.79. Hope senior Sheri McCormack (4:34.26) and Grinnell junior Sarah Burnell (4:34.69) finished with the second and third fastest time, respectively.
Wheaton (Mass.) senior Ashante Little recorded the fastest 400-meter hurdles performance with a stadium- and championship-meet-record time of :58.51. Senior Jana Hieber of Tufts was second (:59.63) and Wartburg senior Tashina McAllister took third (:59.83). Montclair State senior Heather Gearity, the two-time defending national champion, placed fourth with a time of 1:00.10.
In the 200-meter dash prelims, Wartburg senior Libbey Schubert recorded the fastest time (23.91), while Amherst's Bates, the long jump national champion, was second at 24.29. Central sophomore Abigail Davis took third after clocking in at 24.37.
Similar to last year's national meet, Wisconsin-La Crosse posted the fastest times in both the 4x100 and 4x400-meter relays on Thursday. Junior Jaime Ludwigson, senior Jenna Halvorson, junior Claire Elliott and sophomore Meg Heafy combined for a stadium-record time of :46.01 in the 4x100. Halvorson, sophomore Claire Gordee, junior Shannon Klein and sophomore Bria Halama had the top 4x400 relay performance (3:44.78).
The Mount Union team of senior Taylor Ruffing, junior Taylor Coghlan, senior Lisa Brasdovich and junior Courtney Reese won the other heat of the 4x100 relay with a time of :46.81.
Wartburg won the other 4x400-meter relay heat (3:44.78) with McAllister, junior Kayla Kregel, senior Kaly Adkins and Schubert.
NCAA Division III championship action continues on Friday with competition starting at 1 p.m. (Eastern)
Thursday ResultsNCAA championships page
