Junior Allie Gast leads Women's Track & Field on Day 1 of the OAC Outdoor Championships

By Ashley Birchmeier

WILMINGTON — Junior Allie Gast set two school records to lead the Ohio Northern women's track and field team on day one of the Ohio Athletic Conference Outdoor Championships hosted by Wilmington College at Beckett Track.

After day one of competition the Polar Bears are ranked third of 10 teams with 49.5 points.

Mount Union is currently leading the meet with 60 points, followed by Otterbein in second with 53 points.

Gast led ONU setting a new school and OAC record in the 100-hurdles prelims in 14.42. The junior will enter the finals ranked first in the event.

She also set a new school record in the 100-meter dash, finishing fourth in the prelims in 12.40. She broke the previous record of 12.54 set by Abby Schulte.

The junior will also be competing in the finals of the 200-meter dash Saturday after finishing third in the prelims in 25.82.

The 4x800-meter relay team of senior Rebekah McCutchen, junior Nicole Huber, freshman Avery Ewing, and sophomore Emily Richards earned OAC Champion and All-OAC honors winning the event with a new school record time of 9:25.23.

Freshman Maddy Reed garnered All-OAC honors in the pole vault finishing second with a hieght of 3.77 meters. 

Senior Sarah Ballmer also earned All-OAC honors finishing third in the pole vault with a height of 3.42 meters.

In the long jump, freshman Stephanie Walton led the Polar Bears claiming a fourth place finish with a leap of 5.58 meters.

Freshman Ashlie Baumann finished fourth in the 10,000-meter run in 39:38.84.

Junior Kelsey Commager finished sixth with a jump of 5.56 meters, followed by junior Rebecca Carman in eighth with a leap of 5.28 meters.

Gast also found success in the javelin finishing fifth with a toss of 33.05 meters. Senior Michaela Dramis took sixth place with a distance of 30.78 meters.

In the pole vault, sophomore Kelly Wollenslegal claimed a sixth place finish clearing a height of 3.32 meters, followed by senior Gabrielle Heck in eighth with a height of 3.17 meters.

Carman also found success in the 100-meter hurdles finishing sixth in the prelims in 15.89, while senior Kristine Wagner finished seventh in 16.03.

Junior Meagan Ellinger qualified for the finals of the 400-meter dash after finishing sixth in the prelims in 59.76.

In the 400-meter hurdles, freshman Taylor Fisher led ONU finishing fifth in 1:07.03, advancing to the finals on Saturday. Junior Michelle Mosler finished seventh in 1:07.87.

Sophomore Danielle Sutter also garnered a top ten finish, finishing eighth in the 3,000 steeplechase in 11:54.16.

Day two of competition begins Saturday at 10 am.