Women's Track & Field finishes third at 29-team Emory (Ga.) Classic
By Blake Moore
ATLANTA, Ga. — The Ohio Northern women's track and field program wrapped up an impressive third-place finish at the two-day Emory (Ga.) Classic held at the Woodruff Center P.E. Track in Atlanta, Georgia.
ONU ended third in the 29-team field after scoring 72.5 points over the weekend. Meanwhile, in-state NCAA Division II foe Tiffin won the meet with 104 team points, and Emory claimed runner-up honors with 96 points.
With their efforts, the Polar Bears improve to 36-5 in the outdoor season.
On day two, Northern had seven top-eight finishes, including runner-up results from senior Avery Ewing (Kokomo, Ind./Eastern) and junior Maggie Krause (Kenston/Chagrin Falls).
Ewing led the individual efforts on the track with a 2:17.86 clocking in her first outdoor 800-meter performance this season, which landed her second in a 56-competitor field.
In the field events, Krause posted a runner-up finish in the pole vault competition after clearing the bar at 3.60 meters Saturday. Junior Allison Stevens (Naperville, Ill./Central) joined her classmate in the event's top-five performers, clearing 3.30 meters to end fifth in the 34-person field.
Senior thrower Tia Harris (Newton Falls) rounded out the top-eight efforts in the field. She heaved the shot 12.40 meters to take third in the 48-person competition.
On the track, sophomore Megan Wright (Eaton/Twin Valley South) raced to a sixth-place mark in the 5,000-meter run on Saturday with an 18:57.78. The 5k was divided into two heats over the weekend with the first heat contested Friday evening.
Senior Sydney McCluer (Columbus Grove), junior Taylor Lavey (New Baltimore, Mich./Findlay), and freshmen Kayla Silva (Westerville/South) and Emily Norden (Carey) teamed up for a fourth-place finish in the 4x100-meter relay, crossing the tape in :48.88.
To conclude the two-day event, McCluer, Lavey, freshman Lillian Hirschfeld (Minster), and Ewing wound up sixth in the 4x400-meter relay with a 4:09.74 finish.
The Polar Bears will return to action next Saturday, April 6 with a trip to the Oberlin Invitational.