Women’s Indoor Track & Field takes second at Larry Cole Friday Night Invite
By Bud Denega
ADA — The Ohio Northern women's indoor track and field team returned to the track Friday after a long layoff and did so in strong fashion. The Polar Bears finished runner-up at the Larry Cole Friday Night Invitational held inside the ONU Sports Center, tallying 145 points.
ONU had its best performance of the night in the 1-mile run. Junior Chyanne Retcher (Ney/Fairview) won the race with a time of 5:22.74. Junior Megan Wright (Eaton/Twin Valley South) took second, recording a time of 5:27.09, and junior Kathleen Colvin (Hilliard/Bishop Ready) placed fourth, registering a time of 5:37.65.
The Polar Bears also took control of the 3,000-meter run. Sophomore Rue Whitmore (Mason) topped the field with a time of 10:50.07, while fellow sophomore Tessa Pitcovich (Stow/Stow-Munroe Falls) finished runner-up, clocking in at 10:53.45.
Senior Maggie Krause (Chagrin Falls/Kenston) eased to a first-place finish in the pole vault, clearing 11-09.75. Fellow senior Allison Stevens (Naperville, Ill./Central) took third with a mark of 10-11.75.
Junior Stella DeWitt (Weston/Cardinal Stritch) finished runner-up in the long jump, leaping 17-01.5. She also took fifth in the 60-meter hurdles, clocking in at 10.06.
Senior Ashlynn Hickey (Wilmington) placed fifth in the weight throw with a toss of 46-06.75.
Senior Melinda McIntosh (Farmersville/Valley View) placed runner-up in the 500-meter run, recording a time of 1:26.07, while freshman Emily Hughes (Norwalk/Seneca East) crossed fifth in a time of 1:30.02.
Senior Madeleine Routhier (West Unity/Hilltop) led Northern in the 1,000-meter run. She clocked in at 3:12.25 to place second, while sophomore Taylor Ellerbrock (Columbus Grove) and junior Kylie Vestal (Youngstown/Austintown Fitch) placed third and fifth with times of 3:12.28 and 3:14.32, respectively.
The 1,600-meter relay — comprised of Routhier, Ellerbrock, and freshmen Gabrielle Kowalczyk (Marion/Pleasant Local) and Lexi Neff (Northfield/Walsh Jesuit) — crossed third in a time of 4:22.09.
Sophomore Kayla Silva (Westerville/South) crossed fourth in the 60-meter dash with a time of 8.07.
The Polar Bears return to the track Feb. 1 when they play host to the Joe Banks Invitational.
