Maggie Krause claims conference crown, as Women’s Indoor Track & Field positioned in 5th after Day 1 of OAC Championships
By Bud Denega
MARIETTA — Senior Maggie Krause (Chagrin Falls/Kenston) has led the Ohio Northern indoor track and field team all season. And that didn't change Friday during Day 1 of the Ohio Athletic Conference Championships inside Dyson Baudo Recreation Center.
Krause topped the field in pole vault, clearing 3.67 meters, helping Northern position itself fifth as a team with 21 points. Mount Union leads the way, tallying 81 points, while Otterbein and Baldwin Wallace rounded out the top three with 57.5 and 41 points, respectively.
A few more Polar Bears cluttered the top 10 of pole vault. Freshman Anna Schatzle (Brookville, Ind./Franklin County) placed fifth, recording a vault of 3.17 meters. Senior Allison Stevens (Naperville, IL./Central) and freshman Meadow Wistner (Buffalo, N.Y./Wiliamsville North) tied for 10th with marks of 3.02 meters.
The distance medley relay team of junior Megan Wright (Eaton/Twin Valley South), sophomore Gizem Tanriverdi (Ada), senior Madeleine Routhier (West Unity/Hilltop) and junior Chyanne Retcher (Ney/Fairview) took fifth, clocking in at 12:11.56. The race only traversed 3,800 meters, as officials incorrectly counted laps.
Junior Stella DeWitt (Weston/Cardinal Stritch) finished sixth in long jump with a mark of 5.19 meters.
The sophomore tandem of Rue Whitmore (Mason) and Tessa Pitcovich (Stow/Stow-Munroe Falls) placed inside the top 10 of the 5,000-meter run. Whitmore took eighth in a time of 18:33.35, and Pitcovich wasn't far behind, taking ninth with a time of 18:39.60.
Senior Ashlynn Hickey (Wilmington) rounded out the top-10 ONU finishers, taking 10th in the weight throw, logging a toss of 13.40 meters.
The meet will continue Saturday morning at 10 a.m.