BEREA, Ohio – The Baldwin Wallace University women's outdoor track and field teams set one school-record at the Dr. Keeler Invitational hosted by North Central (Ill.) College and competed at the 11th Annual Gator Invitational hosted by Allegheny (Pa.) College.  Both meets are considered as last chance meets for the BW individuals to improve upon or hit the qualifying marks for the NCAA Division III National Championships.

The Yellow Jacket sent six women to Naperville, Illinois to compete at the Dr. Keeler Invitational inside Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium. BW also sent three women competitors to Meadville, Pennsylvania to compete at the Gator Invitational at Frank B. Fuhrer Field.

At the Dr. Keeler Invitational, the Yellow Jacket women were led by senior sprinter Kelsey Nemeth (Medina), freshman sprinter Grace Nemeth (Medina), junior Academic All-OAC multi-event athlete Rachel Holowecky (Amherst/Firelands) and senior five-time All-American multi-event athlete Melanie Winters (Stow/Stow-Munroe Falls) who set a school-record in the 4x100-meter relay with a time of 47.94 seconds. The record time is the 17th fastest time in the country and is currently fast enough to qualify them for the NCAA Outdoor Championships.

Winters also placed first in the high jump with a season-best mark of 5 feet and 7.75 inches and 100-hurdles with a time of 14.12 seconds. The season best mark in the high jump makes her tied with another student-athlete for the best mark in the country.

In addition, senior sprinter Kelsey Nemeth placed sixth in the 100-meter dash with a career-best time of 12.56 seconds. Junior Academic All-OAC hurdler Lyndsey Armstrong (Ashtabula/Geneva) finished 15th in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 15.87. Freshman sprinter Grace Nemeth (Medina) finished 19th in the 100-meter dash with a time of 13.17.

Junior All-Ohio Athletic Conference and Academic All-OAC jumper Erin Kasper (Amherst/Firelands) finished fifth in the high with a mark of 5 feet and 3 inches and 25th in the long jump with a leap of 16 feet and 3.75 inches.

At the Gator Invitational, the Yellow Jacket women were led by senior outdoor All-American Kim Gallavan (Auburn Township/Kenston) as she finished first in the shot put, second in the discus, and second in the hammer throw. All three marks are good enough to qualify for the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships at this time. Gallavan had a career-best throw of 170'4'' in the hammer and season-best throws of 44'11.5'' in the shot put and 155'7'' in the discus.

In addition, Senior All-OAC thrower Maggey Urban (Cleveland/St. Joseph Academy) placed first in the hammer throw with a mark of 175'4'' and sixth in the discus with a throw of 126'10''. Junior All-OAC thrower Kasey Clouse (Norwalk/Western Reserve) was fourth in the discus with a throw of 139'05''and fourth in the shot put with a mark of 39'02.5''. 

BW is back in action on Wednesday, May 18 and Thursday, May 19 when the team travels back to Naperville, Illinois to compete in the Gregory Invitational hosted by North Central.  The Yellow Jackets will also compete on Thursday, May 19 at the Great Lakes Elite Meet hosted by Ohio Wesleyan University on the George Gauthier Track.

The 2016 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships will be contested on Thursday, May 26 through Saturday, May 28 in Waverly, Iowa hosted by Wartburg College.