GRINNELL, Iowa -- Baldwin Wallace University senior Division III All-Americans Kim Gallavan (Auburn Township/ Kenston) and Melanie Winters (Stow/ Stow-Munroe Falls) lived up to their status as each won an NCAA Division III national title and the Yellow Jacket women lead after the first day of competition at the 2016 NCAA Division III Indoor Track & Field Championship Meet inside the Bear Recreation and Athletic Center at Grinnell College in Grinnell, Iowa. The final day of competition is tomorrow, Saturday, March 12.
The BW women have 20 points, compliments of Gallavan and Winters who each earned 10 points for their first place finish and national titles. BW now has a chance to win its first-ever national title in women's track and just the school's second-ever national title.
Gallavan won the national title in the weight throw with a career-best toss of 62'9". The two-time Ohio Athletic Conference Indoor Women's Field Athlete of the Year bettered her previous career-best of 60'11.5" and earned her fourth all-time Division III All-America honor. Gallavan also will compete on Saturday in the shot put. She enters Saturday's competition ranked sixth in the shot put with a career-best throw of 46'3.25".
Winters won the national title in the long jump and broke her own school-record with a leap of 19'6.25". The two-time OAC Most Valuable Athlete Indoors and Outdoors bettered her previous school-record of 19'4" and was her eighth All-America accolade.
In addition, Winters also qualified for the finals in the the 60-meter hurdles and was fourth in her preliminary heat in 8.69 seconds, .04 off her school record of 8.65 seconds. She also will compete in the high jump. Winters enters Saturday's competition ranked tied for third in the 60-meter hurdles and tied for first in the high jump with a school-record leap of 5'8.75". Joining Winters in the high jump is junior Erin Kasper (Amherst/ Steele). She is ranked tied for 11th with a career-best leap of 5'6.5".
