WAVERLY, Iowa – Baldwin Wallace University senior outdoor All-American multi-event athlete Melanie Winters (Stow/Stow-Munroe Falls) was the national runner-up in the long jump to led three women's track and field student-athletes on the first day of competition at the three day NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships hosted by Wartburg College inside the Walston-Hoover Stadium.

Winters took second with a mark of 19 feet and 8.75 inches just a quarter of inch off the winning leap.   With her second place, she secured her sixth career outdoor All-American accolade, which is given to the top eight competitors in each event.  Winters also qualified for the finals in the 200-meter dash as she finished sixth overall and second in her heat with a time of 24.36 in the prelims.  

Also competing on day one were senior All-American thrower Kim Gallavan (Auburn Township/Kenston) and junior Ohio Athletic Conference champion thrower Kasey Clouse (Norwalk/Western Reserve) as both took part in the discus. Gallavan, who finished third a year ago, was 16th with a mark of 137'7". Clouse, who made her first national meet appearance, finished 19th in the discus with a mark of 136'10".

Three Yellow Jackets will be back in action on Friday, May 27 on the second day of competition.  Winters will compete in the high jump and the prelims of the 100-meter dash and the 100-meter hurdles.  Gallavan will compete in the shot put and junior jumper Erin Kasper (Amherst/Marion Steele) will compete in the high jump.  The high jump will kick off the action on Friday at 12:30 p.m