MARIETTA, Ohio - The Baldwin Wallace University women's indoor track and field team crowned two Ohio Athletic Conference individual champions and a new indoor school record was set, as it participated in the first day of action at the OAC Indoor Championships, hosted by Marietta College in the Dyson Baudo Recreation Center.
BW currently stands in at third place amongst the 10 participating schools with 41 total points after Day 1. The University of Mount Union sits atop the team standings with 81 points.
The Yellow Jackets garnered two OAC indoor champion performances from senior thrower Brooke Buckhannon (Collins/Western Reserve) and sophomore distance runner Alyssa Laughner (Howard, Pa./Central Mountain). Having won the weight throw event in the 2019 OAC Indoor Championships, Buckhannon defended her indoor field title, as she placed first in this year's meet with a final distance of 53' 5". Meanwhile, Laughner avenged her second-place performance in last season's OAC Indoor Championships by completing her 5,000-meter run ahead of the pack, in a final time of 17:55.94 to claim her first career OAC indoor title.
Senior distance runner Kelly Brennan (Akron/Walsh Jesuit) kept making history this afternoon as she rounded out the All-OAC indoor performers for BW in Day 1's action. She was edged out by a nose-length to capture a second-place finish in the 500-meter dash event with a final mark of 1:16.83. Brennan's career-best performance sets the new school record for the event, which was previously held by Rebekah Paul in 2008 with a time of 1:18.31. She is now in sole possession of four indoor progam records, and has now set three of them in this indoor season alone. Brennan also earns her first ever All-OAC indoor honor in the 500-meter dash event, amongst her many other distance event accomplishments.
In relay action, the foursome of Brennan, senior Katie Fowler (Mount Vernon), junior Madison Kile (North Canton/Hoover), and freshman Hailey Borges (Brunswick) placed fourth in the distance medley relay (3,800-meter) with a final time of 12:09.87.
The Yellow Jackets return to action tomorrow, as they compete in the second day of the OAC Indoor Track and Field Championships in the same location at 10:00 a.m.
