By: Erin Madden
TIFFIN, Ohio - The Baldwin Wallace University women's outdoor track and field team won the Monica Scott Invitational, hosted by Heidelberg University inside Hoernemann Stadium.
BW won the four-team meet with a total of 143.5 points. Wilmington College finished as the runner-up with 132 points.
Freshman All-Ohio Athletic Conference distance runner Hope Murphy (Mogadore) and junior All-OAC and Academic All-OAC distance runner Alyssa Laughner (Howard, Pa./Central Mountain) both recorded victories on the track for the Yellow Jackets. Murphy won the 800-meter run in a career-best time of 2:15.79, which ranks her 17th in all of NCAA Division III at the time of the meet. Meanwhile, Laughner crossed the finish line in the 5,000-meter run in 18:37.01. Senior All-OAC distance runner Molina Otte (Omaha, Neb./Millard West) was not far behind Laughner in the 5k, finishing as the runner-up in the event in 18:39.90.
Competing in her first ever 100-meter dash event, junior All-OAC distance runner Natalie Vinci (Canton/St. Thomas Aquinas) placed second in a time of 13.75 seconds. She then followed that up as the runner-up in the 200-meter dash in a career-best 27.13 seconds. Sophomore jumper/sprinter Maddie Boltz (Medina/Cloverleaf) finished third in the 100-meter dash in a career-best 14.12 seconds. Senior All-OAC sprinter Ky'leana Allen (Columbus/Bishop Hartley) notched a pair of third-place finishes, first in the 400-meter dash in a season-best time of 1:03.85 and then in the 200-meter dash in a season-best 27.89 seconds.
In relay action, the 4x400-meter relay team of Murphy, Laughner, freshman All-OAC distance runner Kamaria Montgomery (Louisville/Canton GlenOak) and freshman distance runner Cassie Kolonchuk (Canal Winchester) combined to win the event in 4:27.06.
The Yellow Jackets had a number of strong performances in the field events, led by senior All-OAC and Academic All-OAC thrower Brooke Buckhannon (Collins/Western Reserve). The senior tossed a season-best 135 feet, 1 inch to win the discus throw and also returned to the top of the hammer throw field with a mark of 170'6". Sophomore thrower Abby Rodriguez (Grandview, Wash./Prosser) threw a career-best 40'1.25" to finish as the runner-up in the shot put while freshman thrower Selena Shelley (Mentor) placed third in the same event with a mark of 33'8.75". Shelley also took third in the discus with a career-best toss of 116'1". Freshman thrower Maddie Liberati (Lisbon/David Anderson) finished third in the hammer throw when her longest toss traveled 123'7".
Two additional top-three finishes came from members of the jumps squad. Sophomore jumper Jenna Sirianni (Aliquippa, Pa./Hopewell) finished third in the long jump when she leapt 15'0". Senior Academic All-OAC jumper Stephanie Magvas (Westlake/Magnificat) tied for third in the high jump as she cleared a height of 4'7".
BW will host the OAC Tune-Up on Friday, April 30, beginning at 1 p.m. inside George Finnie Stadium.
