By: Erin Madden
MARIETTA, Ohio - The Baldwin Wallace University women's track and field team opened the outdoor season in sixth place at the Ohio Athletic Conference Opener, hosted by Marietta College inside Don Drumm Stadium.
BW placed sixth of nine teams with 45 points while crosstown rival John Carroll University won the meet with a total of 189 points.
Senior All-OAC and Academic All-OAC thrower Brooke Buckhannon (Collins/Western Reserve) made the most of her anticipated return to the ring as she won both of her events by significant margins. First, she won the hammer throw with a career-best toss of 175 feet, 9 inches, bested the runner-up by over 14 feet and claimed the nation's best mark by over 3 feet. Then Buckhannon also won the discus throw with a mark of 131'0", which now ranks third in all of NCAA Division III in the event.
On the track, freshman All-OAC distance runner Hope Murphy (Mogadore) began her first collegiate outdoor season in style, winning the 800-meter run in 2:23.05 and currently ranking her seventh in the event nationally. Murphy also placed third in the 1,500-meter run in 5:04.44. Freshman distance runner Cassie Kolonchuk (Canal Winchester) finished eighth in the 3,000-meter steeplechase in a time of 12:38.52 to add a point to BW's team total.
BW continues the outdoor season on Saturday, March 27, when the Yellow Jackets travel to Alliance for a meet at the University of Mount Union inside Mount Union Stadium.
