Trojans Show Strength at IWU Midwest Classic
MARION, Ind. – In its final tune up prior to the Crossroads League Indoor Track and Field Championships next week the 20th-ranked Taylor women's track and field team showed its strength on Saturday with a plethora of solid performances.
The TU distance medley relay team of Sarah Harden, Miriam Wood, Taylor Bluemel, and Alex Berends turned in the second fastest time in the entire NAIA this season with a blistering mark of 12:17.19. The time hit the NAIA A standard and is the fastest time in the Crossroads League by nearly 30 seconds.
Junior Mae Elizabeth Gimre also raced well, hitting the NAIA A standard in the 3,000-meters with a third place finish and a time of 10:23.57. Berends was close behind, taking sixth place with a mark of 10:34.13.
The Taylor distance squad continued its solid day in the 4x800-meter relay as the TU quartet of Rachel Blagg, Margie Crosby, Anna Souzis, and Anna Craig collected a victory with an NAIA B standard time of 9:45.51.
Blagg added a victory in the 1,000-meters with a time of 3:03.66 while sophomore Maddie Weeden posted an 11th place finish with a time of 3:24.55 and fellow sophomore Amanda Dibley clocked a time of 3:27.07 to finish in 14th place.
TU standout Plenseh-Tay Sakeuh collected a victory in the long jump with a mark of 5.76 meters while adding a second place finish in the 60-meter hurdles with an NAIA A standard mark of 8.97.
Freshman Lilly Walter added a third place finish for the Trojans in the 400-meters with a time of 1:04.19.
Trojans claimed four of the top seven spots in the 600-meters led by Souzis with a third place finish and a time of 1:44.33. Crosby was next in fourth place at 1:47.37 followed by Andrea Kempf in fifth place at 1:49.07 and Mikaela Grout in seventh place at 1:52.36.
Harden and Bluemel added top five finishes in the 800-meters with Harden taking third at 2:24.51 followed by Bluemel in fourth at 2:25.29.
Livy Schroder added a second place finish in the 5,000-meters with a time of 18:44.39.
In addition to her performance in the DMR, Wood added a third place finish in the triple jump with a mark of 10.49 meters.
Junior Brianna Jordahl tallied a second place finish in the shot put with a mark of 11.73 meters while freshman Walliscia McKinney added a sixth place finish with a mark of 10.83 meters. Jordahl collected a fourth place finish in the weight throw at 13.62 meters.
The Trojans will compete in the first-ever Crossroads League Indoor Track and Field Championships next weekend with competition beginning on Friday, Feb. 9 and continuing on Saturday, Feb. 10.