WOMEN'S TRACK WINS THE CCAC CHAMPIONSHIP IN RECORD-SETTING FASHION

JOLIET, Ill. – The Olivet Nazarene University women's track and field team competed in the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC) Championships on Friday and Saturday.  The Tigers won their 11th-straight conference crown, with a CCAC record, 352 points.    

Friday's Action

In the track events, Taylor Widder and Naomi Dalquist both earned All-Conference honors in the 3000m steeplechase.  Widder finished second with a time of 12:34.29, while Dahlquist clocked a time of 12:37.21. In the 10k, Sarai Vargas won the race and earned an "A" qualifying standard with a time of 36:38.54.  Jacey Schickel took second-place in the race with a final time of 39:27.24.  The Tigers closed the track events on the day with a third-place finish in the 4x800 meter relay.     

The Tigers got off a great start in the field on Friday as Lynette Latocha won the high jump with a mark of 1.59 meters.  In the long jump, Hannah Antkoviak placed third in the event with a mark of 5.14 meters.  In the discus throw, the Tigers saw Courtney Hall and Kayla Mikottis earning all-conference status with finishes of second and third place.  Hall's mark was 36.27 meters, while Mikottis notched a mark of 36.08 meters. The Tigers then took the first three places in the javelin with Avery Spencer winning the event with a mark of 39.68 meters.  Her mark was good for a "B" qualifying standard and the 20th best mark in the nation.  Madeline Manganiello and Tori Orton placed second and third with final marks of 34.48 and 30.21 meters.   

The Tigers led the seven-team field after one day with 115 points. 

Saturday Action

The Tigers got off to a great start on the track on Saturday.  Kimberly Brent and Linda Griffith took all-conference honors in the 100-meter dash.  Brent finished with a time of 12.08 seconds, while Griffth took third with a time of 12.15 seconds.  Brent earned a "B" qualifying standard in the race.  Brent followed that up with a runner-up finish in the 200-meter dash with a time of 24.94, while Tera Miller earned a third-place finish with a time of 24.99 seconds.  Miller then won the 400-meter dash with a time of 58 seconds, flat.

 In the hurdling events, Antkoviak and Griffith took the first and second places.  Antkoviak clocked a time of 14.43, which is an "A" qualifying standard and is 20th in the nation, while Griffith finished with a time of 14.52 seconds.  Meghann Cullen also earned all-conference honors with a third-place finish.  Antkoviak completed the hurdle sweep with a victory in the 400-hurdles with a time of 1:01.97, which is good for an "A" qualifying standard and is currently seventh in the nation.  The Tigers concluded matters on the track with a pair of victories in the 4x100 and 4x400 meter relay.  ONU won the 4x100 with a time of 46.92, which is good for an "A" qualifying standard and is currently sixth in the NAIA.  The Tigers also stood on-top of the podium on the 4x400 with a time of 3:57.97. 

Olivia Earl, Ellie Schoon, and Karleigh Baran sweep All-Conference honors in the pole vault to kick off field action for the Tigers.  Earl placed first with a mark of 3.20 meters, while Schoon and Baron notched marks of 3.05 meters each.  Manganiello then continued her impressive conference performance as she won the triple jump with a mark of 11.57 meters, which is good for a "B" qualifying standard.  Melissa Sanders also earned all-conference honors with a third-place finish in the event.  In the shot put, Madeleine Robinson crushed the competition with a mark of 14.71 meters, which is not only an "A" qualifying standard, but is third in the nation.  Lana Krone earned a third-place finish in the event.  Robinson then won the hammer throw with a mark of 49.99 meters.  Hall finished second in the event while earning a "B" qualifying standard and is currently 17th in the nation. 

The Tigers won the conference meet for the 11th-straight season as they earned 352 points.  Saint Xavier and St. Francis each finished in second-place with 114 points.  Antkoviak earned the Track Performer of the Meet, while Robinson earned the Field Performer of the Meet.  Head Coach Kyle Rago earned his second-straight Coach of the Year honor.   

Below are all of the All-Conference performers for the Tigers

*Denotes "B" Qualifying Standard

#Denotes "A" Qualifying Standard

WHAT'S NEXT?

The Tigers compete in the USF Last Chance Invitational on Thursday, May 12 through Friday, May 13th.  The times are yet to be determined and please visit onutigers.com for more information. 

--ONU—

*Contact: Sam Viebrock, Sports Information Director, stviebrock@olivet.edu