Lehigh impresses at Penn Relays and Lehigh Games

Thursday, April 23

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Photo by: Don Paul

Lehigh impresses at Penn Relays and Lehigh Games

4/25/2015 7:14:00 PM | Women's Track and Field

Lehigh Games Results | Penn Relays Results

BETHLEHEM, Pa. -- The Lehigh women's track and field team wrapped up its final competitions before next weekend's Patriot League Championships with several successful performances at the Lehigh Games on the Goodman Campus Track and the prestigious Penn Relays in Philadelphia. The Mountain Hawks earned five event victories at the Lehigh Games to highlight the busy weekend.

"We're approaching the Patriot League Championship meet like a cumulative final and this weekend was our chance to review, brush up and study," said head coach Matt Utesch. "I think we're going to knock it out of the park next weekend. We have a bunch of kids that just keep improving and are really ready to run fast. We had kids like Amanda Youngblood step up and knock it out of the park today and if we continue to do that next week I think we'll be in very good shape."

Sophomore Courtney Avery finished ninth in the high jump at the Penn Relays with a leap of 1.68 meters before turning out an ECAC-qualifying 1.70 meter leap Saturday at the Lehigh Games to grab first place. Senior Carly Deskins threw the javelin 37.80 meters to finish 23rd at the Penn Relays.

Lehigh's 4x100 meter relay team of sophomores Katie Hatler, Leah Ferguson and Kaitlyn Ruffing, along with freshman Liyala Dickens crossed the finish line in 50.66 seconds Thursday at the Penn Relays.

Ruffing joined freshmen Amanda Fischer and Hanna Brosky as well as senior Victoria Mullane in the 4x400 meter relay as the quartet crossed the finish line in 3:58.23 to round out competition at the Penn Relays.

At the Lehigh games, sophomore Katie Hatler ran the 100 meter hurdles in 14.60 seconds to grab first place. Sophomore Kaitlyn Ruffing claimed the 200 meter dash title with a time of 26.16 seconds, while senior Halie Carter picked up first place in the 400 meter dash with a clip of 58.32. The Mountain Hawks' 4x100 meter relay team earned the top spot with a time of 48.13 seconds.

Lehigh took three of the top five spots in the 800 meter run, led by freshman Tyler Scanlin with a time of 2:16.52 that was good for second place. Senior Babette Hohrath finished second in the 400 meter hurdles with a time of 1:05.55.

Freshman Samantha Lerner took third in the 3,000 meter steeplechase with a time of 11:51.40, while classmate Jennifer Burke picked up fourth place in the 5,000 meter run after racing to the finish line in 19:14.80. Sophomore Brenna Clark earned third in the 1,500 meter run with a clip of 4:44.45. Dickens led the way in the 100 meter dash, crossing the line in 12.90 to grab third place.

Sophomore Michaela Bubak picked up the hammer throw title with a mark of 47.28 meters. Lehigh claimed three of the top five spots in the javelin throw, led by sophomore Melody Walthers with a heave of 40.33 meters that was good for second place. Junior Gabrielle Wardle led the way in the long jump with a leap of 5.15 meters that was good for third place, while sophomore Kiana Wright finished third in the triple jump with a mark of 10.99 meters. Freshman Amanda Youngblood (11.30 meters) and senior Carly Deskins (11.07 meters) finished fourth and fifth, respectively, in the shot put. Youngblood was also Lehigh's top finisher in the hammer throw with a heave of 38.32 meters that was good for third place.

Lehigh heads to Army next weekend for the two-day Patriot League Championship meet that begins Friday.