Friday, May 6
Lewisburg, Pa.
ALL DAY
Lehigh University
at
Patriot League Championships
Wardle and Avery Win Titles as Lehigh Finishes Third at Patriot League Championships
5/7/2016 8:09:00 PM | Women's Track and Field
Complete Results (TFRRS) | Women (HTML)
LEWISBURG, Pa. – The Lehigh women's track and field team competed to a third place finish on Saturday's final day of the Patriot League Championships. Senior Gabrielle Wardle capped off her spectacular weekend with her third championship of the meet in the heptathlon, while being voted the Outstanding Field Performer of the Meet. Wardle previously won the long jump and javelin on Friday, helping her earn the first major award of her career. She also notched a runner-up performance in the high jump, an event won by junior Courtney Avery, which was the fifth league title of Avery's career. The championships earned Wardle and Avery spots on the All-Patriot League First Team, while Amanda Youngblood (discus), Elizabeth Weiler (10K) and Wardle (high jump) earned All-PL Second Team honors for their runner-up showings this weekend.
"There is not a place that we were weak," said head coach Matt Utesch. "It was a phenomenal effort and the most points we've ever scored. In some past years that would've been enough to win it or finish second."
Wardle won three of the heptathlon's seven events including the long jump and javelin on Saturday to walk away with a personal record 4,921 points, good for the highest heptathlon score in the league this season. Junior teammate Sarah Cassidy placed fourth overall with 4,348 points.
"What Elly (Wardle) did is fairly unprecedented," Utesch said. "She scored 38 points, won three titles and a runner-up. She also qualified for nationals in the javelin and has a great shot of making it in the high jump. No one deserved it more than her. Just a herculean effort on her part.
"Cassidy was in last place after falling early and battled back to place fourth in the heptathlon," Utesch added. "She hit PRs in the high jump, the 200 and 800. Tyler Bannister finished fifth in high jump and battled her way back after falling early on as well."
Lehigh's fourth and final championship of the meet came from Avery in Saturday's high jump. Avery cleared the bar at 1.75 meters, leading the way in an event once again dominated by Lehigh athletes. The Mountain Hawks made it a clean sweep of the event as Wardle took second place (1.70m), followed by junior Brittany Le Jouan in third place at 1.65m. Freshman Tyler Bannister made it four Mountain Hawks in the top five, leaping into fifth place at 1.60m. For Avery, she sweeps the season's high jump crowns, having won this year's indoor and outdoor titles. She now hold five league high jump titles to her credit.
"Courtney does what she does…and that's win," Utesch said. "That's her second outdoor championship. She's clearly class of league in high jump great has a great future ahead of her here in the next couple weeks, trying to repeat at ECAC's next weekend."
Youngblood tallied a new PR in the discus with her runner-up showing of 44.50 meters. Paige Grossman also PR-ed in the event to place round out the top 10, tossing the disk 39.33 meters. Youngblood also scored team points with her fifth place finish in the shot put of 12.48m with Nia Baker following suit by taking seventh place overall (12.33m).
Kiana Wright led Lehigh in seventh place of the triple jump, flying 11.64 meters to pick up a pair of team points. Noreen Byrne also placed in the top half of the field in ninth place with a new PR of 11.26m.
On the track, Katie Hatler earned a podium finish of 14.43 seconds in the 100 meter hurdles, the second top-three finish in the event of her career. Byrne led Lehigh in the 400m hurdles, hitting an ECAC qualifying mark in fourth place (1:02.87).
"Byrne had a two-second PR in 400 hurdles, and Youngblood was amazing in discus," Utesch said.
Maura Henderson grabbed a spot on the podium in the 3,000m steeplechase with a new personal record, third place time of 11:00.96, followed by Stacie Nadel in 10th place (11:32.95).
"Maura was amazing in the steeple," Utesch said. "She just picked it up this year. Two weeks ago we were teaching her how to hurdle. Now here she is finishing third as a freshman, and then she came back and scored in the 5K."
The 400 meter dash saw Kaitlyn Ruffing (58.66) lead the way in 11th place followed by Lindsay Voltz (PR-59.84) and Rachel Okun (PR-1:00.08). Hanna Brosky (7th/2:13.12) and Marissa Karl (8th/2:13.45) paced the team in the 800m run, followed by Laura Barnes (11th/2:15.61) and Ann O'Connell (13th/2:16.97), with all setting PRs.
In the 1500m, Barnes (4:33.78) and Karl (4:33.81) finished back-to-back in fifth and sixth place with ECAC qualifying marks and PRs, followed by Stephanie Hayes in 11th (4:39.23).
One day after taking runner-up in the 10K, Weiler returned on Saturday and competed in the 5K, crossing the finish line in fourth place (17:29.73). Henderson took the team's second spot in seventh place overall (17:56.29), with O'Connell rounding out the top 10 (18:04.66).
In the relays, Lehigh took sixth place (48.42 seconds) in the 4x100 courtesy of Hatler, Leah Ferguson, Liyala Dickens and Courtney Wu. The 4x400 relay closed out the weekend's action on the women's side with Voltz, Brosky, Okun and Ruffing taking seventh place (3:55.95).
"Biz (Weiler) was amazing and not holding back, finishing fourth in the 5K" Utesch said "And there were some amazing efforts on the women's side from 4x4 and splits they ran."
Several members of the Mountain Hawks will now compete at next weekend's ECAC/IC4A Championships. The meet will be held at Princeton University from May 13-15. Check back to Lehighsports.com throughout the week for previews leading up to the meet.
2016 Women's Track and Field Final Standings
Team                                    Points
1. Bucknell                         201.5
2. Boston University      161
3. Lehigh                             148.5
4. Navy                                96.5
5. Army West Point        84
6. Holy Cross                     62
7. Lafayette                       58.5
8. American                       27
9. Loyola (Md.)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 10
10. Colgate                         9
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LEWISBURG, Pa. – The Lehigh women's track and field team competed to a third place finish on Saturday's final day of the Patriot League Championships. Senior Gabrielle Wardle capped off her spectacular weekend with her third championship of the meet in the heptathlon, while being voted the Outstanding Field Performer of the Meet. Wardle previously won the long jump and javelin on Friday, helping her earn the first major award of her career. She also notched a runner-up performance in the high jump, an event won by junior Courtney Avery, which was the fifth league title of Avery's career. The championships earned Wardle and Avery spots on the All-Patriot League First Team, while Amanda Youngblood (discus), Elizabeth Weiler (10K) and Wardle (high jump) earned All-PL Second Team honors for their runner-up showings this weekend.
"There is not a place that we were weak," said head coach Matt Utesch. "It was a phenomenal effort and the most points we've ever scored. In some past years that would've been enough to win it or finish second."
Wardle won three of the heptathlon's seven events including the long jump and javelin on Saturday to walk away with a personal record 4,921 points, good for the highest heptathlon score in the league this season. Junior teammate Sarah Cassidy placed fourth overall with 4,348 points.
"What Elly (Wardle) did is fairly unprecedented," Utesch said. "She scored 38 points, won three titles and a runner-up. She also qualified for nationals in the javelin and has a great shot of making it in the high jump. No one deserved it more than her. Just a herculean effort on her part.
"Cassidy was in last place after falling early and battled back to place fourth in the heptathlon," Utesch added. "She hit PRs in the high jump, the 200 and 800. Tyler Bannister finished fifth in high jump and battled her way back after falling early on as well."
Lehigh's fourth and final championship of the meet came from Avery in Saturday's high jump. Avery cleared the bar at 1.75 meters, leading the way in an event once again dominated by Lehigh athletes. The Mountain Hawks made it a clean sweep of the event as Wardle took second place (1.70m), followed by junior Brittany Le Jouan in third place at 1.65m. Freshman Tyler Bannister made it four Mountain Hawks in the top five, leaping into fifth place at 1.60m. For Avery, she sweeps the season's high jump crowns, having won this year's indoor and outdoor titles. She now hold five league high jump titles to her credit."Courtney does what she does…and that's win," Utesch said. "That's her second outdoor championship. She's clearly class of league in high jump great has a great future ahead of her here in the next couple weeks, trying to repeat at ECAC's next weekend."
Youngblood tallied a new PR in the discus with her runner-up showing of 44.50 meters. Paige Grossman also PR-ed in the event to place round out the top 10, tossing the disk 39.33 meters. Youngblood also scored team points with her fifth place finish in the shot put of 12.48m with Nia Baker following suit by taking seventh place overall (12.33m).
Kiana Wright led Lehigh in seventh place of the triple jump, flying 11.64 meters to pick up a pair of team points. Noreen Byrne also placed in the top half of the field in ninth place with a new PR of 11.26m.
On the track, Katie Hatler earned a podium finish of 14.43 seconds in the 100 meter hurdles, the second top-three finish in the event of her career. Byrne led Lehigh in the 400m hurdles, hitting an ECAC qualifying mark in fourth place (1:02.87).
"Byrne had a two-second PR in 400 hurdles, and Youngblood was amazing in discus," Utesch said.
Maura Henderson grabbed a spot on the podium in the 3,000m steeplechase with a new personal record, third place time of 11:00.96, followed by Stacie Nadel in 10th place (11:32.95).
"Maura was amazing in the steeple," Utesch said. "She just picked it up this year. Two weeks ago we were teaching her how to hurdle. Now here she is finishing third as a freshman, and then she came back and scored in the 5K."
The 400 meter dash saw Kaitlyn Ruffing (58.66) lead the way in 11th place followed by Lindsay Voltz (PR-59.84) and Rachel Okun (PR-1:00.08). Hanna Brosky (7th/2:13.12) and Marissa Karl (8th/2:13.45) paced the team in the 800m run, followed by Laura Barnes (11th/2:15.61) and Ann O'Connell (13th/2:16.97), with all setting PRs.
In the 1500m, Barnes (4:33.78) and Karl (4:33.81) finished back-to-back in fifth and sixth place with ECAC qualifying marks and PRs, followed by Stephanie Hayes in 11th (4:39.23).
One day after taking runner-up in the 10K, Weiler returned on Saturday and competed in the 5K, crossing the finish line in fourth place (17:29.73). Henderson took the team's second spot in seventh place overall (17:56.29), with O'Connell rounding out the top 10 (18:04.66).
In the relays, Lehigh took sixth place (48.42 seconds) in the 4x100 courtesy of Hatler, Leah Ferguson, Liyala Dickens and Courtney Wu. The 4x400 relay closed out the weekend's action on the women's side with Voltz, Brosky, Okun and Ruffing taking seventh place (3:55.95).
"Biz (Weiler) was amazing and not holding back, finishing fourth in the 5K" Utesch said "And there were some amazing efforts on the women's side from 4x4 and splits they ran."
Several members of the Mountain Hawks will now compete at next weekend's ECAC/IC4A Championships. The meet will be held at Princeton University from May 13-15. Check back to Lehighsports.com throughout the week for previews leading up to the meet.
2016 Women's Track and Field Final Standings
Team                                    Points
1. Bucknell                         201.5
2. Boston University      161
3. Lehigh                             148.5
4. Navy                                96.5
5. Army West Point        84
6. Holy Cross                     62
7. Lafayette                       58.5
8. American                       27
9. Loyola (Md.)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 10
10. Colgate                         9
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Players Mentioned
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Distance
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Mid-Distance
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Sprints
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Mid-Distance
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Distance
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Sprints
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Mid-Distance
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Multi/Jumps
/ Women's Track and Field
Distance
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Jumps
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Sprints
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