GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Only three points separated the top three teams as the Siena Heights women's track and field team was named the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference Champions on Friday after the conference meet. SHU also earned the WHAC Most Valuable Player, Newcomer of the Year and the Coach of the Year awards.
With 30 points for the Saints, Ashley O'Neill took home the Most Valuable Player Award. Asia Gardner earned the Newcomer of the Year award for her two second place performances. Head Coach Kirk Richards earned the Coach of the Year Award for helping SHU to the WHAC Championship Title.
Earning the title in the hammer throw was Ashley O'Neill. She threw nearly four meters further than second place opponent, O'Neill throwing 53.05 meters. Rachel O'Neill took third with a distance of 48.93m.
In the shot put, Ashley O'Neill again took first place with a distance of 13.35 meters. Finishing in fourth and fifth was Courtney Taylor and Rachel O'Neill, respectively, with distances of 12.33m and 12.30m.
With her third win of the day was Ashley O'Neill in the discus with a distance of 47.70 meters. Rachel O'Neill and Tina Miller took fifth and sixth with distances of 40.33m and 38.47m, respectively.
Alexis Moore claimed the 400 meter dash title as she crossed finish line in 56.43 seconds.
Clearing the bar at 1.74 meters was Marissa Johnson, winning the WHAC title in the high jump.
With a vault of 3.70 meters, Tasha McKinley claimed the first place position via tie-breaker against fellow Saint Sheila McKinley.
Tina Miller threw the javelin 37.74 meters to take first place, over three meters further than the second place performer. In fourth and fifth place were Kennedi Kane and Kayla Gillespie, respectively. Kane threw the javelin 31.58 meters as Gillespie threw 30.21 meters.
The Saints took second in the 4x100m relay in 47.69. The relay consisted of Young-Brooks, Emily Hill, Moore and Asia Gardner.
SHU finished second in the 4x400 meter relay, crossing the finish line in 3:55.05. The relay consisted of Mariah Ridal, Ashley Russo, Brianna Pekel and Moore.
In the 10,000 meter run, Kristin Stobinski claimed second place with a time of 38:33.03.
Three Saints finished in the top six in the 200 meter dash, Garnder in second (24.58), Moore (25.04) in fifth and Young-Brooks in sixth (25.19).
SHU earned two more top-six finishes in the 100m dash. Gardner crossed the finish line in second at 11.78 while Young-Brooks followed in fifth at 11.96.
In the 800m run, Mariah Ridal and Brianna Pekel claimed third and fourth, finishing in 2:22.35 and 2:22.94, respectively.
Ashley Russo finished fourth in the 1500 meter run in 4:53.97. Following in sixth place was 4:58.69.
Mildrenae Young-Brooks finished second in the triple jump, going 11.39 meters. She also took fifth place in the long jump with a distance of 5.56 meters. Charlena Williams took fifth in the triple jump with a distance of 11.26 meters.
As a team, the Saints are headed to the NAIA Outdoor National Championships set for May 25-27 in Gulf Shores, Alabama.
WHAC Women's Team Scores
1. Siena Heights, 176
2. Aquinas, 175
3. Indiana Tech, 174
4. Davenport, 71
5. Cornerstone, 37
6. Concordia, 11
7. Madonna, 7
