FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Clark Teuscher, Sports Information Director, 630-637-5302

Results

WHEATON, Ill. (Apr. 5, 2014) - Nine first-place finishes in 20 events, including a new school record, propelled the North Central College women's track and field team to victory in its 2014 outdoor season opener on Saturday, as the 13th-ranked Cardinals cruised to a first-place showing in an eight-team field in the Wheaton College Invitational at McCully Stadium.

North Central's total of 225 points easily outdistanced second-place Aurora University's total of 163, while Carthage College finished third with 150.50.

The Cardinals' Lina Baker unleashed a winning distance of 180 feet, 10 inches in the hammer throw, eclipsing her own North Central record by nearly eight feet and posting the top mark among all NCAA Division III competitors thus far this season. Kayla Etherton placed third in the event with a mark of 142'1" which ranks fourth in school history. The Cardinals also swept the top two spots in the javelin throw as Claire Taylor and Sarah Steger finished first (115'2") and second (100'7"), respectively, and Steger also placed third in the discus throw (122'4").

Nora Ferguson was North Central's lone two-event winner, prevailing in the 800- (2:16.32) and 1,500-meter runs (4:45.3), while Madison Renfro and Jocelyn Redlinski swept the top two spots in the 100-meter hurdles. Renfro's time of 14.64 seconds is third-fastest at North Central, while Redlinski tied her personal best with a time of 14.79 and also won the long jump (17'3 1/2"). Megan Costanzo won the 5,000-meter run (18:04.59), while Kelsey Kirk placed first in the high jump (5'3 3/4") and Brooke Patterson won the pole vault (10'11 3/4"). 

Other second-place showings came from MIranda Rorer in the 100-meter dash (12.69), Katelyn Zumpf in the 3,000-meter steeplechase (11:56.64) and the 4-by-100-meter relay team of Renfro, Rorer, Brittny Olson and Sade Gant (49.77). Also placing third were Kaitlin Knowles in the 400-meter dash (1:01.47), Emily Trent in the steeplechase (12:18.33), Jordan Flowers in the high jump (5'1 3/4") and Courtney Meyer in the pole vault (10'6").

The Cardinals will travel to Lewis University next weekend for the Chicagoland Outdoor Championships.