Westminster Claims First SLIAC Women's Track & Field Invitational

ST. LOUIS – Westminster College (Mo.) won its first St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SLIAC) Women's Track and Field Invitational last Saturday. The Invitational, held in conjunction with the Illinois College True Blue Open, was scored independently of the main meet.

The Blue Jays tallied a total of 146 points to hold the advantage over second place Greenville College by only 19 points. Westminster won a total of four events, while the Panthers took home six individual titles. Principia College won five events and finished with a total of 88 points for third place. Webster University finished in fourth place with 61 points and won two events, while Fontbonne won one event and placed sixth overall with 20 points. Eureka College (28 points) and Spalding University (4 points) also competed.

Greenville's Taylor Brunner captured four individual titles alone in the field events. She won the long jump (4.66m), triple jump (10.00m), javelin throw (34.30m) and high jump (1.45m). Principia's Lyssa Winslow claimed two titles in the field, winning the shot put (12.39m) and discus throw (38.66m), while also placing second in the hammer throw. Greenville's Maggie McMurtrey won an individual title in the hammer throw with a throw of 47.56 meters.

On the track, Webster's Jenny Howard was the lone dual winner. She placed first in both the 100 meter dash (12.54 seconds) and 200 meter dash (25.95 seconds). Fontbonne's Alyssa Tonner won the 5000 meter run in a time of 18:24.59, while Westminster and Greenville won the 4x400 and 4x100 relays respectively.

Other individual title winners include Westminster's Michelle Aiello (10,000 meter run) with a time of 43:48.69, Kaily Downey (1500 meter run) in 4:59.52 and Sarah Ogar (400 meter dash) with a time of 1:00.62. Principia's individual winners include Casey Powell (800 meter run), Kathryn Croney (100 meter hurdles) and Emily Osborne (3000 meter steeplechase).

The meet was scored on a 10-8-6-4-2-1 basis, no school could score more than three competitors in any event and events were scored regardless of the number of SLIAC participants.

This marked the fourth year that the SLIAC has sponsored a Men's and Women's Outdoor Track and Field Invitational.