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ANDERSON, Ind. – In their first full-team scored event of the 2008 season, the Goshen College women's track and field turned in a solid second-place finish at the Anderson University Invite Saturday in Anderson.
The Maples Leafs tallied 94 points, just twelve behind host Anderson at the eight-team event. Goshen also distanced themselves from a pair of Mid-Central Conference foes in the event as Taylor picked up 64 points and Grace finished with 54.
"With the women's team finishing second and the men's team third, this was our best combined finish at an invite in a couple of years," said Head Coach Rick Clark. "Both teams displayed good strength in the field events, while we got a number of good performances on the track also."
Highlighting the event was Junior Deanna Kronk, who set a new Goshen College Indoor School record in the weight throw. Her throw of 49'4 1/2" bested her own record from last year by nearly two feet (click here for related article). The North Wood High School product did more damage in the shot put as her 41'4 1/2" mark won the event.
"Kronk had an outstanding meet by establishing a new school record in the weight throw and hitting the NAIA national qualifying mark in both the weight throw and the shot put," added Clark.
The Maple Leafs boasted another pair of winners, leading Goshen to an incredible ten top-three finishes in Anderson. Fairfield High School graduate Kelsey Herschberger started her collegiate career off strong with a winning jump of 5-feet even in the high jump.
Sophomore Rachael Baker seemed to own the distance events, winning the 800-meters with a time of 2:28.12 and gutting out a third-place finish in the mile run (5:31.05). Along with Rachel Versluis and Peni Acayo, Baker and Herschberger capped off their days with another top-three finish in the 4X400-meter relay. The Maple Leafs ran the event in 4:26.97, which was good for third-place.
Continuing the fast start to her junior year, Abri Houser placed in four of the five events she entered earning valuable points in the pentathlon for indoor national competition. Her second-place finish in the 55-meter hurdles (8.65) was another NAIA national qualifying time for the Newton, Kansas native. Houser also finished third in the high jump (4'8"), fourth in the long jump (15'1 1/4"), and sixth in the 800-meters (3:31.39).
Other strong finishes by the Maple Leafs were Rachel Versluis in the pole vault (2nd, 9'6"), Peni Acayo (3rd, 15' 1 1/2") and Heather Zimmerman (5th, 13'8 3/4") in the long jump, and Krista Nussbaum with a sixth place finish in the weight throw (36'8").
Goshen returns to the track on Saturday, February 16th at the Indiana Wesleyan Invite in Marion, Indiana. |
Sophomore Rachael Baker