Those traveling bags the Ashland University track and field team is carrying will be filled to the brim when they return home from Minnesota on Sunday. The NCAA Division II indoor track and field championships concluded on Saturday (Mar. 10) at Minnesota State-Mankato and AU is bringing home one Top 10 finish, another finish just outside the Top 10 and 19 All-America citations.
The Ashland men placed seventh with 29 points. The national championship went to Grand Canyon with 54 points. Adams State (47) was second and Southern Connecticut (39) was third.
The AU women finished 12th with 20 points. Grand Valley State won the national crown with ease. The Lakers ended the two-day event with 94 points. Adams State (51) was second and Lincoln (43) was third.
On Saturday, the men's 4X4 relay was fifth in 3:15.64. The gold medal went to St. Augustine's which completed the race in 3:14.23. The AU contingent included sophomores Jacob Cook (Lima, Ohio/Allen East) and Keith Cleveland (Cleveland, Ohio/Shaker Heights), freshman Damian Winner (Versailles, Ohio) and junior Cory Lamar (Wakeman, Ohio/Firelands).
Freshman Drew Windle (New Albany, Ohio) was sixth in the 800. His time was 1:54.03. Boris Berian of Adams State won the race (1:52.19).
For the women, senior Cheryl Bourne (New Straitsville, Ohio/Miller) was fourth in the indoor pentathlon. Bourne collected 3881 points. Lindsay Lettow of Central Missouri, who entered the event as the favorite, won with a meet record 4193 points. Her teammate, Erin Alewin, was second and also broke the meet record with 4134 points.
In the women's shot put, senior Kelly Ash (Coshocton, Ohio) was eighth (45-8). Her teammate, Jessica Bridenthal (Akron, Ohio/St. Vincent-St. Mary) finished ninth (45-3.75).
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