Women’s Weight Throwers Go 1-2-3 At GLIAC Meet

Ashland's senior trio of Shatora Lewis (center), Kim Habegger (right) and Jessica Bridenthal (left) finished 1-2-3 in the weight throw at the 2015 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championships. (Photo courtesy of the GLIAC.)
Ashland's senior trio of Shatora Lewis (center), Kim Habegger (right) and Jessica Bridenthal (left) finished 1-2-3 in the weight throw at the 2015 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championships. (Photo courtesy of the GLIAC.)

Ashland University's women's indoor track and field team's senior weight throwers achieved a podium clean sweep on Saturday (Feb. 28) on Day 1 at the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championships.

Shatora Lewis, Kim Habegger and Jessica Bridenthal not only went 1-2-3 in the weight throw to sweep all the spots on the podium, but all three also broke the previous Saginaw Valley State fieldhouse record. Lewis won the event with a top throw of 69-feet-2¾, Habegger finished at 64-feet-3¼ to go from a provisional nationals-qualifying mark to an automatic and Bridenthal finished at 63-feet-7.

Yet another Eagle senior, Jennifer Bjelac, finished third in the women's long jump with a top mark of 18-feet-5¾. Bjelac also turned in impressive efforts in the women's pentathlon, finishing first in the long jump (18-feet-7¼) and 800-meter run (2:23.34), and second in the high jump with an effort of 5-feet-5¾ that is better than her previous provisional nationals-qualifying mark.

On the men's side, five of the top eight spots in the weight throw were occupied by Eagles – and all of them broke the previous fieldhouse record. Senior Jared Conklin took second with a top throw of 71-feet-9½, topping his previous automatic nationals-qualifying mark by more than a foot-and-a-half. Senior Zac Ball was fourth (68-feet-11¾), sophomore Bryn Campbell was fifth (65-feet-4), sophomore Jordan Crayon was seventh (61-feet-11½) and senior Mack Taylor was eighth (61-feet-9¾).

The men's distance medley relay team of senior Joshua Davis, sophomores Columbus Millet and Austin Hill and senior Drew Windle finished third in 10:06.23, and freshman Lucas Ball was first in the shot put portion of the men's heptathlon (45-feet-1½).

The Eagle women, ranked No. 1 in Division II, are second as a team (46 points) after six scored events. Grand Valley State is first with 60.5 points. The AU men, also ranked first in the country, are third (28 points) after four scored events. Findlay is first with 37 points.

Day 2 of the GLIAC meet will begin on Sunday (March 1) at 9 a.m., with the final event of the day scheduled to begin at 3 p.m.

 

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