Ashland University senior Drew Windle concluded his Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference indoor track and field career with another 800-meter run championship – and a new conference record.
Windle won the 800 in 1:49.38, not only setting a new GLIAC meet standard, but a new Saginaw Valley State fieldhouse record, as well. He also was part of the men's 4x400-meter relay team which finished fifth, but also bested the previous GLIAC record. Also on the relay were senior Waquiem Comar, freshman Halen Witcher and senior Elijha Owens.
Junior Nick Hall won a league title in the men's mile run, setting a new fieldhouse record in 4:11.03. Owens also won and set a new fieldhouse standard in the men's 60-meter hurdles (7.92), and Comar was fourth and broke the old fieldhouse mark (8.17).
Also on the men's side, senior Eric Thompkins was second and improved on his previous provisional nationals-qualifying mark in the 60-meter dash (6.82), Owens was third and bettered the previous fieldhouse record in the 400-meter dash (48.25) and sophomore Jason Zahn improved on his previous provisional mark in the shot put (sixth, 56-feet-7¼).
In the women's shot put, four of the top seven placers were Eagles. Junior Jamie Sindelar, the 2015 GLIAC indoor women's Field Athlete of the Year, won with an automatic nationals-qualifying improvement to 55-feet-4¼. Senior Jessica Bridenthal was third (48-feet-0), sophomore Megan Tomei was fifth (47-feet-5) and senior Shatora Lewis was seventh (46-feet-8).
Freshman Irene Skinner, named the 2015 GLIAC indoor women's Running Freshman of the Year, set a new GLIAC meet record in winning the women's 400-meter dash (55.54), and improved on her previous provisional mark in finishing third in the women's 200-meter dash (24.97). Senior Jennifer Foster won the women's high jump with a top effort of 5-feet-8½, and senior Jennifer Bjelac won the pentathlon with 3,807 points, improving on her previous provisional total.
The AU women, ranked No. 1 in the country, finished second in the team standings (107) to Grand Valley State (156.5). The Eagle men, also ranked first in Division II, were fourth (97) behind the Lakers (155), Tiffin (107) and Findlay (102).
Those Ashland athletes who qualify will compete in the NCAA Division II Championships, March 13-14 in Birmingham, Ala.
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