(Portions of this story courtesy of the Trinity University website)
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - After the first day of competition, the Trinity women are leading the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Track and Field Championships. Their one day total of 73 puts them just two points ahead of rival Centre College, and over 30 points ahead of Rhodes College. Official Website | Day One Results
Sophomore Maddie Murphy (40:27:09) narrowly edged out teammate Rosemary Steup (40:27:12) for the win in the 10,000m run. Murphy becomes the first Trinity runner to win the event since 2009, when Elizabeth Eder won in a still-standing conference record of 37:04.23. The last time the Tigers took first and second in the 10,000m, when Emily Loeffler (37:25.20) and Eder (37:25.66) did so in 2007, was also the last time the Trinity women took home the team crown.
The women's pole vault ended in heartbreak for junior Emily Shiraki. While she and freshman Taylor Gloor took second and third in the event, Shiraki was unable to defend her two-year title. Although she vaulted the same height as eventual winner Elizabeth Krug of Hendrix, 3.20m, it came down to a tie breaker, with Krug taking less misses than Shiraki, earning her the title.
Centre College senior Emily Niehaus won two events, the shot put (40' 11") and the hammer, and set a new SCAC championship meet record in the later with a toss of 177 feet, two inches. The victory in the shot is her third straight and the hammer victory completes a career sweep for her (four years) in that category. She is just the sixth woman in SCAC history to win an individual event four times: joining Julie Grahn of Trinity in the javelin (1995-1998), Christyn Schumann of Trinity in the high jump (2003-2006), Heather Stone of Sewanee in the 1,500 meters and 800 meters (1997-2000), Molly Buck of Rhodes in the 400-meter hurdles (2008-2011) and Beth Swearingen of Trinity in the pole vault (2000-2003).
Other winners on Friday included:
Long Jump - Sally Warm, Sewanee - 18' 0 1/2"
Pole Vault - Elizabeth Krug, Hendrix College - 10' 6"
Javelin - Shelby Moore, Birmingham-Southern College - 133' 7"
3,000 meter steeplechase - Hannah Ellis, Centre College - 11:46.70
The final day of competition will be tomorrow, beginning with the women's 4x100 meter relay.
