MEMPHIS, TN – After two days of intense competition, the Women's Track & Field Team claimed their fourth consecutive SCAC Championship. With a total of 204.50 points, the Lynx easily outscored runner up perennial rivals DePauw University (150 points), Centre College (128 points), and Trinity University (112.50 points).
It was a banner meet for senior co-captain
Molly Buck (Austin, TX) as she amassed almost a fourth of the team's point total. She claimed victory in the 400m hurdles in a national automatic qualifying time of 1:01.85 and victory in the long jump with a distance of 17'6” (5.33m), second in the 100m hurdles in a national provisional time of 14.77 seconds, and second in the 400m dash with a time of 57.80 seconds. She also helped the 4x100m relay of freshman Mary Kate Mullen (Saint Louis, MO), sophomore
Megan Lee (Castro Valley, CA), and sophomore
Lindsay Svehla (Bellevue, NE) to a first place finish with a season best time of 48.80 and she anchored the 4x400m squad of freshman Jess Burnam (McLean, VA), senior
Sandy Henin (Cordova, TN), and Lee to victory with a time 3:58.97.
Henin also had a strong meet in her own right, winning both the 1,500m and 800m run. In what was a very competitive 800m race, Henin managed to outlast the runner up from DePauw, running a 2:18.19 to her 2:18.66. In the 1,500m it was a 1-2 finish for Rhodes as Henin secured the victory with a 4:48.27 and senior co-captain
Kelsey Dudziak (Williamstown, MA) finishing close on her heals in a 4:48.65. On day one of competition Dudziak not only ran to a lifetime best and a new school record in the 3,000m steeplechase, but her time of 11:09.82 also qualified her for the NCAA National Championships.
Junior
Taylor Stephens (Southlake, TX) ran two very strong and very intelligent races to win the 10,000m and 5,000m in respective times of 37:53.41 and 18:04.87. It was her second consecutive 10,000m conference championship and her first 5,000m title.
Freshman Amy Handelmann (Jackson, MS) smashed the school record in the hammer throw to place third. Her toss of 138'10” (42.32m) broke the previous school record of 120'11” (36.87m) held by teammate
Alison Lang (Colts Neck, NJ). Lang had a fantastic meet in her own right, bettering her personal best and previous school record with a distance of 131'7” (40.12m). In the javelin she also threw a lifetime best of 114'6” (34.89m) to place fifth it what was a very competitive field.
In all, it was a fantastic two days of competition, with many standout performances in all events. While a handful of athletes will continue on in pursuit of a birth into the national championships in May, this meet concludes what was a truly fantastic regular season for the Lynx.
