FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Clark Teuscher, Sports Information Director, 630-637-5302

Results

May 20, 2011 - The North Central College women's track and field team turned in a strong showing in its final home event of the 2011 outdoor campaign on Thursday and Friday, as the Cardinals hosted the Gregory Invitational at Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium.

The 17th-ranked Cardinals were able to post an automatic qualifying mark for the NCAA Division III Oudoor National Championships in the final event of the meet, as Lauren Brightmore, Linnea Higgins, Sheila Walsh and Krista Cota were clocked in 3 minutes, 49.95 seconds to lock up their spot in the national meet.

Six members of the squad were able to improve upon the provisional qualifying marks they had recorded for the championships. Brianna Tolliver turned in a school-record distance of 138 feet, 1 inch in the javelin throw to improve her provisional mark, while Kayla Murphy won the 200-meter dash in 25.16 seconds to lower her previous time. Cota was fourth in the 800-meter run (2:13.48), Amanda Laesch was fourth in the 1,500-meter run (4:35.46), Brightmore finished fifth in the 400-meter dash (56.77), and Alicia Zimmerman placed seventh in the 3,000-meter steeplechase (10:59.54). 

Also turning in provisional qualifying marks were Kala Bingham, who placed sixth in the 800 (2:13.93), and Amanda Marek, who finished 10th in the steeplechase (11:09.35).

The Cardinals also got a second-place finish from Murphy in the 200 (12.29), a tie for third place in the high jump from Michelle Criscione (5'3 1/4"), and a share of fourth place in the pole vault from Carolyn Kalafut (10'8").

This year's outdoor national championships will be contested at Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware, Ohio, May 26-28. More information about the championships can be found at http://www.ncaa.com/championships/trackfield-outdoor-women/d3.