As the men completed their three-peat of PSAC Championships, the Shippensburg University women’s indoor track and field team completed its own marker — a four-peat and its sixth overall PSAC title.
Senior Katie Spratford earned the Track MVP as she helped hoist the Raiders to the victory in the championships — 32 points ahead of No. 2 Edinboro University. Spratford ran an NCAA Provisional qualifier, 5:00.18 one-mile run, to pick up a two-second victory ahead of Bloomsburg University’s Victoria Davis. Spratford followed that up in the 3K run, boasting another NCAA provisional qualifier, finishing the race at 9:50.86, defending her crown from last season.
As if that was not enough for the senior runner, she also paced the distance medley relay to a first place finish with fellow teammates: Heather Weiss, Rachel Haupt and Jessica Collins.
Caitlin Stuetz and Edinboro University’s Tabitha Blemis switched places in the 60-meter hurdles, offering a bit of intrigue in the meet. After winning the preliminary heat, Stuetz could not overtake Bemis in the finals, finishing one-tenth of a second behind Bemis. Bemis’ time of 8.60 seconds tied a conference record set by Andi Rose of Slippery Rock University in 2007.
Stuetz led the 4X400 relay team to a second-place finish later in the meet. Briana Fells, Monique Clemons, Stuetz and Megan Lundy finished two seconds behind EU and one second from an NCAA Provisional qualifier.
Lundy had an impressive inaugural campaign at the PSAC championships as she earned a victory in the 400-meter dash. Lundy blazed through the finish line one second before her next competitor — Millersville University’s Erin Madison.
Meanwhile in the field, Erin Flick earned fifth place in the high jump, clearing 5 feet, 5 3/4 inches. Megan Breski’s clearing of 12 feet, 1/2 inches earned her third place in the pole vault.
Sarah Brotzman took home second place in the 20-pound weight throw, falling just short of East Stroudsburg University’s Elizabeth Madden. Brotzman’s finished with 51 feet, 1 and 3/4 inches in the contest — one inch short of Madden.
The NCAA Championship meet will be held March 8–9 in Birmingham, Ala.
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