Junior Ashley Laukus won the high jump at Sunday’s Schuylkill Showcase, clearing 5 feet, 8 inches and setting a school record in the process. It capped off a strong week for SU track and field.
Laukus’s effort breaks the 16-year-old mark set by Rebekah Newhart, who cleared 5 feet, 7.75 inches at the 2010 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) championships. She is now tied for the PSAC lead and tied for tenth place in the NCAA Division II leaderboard.
On Sunday, freshman Izzy Slezak finished second in the 200 meters, her time of 25.52 seconds placing eighth in Raiders’ history. Senior Emily Calamia improved her best time in the 60 meters, with her effort of 7.86 seconds, keeping her tenth in school history.
SU’s women’s team also sent a contingent of athletes to compete at Bucknell’s Bison Challenge & Multi this weekend. Senior Lauren Bellows was the standout, as her weight throw of 51 feet, 8.25 inches moves her up one spot to ninth in the SU record book.
Other notables at Bucknell included a new season-best of 9.03 seconds from senior Madison Malcolm in the 60-meter hurdles and junior Anne Gardner placing third in the long jump at 16 feet, 8.75 inches, which is a new season-best.
On the men’s side, a trio of runners moved into the school’s top 10 with their efforts on Sunday. This was highlighted by junior Tommy Crum Jr., whose mile effort of 4:07.69 won the event and puts him fourth in Raider history.
Senior Chase Hensinger improved his personal best in the 800 meters. He was victorious in the event with a time of 1:52.87 and became fifth-best in SU history.
Senior Quinton Townsend cracked the top ten all-time at Shippensburg with his 200-meters time of 21.67 seconds, but he was not even the top Raider in the event. Freshman Ke’Aune Green was a tenth faster, finishing in second place.
The top field efforts for the men’s team came at Bucknell, where junior Gian Greggo earned NCAA qualifier marks in both the shot put and weight throw, finishing second in both events. Junior Ridge Crispino earned a PSAC qualifier in the weight throw, as well.
Three track athletes earned PSAC qualifiers on Saturday. Sophomore Owen Shrader placed fourth in the 800 meters at 1:57.90, senior Garrett Quinan ran the mile at 4:27.04 and sophomore Jaycen Conrad clocked in at 8:49.10 in the 3K.
Both of SU’s indoor track and field teams will be split across two meets again this week. A group of Raiders will head to Susquehanna for the River Hawk Friday Night Showdown at 3 p.m. on Friday, while the rest will be off to Penn State for the Sykes & Sabock Challenge at 11 a.m. on Saturday.
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