ELSAH, IL – The Principia track & field team had a very successful outdoor conference meet this weekend at Greenville University. The hosts ran away with both team titles as usual, but the Principia women finished with 115 points as the runner-up for the second straight season, while the Panther men finished in fourth with 101 points.
Individually, the Panthers won 18 medals and had conference champions in 9 different events.
Hannah Myers finished her senior season with the best meet of her career as she won gold medals in all three jumping events: high jump (1.62m), long jump (5.73m), and triple jump (11.41m). Her winning triple jump broke Kathy Kavana's 40-year old school record, while she broke her own school record from last year in the long jump. Thanks to her big weekend, Myers was chosen as the SLIAC Women's Outdoor Field Athlete of the Year at the end of the meet.
The other four individual champions for Principia were junior
Amarachi Ejimadu in the women's 100m and 200m, senior
Sophia Green in the women's 10,000m, senior
Nana Koranteng in the men's 400m hurdles and long jump, and senior
Mark Fisher in the men's hammer throw. Koranteng's two titles means he ties a unique conference record as he has now won gold medals in 6 different disciplines throughout his indoor and outdoor career. Ejimadu impressively completed the sweep of all four sprinting events indoors and outdoors this season, just like her teammate
Sana Udoekong last year. Udoekong dealt with injuries this season but is excited to get back in action next year.
Elsewhere, silver medals went to
Zach Proctor in the men's 5000m (16:04) and 10,000m (33:50),
Sophia Green in the women's 5000m (19:45),
Nana Koranteng in the men's triple jump (2:33.42), and
Kiara Smith in the women's high jump (1.57m). Bronze medals went to
Kennett Rampley in the men's 10,000m (34:06),
Marc-Quan Daniels in the men's shot put (13.28m) and men's hammer throw (42.50m),
Kiara Smith in the women's long jump (5.41m) and the women's 4x400m relay team of Ejimadu, Green,
Briana Baldridge, and
Danielle Vargas.
Other scoring athletes with personal best performances were
Ashtun Baker finishing fourth in the men's shot put (12.23m),
Ariana Williams finishing fifth in the women's long jump (5.26m),
Elyssa White finishing fifth in the women's hammer throw (36.08m), and
Eziuche Ejimadu finishing seventh and eighth in both the men's 200m (22.23) and 100m (10.91).
Congrats to all those who medaled and/or achieved personal records at the meet!
FULL RESULTS
A few members of the Panther squad will head to participate in a couple last chance meets to close the season as they hope to qualify for DIII Nationals in La Crosse, Wisconsin.
