The Elon track and field team posted its highest finish ever in the Southern Conference championship meet.
“It was amazing on how well we performed this weekend,” said Elon head track and field coach Mark Elliston. “I’m so proud of them, they did great overall. Had a lot of great performances with six conference champions and a lot of school records.”
The Phoenix had six conference champions overall at the two-day meet, its highest total ever since earning five SoCon individual outdoor crowns in 2011.
Sophomore Megan Kirschling set a new SoCon outdoor record in the high jump, winning the event with a mark of 5’10.5″ (1.79m). Teammate Haley Laird was the runner up after clearing the bar with a new personal-best height of 5’7″ (1.70m). Kirschling’s mark moves her into No. 26 on the NCAA Division I East Outdoor Qualifying list for the NCAA Preliminary round on May 29 in Jacksonville, Fla.
Freshman Bréanna Warren set a new school record in the discus throw, winning the event with a mark of 153’2″ (46.68m). Warren, who came into the meet with the second-best mark in school history in the event, set the school record on her second throw of the day.
Another league championship and school record fell in the 400-meters as senior Bria Bell blazed past the competition. Bell clocked a time of 53.95 in the race, beating her previous personal-record of 55.14. Sophomore Jennifer Pash was fifth in the race with a new personal-record of 56.30. Bell’s time moved her to 25th on the East qualifying list.
Elon’s Sydney Griffin and Jennifer Esposito swept the hurdle races for Elon in the 100-meters and 400-meters, respectively. Griffin easily claimed the league title with a time of 13.83 while Esposito broke her own school record after breaking under the minute barrier with a time of 59.60. Veronica Luedke (fifth, 1:01.78) and Samantha Brown (sixth, 1:02.89) also scored for the Phoenix in the 400-meter hurdles.
The 4×100-meter relay team of Simone Jackson, Pash, Bell and Griffin earned All-SoCon accolades with a third-place standing time of 46.61. Kimberly Johansen became the second-fastest performer at Elon in the 1,500-meters with a new personal-best time of 4:31.95, receiving All-Freshman honors.
Another freshman, Carrie Abraham, recorded the second-best mark in school history in the triple jump with a leap of 39’10.5″ (12.15m). She also earned a spot on the All-Freshman team.
Charlise Morgan earned All-league honors in the shot put after finishing third with a heave of 45’8.50″. Fellow senior Allyson Oram also earned All-SoCon accolades with a top three finish in the 5,000-meters with a time of 17:08.32.