CLEVELAND – The Case Western Reserve University women's track and field team opened the indoor season as host of the second annual Spartan Holiday Classic on Saturday afternoon at the Veale Center.
The Spartans swept three events and posted six first-place finishes overall.
Two of the event sweeps came the long jump and the high jump. Senior Rachel Tan (Mentor, Ohio/Mentor) leapt 16-10.75 in the long jump and sailed over the bar set at 4-11.00 in the high jump to finish first in both events. Also in the long jump with marks of 15-11.00 and 15-06.25, freshman Skylar Braga (Waynesburg, Pa./Waynesburg Central) and junior Asante Brown (Rochester, N.Y./Hilton) took second and third, respectively. Freshman Meredith Haller and junior Emily Harker (Mentor, Ohio/Mentor) finished second and third in the high jump both with final leaps of 4-09.00.
The CWRU women also took the top three spots in the 400-meter dash. Senior McKenzie Braun (Omaha, Neb./West Side) crossed the finish line first with a time of 1:02.72. Within two seconds, sophomore Abby Casalnova (Grove City, Pa./Grove City) and freshman Marie-Louise Kolste (Hinsdale, Ill./Hinsdale Central) finished in 1:03.84 and 1:03.90, respectively.
Earning another title for the Spartans, freshman Kate Erickson (Victor, N.Y./Victor Senior) finished the mile run with a time of 6:02.08. In the 800-meter run, junior Juliana Ross (New York, N.Y./Bronx Science) stopped the clock at 2:29.52 for second place. Tan, who already claimed two titles, added a third-place finish in the 55-meter hurdles with a time of 9.22.
Brown picked up a second third-place finish as she hop, skipped, and jumped 33-05.00 in the triple jump.
In the pole vault, senior Sophia Herzog (Coopersburg, Pa./Southern Lehigh) grabbed a title for the Spartans by vaulting over the bar set at 11-01.75.
The 4x400-meter relay team of Casalnova and Kolste along with freshmen Imani Behrends (San Jose, Calif./Lynbrook) and Lilly Faulk (Chesterland, Ohio/West Geauga) crossed the finish line with a time of 4:24.62 for first place.
After winter break, the Spartans will return to action on Friday, January 23 at the Baldwin Wallace Mid-January Meet at Harrison Dillard Track in Berea, Ohio at 5:00 p.m.
