DELAWARE, Ohio - Junior jumper Ashley Leyden (Atco, N.J./St. Joseph) led the Case Western Reserve University women's track and field team to a sixth place finish (65 points) of 13 teams at the Marv Frye Invitational held at Selby Stadium and hosted by Ohio Wesleyan University.
Leyden concluded competition finishing second overall in the triple jump with a final mark of 10.10 meters. She also finished seventh in the long jump with a leap of 4.58 meters.
Also in the horizontal jumps, junior Christen Saccucci (Wheaton, Ill./Wheaton Warrenville South) finished sixth in the long with a mark of 4.62 meters and freshman Rachel Willard (Fairport, N.Y./Fairport) finished third in the triple with hop, skip and jump of 10.03 meters.
Saccucci and senior Sophia Herzog (Coopersburg, Pa./Southern Lehigh) finished third and seventh in the pole vault with marks of 3.05 meters and 2.90 meters, respectively. In the high jump, freshman Meredith Haller finished second with a mark of 1.57 meters while junior Laurel Shickler (North East, Pa./North East) finished fourth sailing over the bar set at 1.47 meters.
With a pair of eighth place finishes for the women in the throws, senior Emeline Liu (River Vale, N.J./Pascack Valley) tossed the hammer 42.17 meters while freshman Cassandra Laios (Worthington, Ohio/Thomas Worthington) heaved the shot put 10.90 meters.
Finishing fourth and fifth in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, freshman Danielle Kulpins (Brookfield, Wis./Brookfield Central) and junior Evy Hail (Eagle River, Alaska/Eagle River) finished with times of 11:45.89 and 12:00.06, respectively.
In the 800-meter run, junior Taylor O'Neil (Dayton, Ohio/Carroll) crossed the line with a time of 2:21.01 for sixth place. Junior Laura Wheeler grabbed an eighth place finish in the 5,000-meter run with a time of 19:29.78.
Finishing seventh and eighth in the 400-meter hurdles, senior McKenzie Braun (Omaha, Neb./West Side) crossed the finish line for a time of 1:12.55 while freshman Marie-Louise Kolste (Hinsdale, Ill./Hinsdale Central) finished closely behind her with a time of 1:12.59.
The 4x100-meter relay team as well as the 4x400-meter relay team grabbed fifth place finishes for the Spartans. The 4x100 team freshmen Brittany Henry and Skylar Braga (Waynesburg, Pa./Waynesburg Central) along with Braun and junior Kelsie Leary (Glen Rock, N.J./Glen Rock) crossed the finish line for a time of 51.72. The 4x400 team of sophomore Abby Casalnova (Grove City, Pa./Grove City), freshman Natalia Gawlik combined with Braun and Kolste finished with a time of 4:14.97.
The Spartans will return to the track and field at Selby Stadium on April 11 to compete in the 2015 All-Ohio Championships.
