Records Fall, Shaw Qualifies as WPU Begins Indoor Season
Davenport–Crystal Shaw (Fr., Austin, Texas, Applied Computer Science) had a monster start to her Statesmen career as she led the William Penn women’s indoor track and field team at the St. Ambrose Frigid Bee Opener Saturday.
WPU placed fourth out of nine squads with 66.5 points, while host St. Ambrose won the team crown with 110 points.
Shaw opened her collegiate career by both breaking records and qualifying for nationals. Her best effort was in the long jump where she topped all competitors with a new school record of 18-6.5. The distance also met the NAIA’s ‘B’ standard, punching her ticket for nationals in March.
Shaw also placed second in the triple jump with a new program mark of 35-8.75.
Two other school records fell on Saturday as well, beginning with Adedoyin Aderibigbe (Fr., Cedar Hill, Texas, Sociology) recording a runner-up finish in the 60-meter dash in 7.72 seconds. Claire Rye (Fr., Plymouth, Iowa, Biology) also set a new standard in the one-mile run with a time of 5:34.14. Rye was fifth in the field.
Lilly Ostert (Jr., Madrid, Iowa, Exercise Science) was close behind Aderibigbe, finishing fifth in the 60 in 7.96 seconds.
Phoebe Burt (Sr., Iowa City, Iowa, Sociology) placed third twice, doing so in the shot put (40-4.75) and weight throw (46-9), while Isabella Fulks (So., Cypress, Texas, Nursing) ended up fifth in the weight throw (41-9).
Emma Heath (Fr., Picayune, Miss., Exercise Science) also won bronze in the pole vault with a height of 8-6.25.
“Our women had a day!” Head Coach Victoria Vinokur said. “We have always had talent on our team, and our women showed that we have depth now as well. Having a multitude of PRs across the board, with four school records and a national qualifier right off, is showing everyone what is in store the rest of the year. We have been waiting for this, and cannot wait to watch it all unfold.”
Next Up: William Penn will split its squad next week with athletes potentially returning to Davenport next Thursday and Friday for the St. Ambrose Finals Week Multi-Events or heading to Iowa City next Saturday for the Iowa Jimmy Grant Alumni Invitational.
