Numerous Top Tens to Open Outdoor Season

William Penn Women’s Athletics

Pella–The William Penn women’s track and field team began its outdoor campaign with several positives to reflect upon at the Central Invitational Thursday.

The Statesmen placed sixth out of ten teams with 33 points, while host Central won the title with 155 points.

Alora Simmons (Fr., Newton, Iowa, Elementary Education) and Jazmine Epps (Fr., Princeton, Texas) both hit a high jump mark of 4-9. While both met the height, Simmons took the event title with Epps placing third.

Three individuals claimed a pair of top-ten finishes at the Invitational with Emily Giles (Fr., New Salisbury, Ind., Elementary Education) owning the best performances of the trio. The freshman was sixth in the 200-meter dash at 28.35 seconds and seventh in the long jump at 15-4.25.

Emma Hoerr (Fr., Chillicothe, Ill., Communications) and Meaghan Foster (Fr., Centerville, Iowa, Undecided) matched Giles with two top-ten throws. Hoerr, who was making her WPU debut, was fifth in the shot put (37-1.25) and tenth in the discus (115-8), while Foster was tenth in both the shot (33-4.5) and hammer (134-7).

Tarah Alexander (Fr., Cedar, Iowa, Undecided) placed sixth in the 800-meter run (2:28.95) in her collegiate track debut, while veteran Valinn McReynolds (Grad., Bellville, Texas, Master’s of Business Leadership) was eighth in the 5,000-meter run in a time of 20:48.17.

Tamara Weltch (Jr., Oskaloosa, Iowa, Human Services/Sociology) earned a ninth-place finish in the hammer at 135-9, while tenth-place showings were posted by Cierra Threats (Fr., Allen, Texas, Digital Communications) in the 200 (28.51 seconds) and Rosemary Bailey (So., Fayetteville, Ark., Communications) in the 5,000 (21:23.90).

Next: William Penn travels to Maryville, Mo. next Saturday to compete in the Northwest Missouri State Open.