Saturday, April 04, 2009

Amanda Body (Harlan, Ky./Harlan) posted a trio of top-ten finishes on Saturday as the Valparaiso women’s track and field squad competed at the DePauw Invitational in Greencastle, Ind.

The Crusaders tallied 23 points on the meet for their tenth-place team finish.  Illinois Wesleyan took home the team championship with 160 points.

Body had a solid day in the Crusaders’ first outdoor meet of the 2009 campaign.  The senior posted her best showing in the long jump, registering a mark of 17’6”, good for a runner-up placement.  She also finished on the podium in the 200m dash, crossing the line third with a time of 25.33 seconds.  Body closed out her day with a sixth-place finish in the 100m dash, coming home in 12.52 seconds.

Three other Valpo athletes also had top-ten performances on the day.  Sara Christensen (Bettendorf, Iowa/Pleasant Valley) came home fourth in the 3,000m steeplechase with a time of 11:59.15, while also on the track, Alyssa Bradford (Mukwonago, Wis./Mukwonago) placed eighth in the 800m time, crossing the line in 2:25.15.  On the infield, Julie Flowers (Sterling Heights, Mich./Stevenson) placed tenth in the shot put with a toss of 33’8 ¾”.

Valparaiso returns to action next Friday at the Chicagoland Championships in Chicago, Ill.  The first event is slated for a noon start.