Saturday, February 12, 2011

Freshmen Sarah Drozdowski (Roselle, Ill./Lake Park) and Kelley Freeman (Valparaiso, Ind./Chesterton) each posted performances among Valpo’s all-time best on Saturday as the Valparaiso women’s track and field team competed at the GVSU Big Meet in Allendale, Mich.

Drozdowski placed 22nd in a tough field in the weight throw Saturday, registering a toss of 50’9 ¼”.  The throw improved on her PR in the event by six inches and keeps her in second place in Crusader history in the event.  Drozdowski also recorded a mark of 37’0 ¼” in the shot put Saturday.

Meanwhile, Freeman continued her climb up the ladder in the pole vault, clearing 10’9” to finish in a tie for ninth place in the event.  The mark vaults Freeman up to third place all-time at Valpo in the record books, less than three inches shy of the top spot.

On the track, freshman Nicole Zehel (Wixom, Mich./Lutheran Westland) posted Valpo’s best finish, crossing the finish line ninth in the mile run with a time of 5:14.08.  Fellow rookie Claire Johnson (Eden Prairie, Minn./Eden Prairie) narrowly missed a top-ten finish as well, placing 11th after crossing the line in 5:14.42.  Both freshmen registered new PRs on the collegiate level in the event.

A pair of Crusaders also set new PRs in the 3,000m run Saturday.  Fifth-year senior Whitney Bowman (Portage, Ind./Portage [Purdue]) came home 12th in the 3,000m run with a time of 10:39.54, just over a second outside of the top-ten.  Sophomore Haley Kerlin (Rensselaer, Ind./Rensselaer) recorded a time of 11:02.34 in the event as well.

Valparaiso returns to action next Saturday at the Boilermaker Invitational in West Lafayette, Ind.  The meet is slated for a 10 a.m. CST start.