The Valparaiso women’s track and field team hosted the inaugural Crusader Open on a cold, windy, rainy Saturday at the new Warren G. Hoger Track at Brown Field. The Crusaders had their first home meet in over 50 years in their final tune-up before the Horizon League Outdoor Championship. The Brown and Gold had six individual title winners.

Hannah Reynard (Jackson, Mich./Napoleon) improved her fourth fastest time in the 400 meter hurdles by over a second to move up to third place in the Crusader record books. She took first by crossing the finish in 1:03.71, almost two seconds ahead of the pack.

Liz Bloy (Freedom, Wis./Freedom) captured the title in the 800m in a season best 2:16.44, beating the field by almost five seconds.

The trio of Brooke Hinstorff (Waterloo, Wis./Lakeside Lutheran), Sarah Drozdowski (Roselle, Ill./Lake Park) and Heather Mende (St. Charles, Ill./St. Charles East) swept the top-three in the javelin, which took place at Eastgate Field. Hinstorff went wire-to-wire in the lead as her first attempt of 33.70m/110-7 was good enough to capture the title. Drozdowski finsihed second with her throw of 31.50m/103-4 and Mende claimed the bronze on her final attempt by hitting 31.16m/102-3.

Drozdowski would go on to capture the title in the hammer throw (49.68m/163-0) while also taking third in the shot put with her heave of 12.34m/40-6.

The senior/junior duo of Jazmin Taylor (Rock Island, Ill./Rock Island) and Sarah Peters (LaGrange, Ill./Lyons Township) each won the titles in their respective events. Taylor won the high jump by clearing 1.60m/5-3 while Peters vaulted a season best 3.50m/11-5.75. The pole vault was competed inside the ARC due to the inclement weather.

Ann Chapman (Washington, Ill./Washington Community) finished second in the triple jump with her mark of 9.16m/30-0.75 and took fourth in the long jump with her mark of 5.00m/16-5.

The 4x100m relay of Mende, Reynard, Kelli Wosick (Mount Prospect, Ill./Saint Viator) and Laura Lacquement (Martensdale, Iowa/Martensdale Saint Mary’s) finished second in 50.08, while the 4x400m relay of Reynard, Allison Baylor (Hudson, Ohio/Hudson), Janelle Wigal (Chattanooga, Tenn./Chattanooga School for the Arts & Science) and Wosick took third in 4:38.03.

Wosick would also finish third in the 400m (1:06.37) and 13^th in the 200m (29.07). Baylor took eight in the 400m (1:06.37), while Wigal finished ninth in 2:31.14 Lacquement took eight in the 100m (14.21) and also finished tenth in the 200m (28.62).

Eileen Carmignani (Naperville, Ill./Benet Academy) and Sandra DiPauli (Downers Grove, Ill./North) both ran season bests in the 3,000 meter steeplechase to finish third (13:18.15) and fourth (13:30.72), respectively.

In the 5,000m, Sophia Robinson (Downers Grove, Ill./South) finished fourth in 20:58.75, Kim Heiny (Burnettsville, Ind./Twin Lakes) ran a season best 21:01.21 to take fifth and Lauren Sturgeon (Portage, Ind./Andrean) finished in seventh (23:25.87).

The Crusaders will travel to Rochester, Mich. next Friday for the Horizon League Outdoor Championship, hosted by Oakland. Live results will be available for all three days at ValpoAthletics.com.