HARRISONBURG, Va. –  The athletes of EMU Track & Field were very busy this weekend, traveling not one but two meets. One group stayed local, going to the Doc Jopson Invitational at Bridgewater, while another part of the team went to the Dr. Jack M. Toms Invitational, hosted by the University of Lynchburg.
 
For the women's team, eight athletes finished in the top 10 in at least one event, faring well against good competition at both meets.

Highlights (Dr. Jack M. Toms Invitational – Lynchburg, Va.)

• DISTANCE/MID-DISTANCE
  • 800m Run: Elili Asefa placed 13th with a time of 2:25.39. 
  • 1500m Run Invite: Jenna Weaver qualified for the invitational division of the 1500m, finishing 26th with a time of 5:08.67, going up against a field that included mostly Division I athletes, including runners from Liberty, Radford, and Longwood.
  • 3000m Steeplechase: Asefa crossed the finish line in ninth place, clocking in at a time of 12:58.44.
• SPRINTS
  • 100m Dash: Nia Boyd sprinted her way to a time of 14.03, placing 38th.
  • 200m Dash: Boyd completed her weekend double with a time of 29.11 in the 200m.
  • 100m Hurdles: Faith Schultz and Abby Atwood both put forth great efforts in the hurdles, running times of 16.53 and 16.63, respectively, to finish 11th and 12th. Schultz and Atwood are now fourth and fifth all-time in EMU history in the 100m hurdles.
• JUMPS
  • High Jump: In her first college outdoor high jump, Atwood set an impressive personal best of 1.55m (5'-1"). Atwood's mark is good for sixth in the ODAC this season and is also sixth in EMU school history for the outdoor high jump.
  • Long Jump: Angel David led the way in this event, landing in the sand pit at 4.83m (15'-10.25").
  • Triple Jump: David finished her double in the horizontal jumps with an eighth-place finish and a mark of 10.45m (34'-3.5") in the triple jump.

Highlights (Doc Jopson Invitational – Bridgewater, Va.)

• DISTANCE/MID-DISTANCE
  • 800m Run: Halie Mast competed in three different distance events this weekend, including a time of 2:32.69 and a 14th-place finish in the 800m.
  • 1500m Run: Mast led the way for the Royals, finishing eighth in a time of 5:01.93. Erin Loker and Lauren Kauffman each competed in their first college 1500m, clocking in at 5:05.23 and 5:35.23, respectively.
  • 3000m Steeplechase: Mast saved her best for the steeplechase, completing the 7.5-lap event in a time of 12:11.25, placing fourth overall. Mast's time puts her second in the ODAC so far this season.
  • 5000m Run: Weaver made the podium with a third-place finish in the 5k, traversing 12.5 laps of the track in 19:22.73. Loker was not far behind in fifth place, crossing the finish line in 20:16.76.
• THROWS
  • Discus: Emma Greer slotted into ninth place, throwing a personal best mark of 29.87m (98'-0").
  • Hammer: Lily Gatesman set a personal record of 27.72m (90'-11"), good for 15th overall.
  • Javelin: Gatesman wound up seventh, throwing the javelin 21.94m (72'-0").

What's Next
The EMU Track & Field team be back in action next Friday and Saturday, April 4-5, sending athletes to compete in the Colonial Relays in Williamsburg, Va.