WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — The High Point University Women’s Track & Field team was led by senior Manika Gamble in the Wake Forest Open on Friday and Saturday in Winston-Salem, N.C. Gamble placed third overall and was the top collegiate finisher in the 400-meter hurdles.
“Manika ran very well in the 400 hurdles, that was her best season opener,” said HPU head coach Mike Esposito. “She is set up to run well at VertKlasse next weekend and to have a very solid season. Lynee Pina also threw the discus well today.”
Gamble opened the outdoor season running 59.53 in the 400-meter hurdles, placing behind only Joanna Currie and Kou Lougon, who are both post-collegiate runners. She came back to win her heat and place 16th overall in the 200-meter with a time of 25.10. She ran a time of 14.24 into a head wind to place fifth in the preliminaries of the 100-meter hurdles on Friday.
Sophomore Audrey Malloy paced five High Point runners in the 3,000-meter on Saturday. She took 15th with a time of 10:32.12. Junior Kelsey Paine placed 22nd in 10:48.19 and senior Kelsey Fraser placed 25th in 10:52.28.
Junior Lynee Pina placed 19th in the javelin with a throw of 32.93 meters (108-0) on Saturday morning. She followed that up with a 27th-place performance in the discus, getting a distance of 35.74 meters (117-3).
Sophomore Veronica Peskosky placed 10th in the B-section of the pole vault, clearing 2.90 meters (9-6.25) on her first attempt and freshman Ashton Kirby placed 13th. Sophomore Kaitlin Whittington placed 26th in the triple jump with a leap of 10.41 meters (34-2) on Friday before taking 26th in the long jump on Saturday.
HPU’s team of Shannon Corbett, Emily Fischer, Whittington and Megan Lowery placed second in the third second and 14th overall in the 4×100 relay. Sophomore Colleen Hollowood made her debut in the 400-meter hurdles on Saturday, placing 35th in 1:10.19.
High Point hosts its lone home meet next Saturday at Vert Stadium. The VertKlasse Meeting is named in honor of HPU alumnus and trustee Dick Vert, who was a member of the track & field team in the early 1960s. The feature events begin at 2 p.m. on Saturday.