Alyssa Palenchar Breaks HPU Vault Record at the JDL Hilton Garden Invitational

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Freshmen Alyssa Palenchar broke the HPU Div. I Indoor Track record in the pole vault to lead the High Point University women’s track and field team at the JDL Hilton Garden Invitational in Winston-Salem, N.C., on Friday and Saturday.

“We are very pleased that Alyssa was able to break the school record,” associate head coach Eric Dudley said. “There is a great competitive atmosphere among our pole vaulters. We are in a tough part of our season so performances can be a bit of a mixed bag but overall I think we are setting ourselves up well for the conference championship.”

Palenchar cleared a height of 3.35 meters to finish ninth in the event on Friday night. The freshmen’s vault bested the Panthers’ previous record of 3.30 meters which was set by Jackie Chester in 2011 and matched last week by teammate Jill Marois.

Freshman Erika Peoples had HPU’s best finish in the two-day competition with a seventh-place finish in the 5,000-meters on Friday night. Peoples crossed the line with a time of 18:40.35 in her first collegiate 5,000-meter race.

Freshman Lilla Loránd turned in two solid times on Saturday with career-bests in both the 400-meter dash and the 60-meter hurdles. Loránd finished in 18th in the 400-meters with a time of 59.38 and recorded a time of 9.73 in the 60-meter hurdles.

Freshman Michelle Stolz finished just ahead of Loránd in the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 9.54, the Panthers’ best time in the event this season.

Freshman Katie Farina finished in 14th in the 800 meters with a time of 2:21.53 in the 800 and was followed by sophomore Sarah Dorrell who finished in 22nd with a time of 2:23.62.

Freshmen Julia Zautcke and Lindsey Siska ran well in their section of the mile, finishing second and third with times of 5:25.53 and 5:28.86.

High Point continues its indoor season on Feb. 8 when the team heads to Clemson, S.C., to compete in the Tiger Paw Invitational.