Rickert Wins Javelin, HPU Women’s Track Currently Second At Big South Championship

ROCK HILL, S.C. — Sophomore Christine Rickert won the javelin to pace the High Point University women’s track & field team on the second day of the Big South Championship at Belk Track in Rock Hill, S.C. Rickert set a new meet record as the Panthers ranked third through two days of competition.

High Point had 44 points through eight scored events and sat behind Coastal Carolina (79.75) and Liberty (69.75). Winthrop ranked fourth with 25.75 points and Campbell ranked fifth with 21 points among the 10 teams.

Rickert threw the javelin 47.22 meters (154-11) on her first attempt. The old meet record was 46.57 meters by Liberty’s Christina Mitchell last season and Rickert’s throw was just off her own HPU record of 47.78 meters (156-9) from last season. All five of Rickert’s legal throws were at least three meters farther than the runner-up throw of 39.74 meters (130-4) by Coastal Carolina’s Otessa Velasquez.

The Panthers had a great showing in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, scoring 15 points. Senior Audrey Malloy placed third with a time of 11:04.08. On the final lap, both sophomore Katie Farina and freshman Natalia Ocasio passed two runners on the last lap, placing fourth and fifth. Farina finished in 11:12.89 and Ocasio in 11:15.27, both career bests.

In the high jump, sophomore Erica Herrmann placed fifth and freshman Jenny Mara took sixth, both clearing 1.60 meters (5-3). Sophomore Zoey Miller placed seventh in the heptathlon with 3792 points. The pole vault was in progress and suspended due to rainy conditions. Sophomores Alyssa Palenchar and Jill Marois were among four competitors still jumping when competition was halted.

In Friday’s preliminary events, the Panthers had two runners pass through to the finals. Sophomore Cozette Collin made it in both the 800-meter and 1,500-meter. She won her heat of the 1,500-meter in 4:41.93 while Ocasio finished second in 4:44.68, both qualifying for Saturday’s races. In the 800-meter, Collin won her heat in 2:15.90.

Sophomore Lilla Lorand placed ninth in the preliminaries of the 400-meter hurdles, just missing the final with her time of 1:03.06. On Thursday night, sophomore Julia Zautcke placed third and junior Krista Willard took seventh in the 10,000-meter. Freshman Amanda Gregory took seventh in the long jump.

The final day of the Big South Championship is Saturday with competition beginning at 12:30 p.m. The meet was moved back 90 minutes due to rainy weather early in the day. The first women’s event is the triple jump at 12:30 p.m.