• Sophomore Makenzi Holmes-DiGiovine set a new school record in the shot put (12.70m)
• Senior Julia Zautcke added to her point total with a third-place showing in the 5000m run (17:52.19)
• Junior Natalia Ocasio placed fifth in the mile run in a collegiate best time (5:02.61)
HIGH POINT, N.C. – Makenzi Holmes-DiGiovine set a new school record in the shot put to lead the High Point University women’s track & field team on final day action at the Big South Indoor Championship Saturday.
The Panthers finished sixth overall at the league meet with 49 points. Liberty claimed the title (178.50) followed by Coastal Carolina (109), Campbell (108), Winthrop (55) and Charleston Southern (52). Gardner-Webb (42), Radford (37.50) and UNC Asheville (32) rounded out the contingent in Blacksburg.
Holmes-DiGiovine destroyed her previous HPU school record in the shot put by half a meter while placing sixth in the event and picking up three points for the Purple & White. Her excellent mark checked in at 12.70m (41-8).
After picking up four points in the 3000m run Friday, senior Julia Zautcke added to her point total with a third-place showing in the 5000m run Saturday. The Little Chute, Wis., native missed her PR by just three seconds during a strong run of 17:52.19.
In addition, senior Lindsey Siska posted a new indoor PR in the 5k while finishing seventh (18:46.01) to earn two points for HPU. Freshman Courtney Kerr also posted a collegiate best while placing 10th (18:48.61).
Junior Natalia Ocasio picked up four points for the Panthers with a fifth place finish in the mile run. The Mount Laurel, N.J., native set a new collegiate best with a time of 5:02.61. Junior Cozette Collin finished 11th in 5:14.72 while freshman Janelle Rothacker shaved 10 seconds off her PR en route to a 14th-place showing (5:21.15). Senior Sarah Bode finished 16th in 5:23.72.
“I thought we competed much better today,” head coach Mike Esposito said. “I’m pleased with Julia being all-conference in the 5k and Natalia ran well in the mile. Makenzi’s performance while getting the school record was exciting. We have a lot of work to do heading into outdoor season and I’m confident we will be the most improved team in the league.”
In high jump action, freshman Charlotte Morrow placed 11th with a PR of 1.55m (5-1) while junior Erika Bridges finished 12th with a mark of 1.50m (4-11). Freshman Arianna Coleman was 11th in the triple jump with a mark of 10.63m (34-10.50).
HPU’s 4x400m relay team of seniors Lilla Lorand and Sara Katherine Kirkpatrick, sophomore Ashlynn Schiro and freshman Emmy Geis placed eighth in a time of 3:57.99 to wrap up action at the league meet.
After the meet, senior Jamie Schnuck was named the 2016 Big South Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Schnuck carries a 3.98 GPA and is majoring in exercise science.
The Panthers now take a three week break before opening the 2016 outdoor season at the Wake Forest Open March 18-19 in Winston-Salem, N.C.