• Senior Christine Rickert broke her own Big South and HPU javelin record with a mark of 52.47m (172-1); It’s a top-5 NCAA East Region mark this season
• Junior Natalia Ocasio placed second out of 91 runners in the 1500m run (4:35.83)
• Senior Julia Zautcke ran a strong 10000m and finished third in 38:06.10
HIGH POINT, N.C. – Senior Christine Rickert crushed the Big South javelin record Friday afternoon to lead the High Point University women’s track & field team on day one action at the 2016 VertKlasse Meeting.
Rickert – who previously held the conference’s top mark of 49.53m (162-6) – destroyed that mark by close to 10 feet en route to a throw of 52.47m (172-1). The mark – which currently ranks fifth in the NCAA East Region – should ensure Rickert qualifies for her fourth NCAA Preliminary in four years.
“The conditions were very good today and Chrissy took advantage,” associate head coach/throws coach Scott Hall said. “She handled her day like a champ. She was relaxed on the runway, kept her composure after a couple misses and trusted her instincts. She let her technique take over and hit 52 meters. I thought that was a doable mark for Chrissy and now she can reach even higher with her goals. She still hasn’t reached her full potential and we’re excited to see where she goes from here.”
She finished second in the javelin Friday behind Wake Forest’s Jessie Merckle, who’s throw of 56.91m (186-8) should qualify her for the U.S. Olympic Trials. A U.S. Olympic Trial berth also is a possibility for Rickert with a couple additional meters tacked on to her PR.
In addition to Rickert, sophomore Mackenzie Vermette placed 11th in Friday’s javelin with a season-best mark of 35.43m (116-3) while heptathlete Erika Bridges finished 22nd with a season-high throw of 30.83m (101–1).
On the track, junior Natalia Ocasio just missed her PR in the 1500m run en route to a second place finish among 91 competitors. Her time of 4:35.83 was less than a second off of her collegiate best. Fellow junior Cozette Collin finished eighth in the field with a time of 4:43.33.
In the final event of the evening, senior Julia Zautcke put together a strong race in the 10000m run, placing third in a time of 38:06.10. Zautcke executed her race well and has a great chance to put up points for the Panthers in the event during May’s Big South Championship.
Two of HPU’s pole vaulters competed for the Purple & White Friday during the B-Section of the event. Junior Madison Depner placed t-6th with a vault of 3.21m (10-6.25) and fellow junior Katie Benavente finished 11th with a mark of 3.06m (10-0.5).
In the B-Section of the high jump, Bridges placed fifth while tying her outdoor PR of 1.60m (5-3) and senior Sara Katherine Kirkpatrick finished 13th (1.45m, 4-9). Freshman Charlotte Morrow placed 14th in the event after clearing the 1.45m bar on her third attempt.
In other throws action, sophomore Makenzi-Holmes DiGiovine finished second in her heat and 12th overall in the shot put with a throw of 12.55m (41-2.25).
In other distance events, senior Lindsey Siska placed 13th in the 5000m run with a time of 18:46.19.
Senior Sarah Bode made her HPU debut in the 3000m steeplechase and finished 17th in a time of 11:52.58, while fellow senior Erika Peoples was 19th in a collegiate best time of 12:01.60.
HPU returns to Vert Stadium to host the premier day of the 2016 VertKlasse Saturday beginning at 9 a.m. A live stream will be available on the Big South Network from 1-6 p.m.