Pride wrap up competition at the Augustana Meet of Champions

ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – The Clarke University track and field teams held their own against stiff competition at the Augustana Meet of Champions over the weekend with the women placing eighth and the men in 19th.

Highlighting the meet was Rory Bickler's 5000m time of 18:49.53, which was not only a first-place finish but also a new school record, defeating the previous record by over 20 seconds.

The second-best finisher of the weekend between the two teams was freshman Tyler Kell's third-place finish in the men's high jump, as he hit a mark of 1.90 meters, just behind a couple of upper-classmen.

A couple more program records were taken down on Friday on the men's side as Emmett Schwartzhoff's hard work has paid off with a new 10,000m race record hitting a time of 33:15.82, good enough for a 14th place finish.

Pride men's sprinter, Gavayne Smith was the third and final program record over the weekend as he ran the 200m in 22.19 seconds, earning himself 12th place.

Competing in the women's 400m hurdles once again were freshman standouts Allena Rowland and Emma Terwische whom each earned top 10 finishes. Rowland finished two seconds behind the leader with a time of 1:06.42, placing in fourth, and Terwische with a time of 1:11.73, placing in ninth.

Showing off their athleticism by earning a fourth and sixth-place finish in the women's heptathlon were freshmen Isabelle Matthews and Anyah Ranson.

Matthews highlighted her heptathlon with a second-place finish in the 800m run (2:44.07), third-place in the high jump (1.43m), also a pair of fifth-place finishes in the long jump (4.42m) and 200m (28.27). Ranson earned second in the heptathlon high jump (1.49m) and a trio of fourth-place finishes that included the 800m (2:48.28), long jump (4.55m), and finally the 200m dash (27.90).

Grace Squires and Emma Grant continued their success in the women's pole vault event, combing for 10 team points. Squires, able to hit 3.43m in her first attempt finished in fifth place, just ahead of Grant who was able to get it on her second attempt and finish seventh.

Competing in the 3000m steeplechase was Jaycie Franco who earned herself a seventh-place finish with a time of 12:19.21.

Also earning seventh place on the women's side was thrower Royal Hart who hit a mark of 45.94m in the hammer throw.

The men's 4x400m relay team consisting of Carson Sansenbach, Josh Musonda, Kole Haverly, and Kain Sourbeer ran the relay race in 3:30.42, earning seventh place.

Pride track and field will compete next on Thursday, April 27th at the UD Relays.