Women’s Track & Field Claim Bronze at NCCAA’s
Published: April 13, 2021
JOLIET, Ill. The womens squad competed at the 2012 NCCAA National Championships held at Joliet, Illinois Memorial Stadium on Thursday, May 3 Saturday, May 5 and finished 3rd overall.
The women, much like the mens club, eked out their third place finish at the annual NCCAA National Championships. Greenville scored 99 points to lock up the third spot, just edging Cedarville Universitys 97-point, fourth-place finish. Olivet Nazarene won the meet with 120 team points, and Indiana Wesleyan nabbed silver with their 110.50 points.
GC notched 10 top-5 finishes in the 18-team battle and two women took home two gold medals a piece.
Even though we did not have a stable of ladies that were competing, the few we did have all performed at a high level, stated head coach Brian Patton. Our women always believed in each other and at the end of the day posted some incredible performances and took home Bronze. I am proud to coach such a group.
Seniors Penny Grant and Philita Johnson spearheaded the Panther attack from the get-go, with Grant pouring in 33 points and Johnson adding 25 points.
Grant finished first in the 100m dash with a lifetime best time of 12.05, ran the second leg of the winning 4x100m team, finished fourth in the long jump (5.21m), and second in the triple jump (11.44m). Teammate Johnson crossed the 400m timeline with a gold medal effort of 56.79 to spark her big day. The East St. Louis product also anchored the winning 4x100m squad and finished the fourth place 4x400m group.
The relays also afforded the women key points, as both the 4x100m and 4x400m squads finished in the top-5. Seniors Imari Mason, Grant, and Johnson joined freshman Iyeesha Deberry to take home gold with a time of 48.63 in finals of the 4x100m action. With meet placing again on the line the 4x400m group of seniors Page Dodson, Grant, and Johnson again teamed up with a freshman, this time Maggie Tarr, to claim the fourth spot with a 4:04.73.
Senior Kristen Schutte and sophomore Maggie McMurtrey each earned All-American status in the hammer throw as the pair placed second and third respectively. Schutte threw a 49.53m hammer and toss-mate McMurtrey delivered a 43.05m effort to PR by nearly ten feet.
The women again put two competitors in the top-5 in the javelin throw with both senior Anna Yardy and sophomore Taylor Brunner getting the nod. Yardy shot a 35.64m effort to take third, and Brunner followed close behind with a 35.51m mark and a twelve foot PR.
Mason and Brunner again dominated the multi-events, scoring 4196 and 4133 respectively in the womens heptathlon. Mason edged Brunner for third place, as the sophomore took home fourth.
Womens track and field will continue competition next weekend at the University of Louisville Invitational last chance meet in Louisville, KY with their sights set on NCAA DIII Nationals that are a mere three weeks away.
