Gibson, Gilbert win events to lead Women's Track and Field at Tiffin Open

By Brandt Marshall

TIFFIN - Sophomore Chloe Gibson (Ostrander/Buckeye Valley) hopped, skipped, and jumped 10.37 meters while on her way to the triple jump crown and freshman Sarah Gilbert (Powell/Olentangy Liberty) pulled away from the field to take the 5,000-meter run on Saturday afternoon at the Heminger Center. The meet was not team-scored. 

Ohio Northern posted 10 other top-5 finishes in eight different events on the day

In the 500-meter run, junior J.J. Herron (Miamisburg) was second in 1:26.38.

Junior Olesya Mertz (Johnstown) also took silver in the 1,000-meter run 3:24.97.

Sophomore Larkin Warner (Findlay) and freshman Dani Widmark (Zanesfield/Benjamin Logan) finished fourth and fifth in the 3,000-meter run in 12:02.29 and 12:07.86, respectively.

In the 4x400-meter relay, the team of sophomores Katelyn Messner (Granville) and Kendra Krichbaum (Ashland) and freshmen Stacey Legg (Monroeville) and Rachel Ruggles (Mogadore/Field) took fifth in 4:30.56.

In an all-Polar Bear distance medley relay, the team of freshman Kaitlin Prusnek (Findlay), sophomore Olyvia Ashbrook (Johnstown/Northridge), senior Lexi Neff (Northfield/Walsh Jesuit), and freshman Abby Matthews (Lithopolis/Bloom Carroll) finished in 13:12.95 and outpaced the team of Mertz, Herron, junior Sydney Goodrich (Romeo, Mich./Romeo) and freshman Samantha Roth (Brunswick), who finished in 13:36.43.

Junior Rosie Schroeder (Aurora, Ill./Waubonsie Valley) was fifth in the 60-meter hurdles in 9.67 seconds.

In the high jump, freshman Riley Heitkamp (Ft. Loramie) cleared a personal best 1.57 meters.

Fifth-year senior Kenzie Detmer (Liberty Center) leaped 9.86 meters to secure a fourth place finish in the long jump.

The Polar Bears return to action on Saturday when they travel to Springfield for the Wittenberg Invitational.