Women's Track and Field Crowned CSAC Champs; Hancock, Yenchik Named Athletes of the Year

LA PLUME, Pa. - The Penn State Behend women's track and field team won the Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) Title Sunday afternoon after combining for a team score of 306 points.

Katelyn Hancock (Bethel Park, PA/Bethel Park) was named Track Athlete of the Year and Haley Yenchik (Cecil, PA/Canon McMillan) earned Field Athlete of the Year.  

Hancock took first in both the 800 and 1500 meter runs over the weekend. In the 800, she finished ahead of teammate Courtney Sargent (Erie, PA/Collegiate Academy) with a time of 2:18.81. The two of them grabbed the top two times in the 1500 meter race as well. Hancock took the crown in 4:53.40 while Sargent came in second with a 4:58.03 time.

Rachel Pell (Elizabeth, PA/Elizabeth Forward) had a record-breaking prelim in the 100 meter hurdles and then went on to win the crown in the finals after a time of 16.15. Her time of 15.44 in the prelims was a new school and CSAC record. She then went on to win the 400 meter hurdles in 1:05.66, edging Hancock who finished in 1:09.33.

Sargent made her debut in the 3000 meter steeplechase, winning the race with an ECAC-qualifying time of 11:51.03. Becca Worley (Townville, PA/Maplewood) crossed in 12:43.62 which was good enough for third.  

Paige Allen (Butler, PA/Butler) won the 100 meter dash with a time of 12.66 and Ashlyn Carlsson (Butler, PA/Knoch) came in third (13.49 seconds). Allen then raced in the 200 meter dash, also taking first after a time of 25.89. Pell crossed in 26.84 and Carlsson in 27.47 for third and fifth place, respectively.

Yenchik, Pell, Allen, and Carlsson won the 4x100 meter relay with time of 49.62 seconds. Behrend also won the 4x400 relay consisting of Hancock, Allen, Carlsson, and Pell. They finished with a time of 4:09.40.

The Lions had the top-three finishes in the 5000 meter race with Riley Crissman (Bradford, PA/Bradford Area) earning first place. Her time of 18:58.81 edged out Jenna Shelton (Cabot, PA/Knoch), and Caitlin Plazony (Fairview, PA/Fairview, who took second and third place.

In the 10000 meter run, Rachel Ramsey (North Versailles, PA/East Allegheny) and Erica Koenig (Pittsburgh, PA/Baldwin) finished just .24 seconds apart from one another to take second and third, respectively.

On the field side, the Lions took the top four finishes in the pole vault with Yenchik winning the crown with a height of 3.35 meters. Brianna Keith (Erie, PA/McDowell), Maura Costa (Pittsburgh, PA/Baldwin), and Gabriella Loeffler (Pittsburgh, PA/Baldwin) earned second, third, and fourth place, respectively.

Yenchik also took the crown in the triple jump (10.82 meters) and second in the long jump (4.89 meters). Costa and Allen had jumps of 4.86 and 4.76 meters to earn third and fourth place.

Myeisha Sanders (Erie, PA/MCDowell) had three top-five finishes on the weekend. She came in second in discus (34.81 meters), fourth in the shot put (9.85 meters), and fifth in the hammer throw (30.82 meters).

Pell and Allen took both finished in the top five in the high jump. Pell was fourth (1.38 meters) and Allen fifth (1.28 meters).

Behrend will be back in action on Friday when they compete in the Allegheny Gator Invite beginning at 9 a.m.