COLLEGEVILLE, Pa. – Jessica Johnson shattered her own triple jump school record at the indoor track and field Frank Colden Invitational at Ursinus on Saturday. The excitement continued throughout the day as the Owls racked up personal records and conference qualifications in preparation for the Centennial Conference Championships.
Before the Owls competed in the jumps, it was senior Eliza Lehman who debuted as the sole Owl in the 5000-meter event. Lehman had already qualified for the Conference Championships last December at the TCNJ Indoor Opener with a time of 20:28.63, but the senior aimed to improve her time. Lehman made great pace throughout the 25 laps and managed a new PR (20:19.13) to overtake her previous time by 9.5 seconds.
Next up were Johnson and Margaret Hardigg at the jumps. The crowd was silent as Johnson took her first attempt at the triple jump. Only two months ago, she had broken a school record (9.8m). The first year did not manage to clear the pole on her first attempt, but taking a deep breath, she readied herself for a second jump. This time, she cleared with a height of 10.02m. Immediately, the Owls' fans exploded into cheers. Johnson had broken her own school record, improving from 9.89m to 10.02m.
"Jess was really on her 'A'-game today," said head coach Jason Hewitt. "She's a very talented athlete with a bright future, and it's nice to see it coming together so early on in her career."
Hardigg and Johnson excelled at the high jump, both earning season bests and placing in fourth and fifth respectively. Hardigg cleared with a height of 1.52m for the first time this season, and Johnson (1.47m) added a fourth PR on the day. The two jumpers would later move on to the finals in various events. Hardigg competed in the triple jump and earned 18th place with a height of 9.13m. Johnson competed in the 60m and triple jump. The first year finished 6th in the triple jump and 8th in the 60m with a PR of 8.42.
Back on the track, the "Endurance Squad" competed in smaller numbers due to recent illnesses, but they managed to produce some exciting races. First-year Phylicia Cannon debuted in an Owls' jersey posting a college PR in the 800m (3:04.95). In the mile, seniors Sofi Guven (5:58.05) and Marien Richardson (6:01.01) ran their fastest times of the new year. In the 3k event, the squad continued to impress with another four-for-four on PRs:
After throwing 7.13m earlier in the morning in the weight throw, Sophomore Nora Steil wrapped up the day with the shot-put event. Steil managed to make her furthest toss of the day in this event, clocking in at 8.23m.
"This group really showed a lot of heart out there today," said Coach Hewitt. "We missed having the full team active, but those that made the trip, really made the most of it."
The Bryn Mawr Owls will return on February 19th at Princeton, N.J. before competing in the Centennial Conference Championships at the end of February.
