Ashland Men's and Women's Teams Lead After Day One of 2010 GLIAC Indoor Track & Field Championships

ALLENDALE, Mich. - Ashland University's men's and women's teams lead after the first day of competition in the 2010 GLIAC Indoor Track & Field Championships.

Click here for the 2010 GLIAC Men's and Women's Indoor Track & Field Championships web site

Ashland men lead with 45 points after the first day. The Eagles' distance medley team of junior Matt Stratman, senior Max Hiltner, freshman Cory Lamar, and senior Brandon Bauer. Freshman Antonio Pickens place third in the long jump (6.89m). Ashland earned 18 points in the weight throw competition claiming third through sixth place. Junior Mike Jeffery led the group with a throw of 20.33m, good enough for third place.

Grand Valley State University men's team tallied 36 points to finish second after the first day. In the 5000-meter run finals, Paul Zielinski captured GLIAC Champion with a time of 14:37.52

For the women, Ashland leads with 69 points. Picking up a third place finish in the distance medley was the team of junior Leah Allen, freshman Karissa Delessandro, senior Lisa Roth, and junior Steph Tinney. The Eagles' claimed the top three spots, 24 points,  in the long jump lead by sophomore Cheryl Bourne, while Roth and sophomore Ana Kidder finished second and third, respectively. Junior Tara Cooper placed fourth in the weight throw. The Eagles' scored 25 points in the pentathlon. Ashland was led by Roth who claimed the event by a margin of 236 points. Bourne finished third, while teammates junior Abby Kacsandi and freshman Kendra Bassitt took fourth and fifth place, respectively.

Grand Valley State women sit is second place with 64.5 points. Freshman Liz Murphy took home GLIAC Champion in the women's weight throw. She set a new school record with a throw of 62'8" and is currently the top-athlete in division II. In the pole vault, the Lakers took the top-three spots. Jocelyn Kuska took home first with a vault of 12'9.50", which set a new GLIAC record. Christi Kettlehut finished second (12'3.50"), beating her previous provisional mark and Emily McKerchie placed third (11'9.75"). Senior Lynsey Ardingo beat her previous provisional mark in the 5000-meter run. She took home GLIAC Champion with a time of 17:25.38. In the distance medley relay of Monica Kinney, Amy Kolin, Caldwell and Karie McDonald, finished first with a time of 11:44.87, which set a new Laker Turf Building record.

Women's Team Rankings
1. Ashland 69
2. Grand Valley State 64.5
3. Hillsdale 47
4. Northern Michigan 19.5
5. Tiffin 10
6. Northwood 8
7. Findlay 7
8. Ferris State 5
9. Saginaw Valley State 3

Men's Team Rankings
1. Ashland 45
2. Grand Valley State 36
3. Hillsdale 33
4. Saginaw Valley State 21
5. Findlay 10
6. Tiffin 5
7. Northwood 3
8. Ferris State 2
9. Lake Superior State 1

The second and final day will begin Saturday (Feb. 27) at Grand Valley State University in the Laker Turf Building at 1:15 p.m.