MARYVILLE, Mo. - Competing in the pole vault for the second time and in her third college meet, William Woods University's E.L. Reagan took home her first gold medal, clearing 2.9 meters (9 feet and 6¼ inches) to win the pole vault by 0.15m (0-6) in the Coach Richard Alsup Open, hosted by NCAA Division II Northwest Missouri State University Saturday at Hughes Fieldhouse. Ashley Strode also medaled in the pole vault for the Owls, taking bronze at 2.6m (8-6¼).

"After a month off, the kids did amazing," William Woods track and field coach Anthony Stockton said. "The success William Woods will share will be due to their hard work, ability to handle adversity and determination to be the best. I am a proud coach."

On the track side, WWU All-American Mekayla Gibson put in a solid showing in the event she received the honor in last season, the 5,000-meter run, finishing third with a time of 17 minutes and 51.68 seconds. A pair of University of Saint Mary runners, a school with a lot of history and success in the 5k, finished ahead of Gibson, with Reagan Hiebert earning gold at 17:28.32 and Josie Tyrrell silver at 17:29.41.

Hailey Gerard, another standout track athlete with numerous accolades for the Owls, excelled in the 1,000 run, placing fourth with a personal record 3:10.86, 31.22 seconds ahead of her previous top time. Rounding out WWU's four top 10 performances, Heidi Baranauskas took eighth in the triple jump, going a PR 10.31m (33-10), 0.04m (0-0½) better than her previous best.

William Woods' next meet is the Monmouth Midwest Invitational, hosted by NCAA Division III Monmouth College at 4 p.m. Friday at April Zorn Memorial Stadium in Monmouth, Illinois.

Results

60-Meter Dash Prelims 
27 - Madison Dixon 8.34 
47 - De'Prisha Chatman 9.11 (First Collegiate Time)

200-Meter Dash
42 - Madison Dixon 28.53

400-Meter Dash
24 - Rylie Bales 1:11.76 (First Collegiate Time)

800-Meter Run
31 - Myra Baker 2:36.53
40 - Christian Steuck 2:51.94

1,000-Meter Run
4 - Hailey Gerard 3:10.86 (PR, prev. 3:42.08)

One-Mile Run
11 - Mekayla Gibson 5:26.65
12 - Hailey Gerard 5:26.69 (PR, prev. 5:32.22)
DNS - Tara Lowe

3,000-Meter Run
DNS - Mekayla Gibson

5,000-Meter Run
3 - Mekayla Gibson 17:51.68 
21 - Amy Schreck 21:46.23 (First Collegiate Time)
22 - Kyah Weirich 21:52.95

High Jump
NH - E.L. Reagan

Long Jump
12 - Heidi Baranauskas 4.89m (16-0½)
30 - De'Prisha Chatman 4.19m (13-9)

Pole Vault
1 - E.L. Reagan 2.9m (9-6¼)
3 - Ashley Strode 2.6m (8-6¼)

Shot Put
23 - Allison Keanneavy 9.73m (31-11¼)

Triple Jump
8 - Heidi Baranauskas 10.31m (33-10) (PR, prev. 10.27m [33-8¾])
12 - De'Prisha Chatman 10.08m (33-01)

Weight Throw
FOUL - Allison Kenneavy