May 15, 2009

Results

AKRON, Ohio - Ohio’s Bahiyjaui Allen (Toledo, Ohio) gave the Bobcats their second win in as many days at the Mid-American Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championships, earning the shot put title and helping Ohio remain in second place with 45 points after the second full day of competition at the University of Akron’s Lee Jackson Track & Field Complex. The host Zips continue to lead the field with 66 points after eight scored events.

Allen eclipsed the school record she set last season with a throw of 54 feet, four and three-quarter inches to claim first place, the first Bobcat to win the shot put since 1984 and only the third to ever do so. She took runner-up in the event at the MAC Championships the last two seasons and will compete at the NCAA Mid-East Regional in two weeks for the third-consecutive year.

Senior Melissa Wiley (Columbus, Ohio) had a solid day on the track, qualifying for the finals of both the 100- and 400-meter hurdles that will be held on Saturday. She ran season-best times in both events, finishing fifth with a time of 14.12 in the 100 and seventh with a time of 1:01.91 in the 400.

Also in the 400 hurdles, freshman Courtney Weiss (Perrysburg, Ohio) just missed advancing to the finals, finishing ninth with a season-best time of 1:02.87.In the 400-meter dash preliminaries, senior Susan Plungis (Great Barrington, Mass.) also finished just out of the finals, taking 10th with a season-best effort of 57.50 seconds.

Earning another point for Ohio was senior Brittany Vinson (Amelia, Ohio), who nabbed eighth place in the long jump with a season-best leap of 18 feet, six inches. Kristi Sturges (Parma, Ohio) finished 11th in the event with a mark of 18 feet, four and one-quarter inches, also a season long. Junior Jenielle Hunt (Pittsburgh, Pa.) also contributed, taking seventh in the 3,000-meter steeplechase with a time of 11:11.40.

The heptathlon was completed Friday, with freshman Hope McCarty (Hudson, Ohio) finishing just out of the points in ninth place with a total of 4,251, a season high. Sophomore Megan Helgeson (Franklin, Ohio) came in 14th place with a season-best total of 3,804.

Saturday’s events kick off at noon ET with the men’s high jump and the women’s discus. Live results will be available by clicking here. Complete results will be posted on OhioBobcats.com at the conclusion of the meet.