January 24, 2010

RedStorm track competes at Otterbein

Westerville, Oh. --- The University of Rio Grande RedStorm men's and women's indoor track and field squads competed at the Otterbein Indoor Invitational on Saturday at Otterbein College. The RedStorm women placed 4^th (out of six teams) with 58 points while a limited number of RedStorm men finished 6^th (out of six teams), scoring 27 points.

On the women's side, Rio Grande recorded two first-place finishes with junior middle-distance runner Cassie Mattia (West Chester, OH) winning the 500-meter run with a time of 1:23.43 and freshman thrower Kim Strunk (Milford, OH) out-distanced the field in the shot put with a top toss of 37 feet, 5 ¼ inches. 

Mattia was also a part of the 4 x 200-meter relay team that finished 3^rd with a time of 1:52.22. Mattia was joined by junior Rachel Walker (Ironton, OH), sophomore Kayla Graves (Chillicothe, OH) and freshman Hayley McSurley (Plumwood, OH). 

Graves finished 3^rd in the 55-meter dash (7.80) and in the 200-meter dash (27.64). Sophomore thrower Tracie Brown (Logan, OH) finished 3^rd in the shot put (33 feet, 3 ¼ inches) while sophomore Cory Crutcher (Eaton, OH) was 5^th (28 feet, 5 ¾ inches). 

McSurley finished 5^th in the 55 (7.94) and sophomore Molly Roark (South Webster, OH) was 5^th in the 400-meter run with a time of 1:06.73. 

Rio Grande will have the week off from competition and return to action, February 6 at the Marietta Open.