RedStorm women 4th in RSC Championship

Rio Grande/RSC Sports Information
     NEVILLE ISLAND, Pa. - The University of Rio Grande posted a fourth-place finish in the 2024 River States Conference Women's Outdoor Track & Field Championships, which wrapped up on Friday at the P3R Track & Field Complex at the RMU Island Sports Center.
     The RedStorm tallied 95.5 points to edge rival Shawnee State University by one point for fourth place.
     "We had four of the top eight in the hammer and our relays were as good as they've been in years," said Rio Grande head coach Matt Paxton. "We scored huge where we had athletes. We just had so few athletes this year. We did all we could do."
     Point Park University claimed its fourth straight league title, topping the 12-school field with 191.5 points.
     The Pioneers won seven events at the championship, including five on the final day of the two-day competition. All five of the victories came on the track.
     Indiana University Kokomo placed second with 122 points, while Brescia (Ky.) University was third with 111 points.
     Rio Grande recorded 20 point-scoring performances - 17 individually and three in relay races. The top eight finishers in each event scored points toward the determination of a team champion.
     Grace Forrest had the RedStorm's lone win of the day, taking first place in the 5,000-meter racewalk with a time of 27:48.42. The redshirt sophomore from Woodstock, Ohio once again met the "A" qualifying standard for next month's NAIA National Championships in the process.
     Sophomore Amarissa Kerns (Lancaster, OH) had one of Rio's two runner-up showings, taking second place in the 5,000-meter run with a time of 18:43.41. She also took third in the 1,500-meter run with a personal-best mark of 4:56.05.
     Forrest and Kerns also made up half of Rio's 4x800 relay unit, which finished second in a time of 9:57.10 - Rio's best time in the event since 2012. The quarter also included junior Kendra Grooms (West Union, OH) and junior Jayden Roach (Baltimore, OH).
     The RedStorm's other individual second-place finish was recorded by sophomore Nalah Kirkendall (Wheelersburg, OH), who was the runner-up in the hammer throw with an effort covering 38.61m. She also finished eighth in the discus throw with a toss of 31.45m.
     Freshman Chanee Cremeens (Gallipolis, OH) had a trio of scoring outings for the RedStorm, placing fifth in the discus throw (36.64m), seventh in the shot put (10.68m) and eighth in the hammer throw (33.74m).
     Sophomore Megan Diven (Marion, OH) and Grooms also had multiple scoring performances.
     Diven placed fifth in the hammer throw (35.41m) and sixth in the shot put (10.78m), while Grooms was fifth in the 400-meter dash with a time of 1:01.42 and sixth in the high jump after clearing 1.50m.
     Junior Emma Shamblin (Crown City, OH) had Rio's top remaining individual finish with a third-place showing in the hammer throw at 37.77m. The effort set a new personal-best mark.
     The remainder of the RedStorm's individual scoring performances came from senior Mackenzie McCarthy (New Franklin, OH), who was fourth in the 10,000-meter run with a time of 39:28.41; sophomore Karley Kouns (Wheelersburg, OH), who was fourth in the discus throw with a toss of 37.33m; freshman Emily Duncan (Chesapeake, OH), who was fifth in the high jump at 1.55m; and Roach, who placed sixth in the 400-meter dash with a mark of 1:02.31.
     Rio's 4x100 relay team placed third in a time of 50.82. The group was comprised of Roach, sophomore Paris DeBord (Chillicothe, OH), Grooms and Duncan.
     The RedStorm 4x400 relay unit - made up of Roach, Forrest, DeBord and Grooms - also placed third in a time of 4:12.93.
     Point Park sprinter Diamond Rush earned RSC Women's Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year honors. She won the 200 meters with a meet record, placed second to teammate Mya Greschner in the 400 and was third in the 100. She scored 26 points to lead all women in the track events.
     Greschner was a big performer for Point Park tying for second in women's overall points in the meet with 30. She won the long jump and 400 meters setting RSC records in both. She was also fourth in the triple jump and 100. Sydney Duncan from IU Kokomo was the big individual award winner. She led the Cougars as the RSC Women's Outdoor Field Athlete of the Year and RSC Women's Outdoor Track & Field Newcomer of the Year.
     Duncan won three throwing events taking the shot put with a meet record and also winning the hammer and discus. She had 30 points to lead all field scorers and tying for second most among women overall.
     Jordyn Cardwell from Brescia scored more points than any other woman in the championship with 32.5 total. She led the Bearcats to third as a team placing second in the long and triple jumps and the 100 and being a part of the 4x100 winning relay in addition to third in the high jump.
     There were nine women's records set at the championship.
     Point Park pulled in records with Rush's 200 meters (24.83), Greschner's long jump (5.80) and 400 meters (58.08) and the 4x800 relay (9:51.20).
     IU Kokomo had three RSC records with Duncan in the shot put (13.28), Hannah Wells in the 3,000 steeplechase (11:13.65) and Emma Byrum in the javelin (41.54).
     Other records came from Shawnee State's Olivia Cisco in the 10,000 meters (37:34.83) and St. Mary-of-the-Woods (Ind.) sprinter Savannah Lewis in the 100 meters (12.16).
     Point Park head coach Tim Creamer was named Women's Coach of the Year.
     Also named was the RSC Women's Outdoor Track & Field Champions of Character Team honoring one member from each school who best exhibits the NAIA Champions of Character traits of respect, responsibility, integrity, servant leadership and sportsmanship.
     Rio Grande's representative on the list was freshman Isabella McVey (Athens, OH).
     Rio Grande is scheduled to return to action on Saturday at the WVU Last Chance Meet in Morgantown, W.Va.