Mercil Keeps Motoring At Hamline Invite
ST. PAUL, Minn. (4/01/17)---Concordia had four Top 15 all-time school marks and a plethora of personal best marks at the Hamline Invitational on Saturday.
The Cobbers were led by the quartet of Mandy Mercil, Erin Hillerud, Maria West and Isabelle Andriessen who all posted marks which were in the Top 15 on the school's all-time lists.
Mercil continues to excel in throws in her senior season. She was the lone event winner for the Cobbers at the meet. She posted a distance 42-08.75 in the shot put and won the event that featured 42 competitors. Mercil's winning distance is a personal best and the ninth farthest in school history.
Her mark is also the 14th best in Division III this season.
Mercil also came through with Top 15 finishes in the discus and hammer throw at the Hamline Invite. She was sixth in the discus with a season-best toss of 122-08. That mark is in the Top 20 of the nation this season. Mercil finished off her day by claiming 12th place in the hammer throw with a personal best distance of 133-06.
Mercil was a part of a Cobber throwing trio that all had Top 5 finishes in the different events. Sophomore Tressa Reuter was fifth in the discus with a distance of 123-02. She was also seventh in the hammer throw at 139-10. That mark is also a career best for Reuter. Bailey Hovland had a personal best distance in the shot put but it was her outstanding mark in the hammer throw that got her into the Top 5. Hovland recorded a distance of 145-06 and finished fifth in the hammer throw. Her career mark of 36-04.00 was good for 12th place in the shot put.
Hillerud continues to inch the bar higher and higher in the pole vault. She recorded a Top 15 mark in the first outdoor meet at St. Johns's and then bettered that at Hamline as she cleared 10-feet for the first time in her career. Hillerud finished right at 10 feet and placed eighth in the event. Her height is No.7 on the school's all-time list.
West and Andriessen claimed the two track Top 15 marks. West sped to a career best time of 5:00.15 on the 1500 meters which is the 11th fastest time in school history.
Andriessen came home in a time of 1:07.20 in the 400-meter hurdles and placed 10th in the event. Her time is No.13 on the school's all-time list.
The javelin tandem of Mikayla Forness and Jenna Stilwell earned the only other Top 5 finishes at the meet for the Cobbers. Forness was fourth in the javelin with a best of 128-05 and Stilwell was right behind in fifth place at 125-01.
WHAT'S NEXT: Concordia will head back to St. John's next weekend to compete in the St. Benedict Open on Saturday, Apr. 8. The Cobbers will also take their multi-even athletes to participate in the St. Benedict Heptathlon over the weekend.
COBBER NOTABLES:
Hamline Invitational
Hamline University, St. Paul, MN
April 1, 2017
Cobber All-Time:
1500 – Maria West – 5:00.15 – All-Time #11
400 Hurdles – Isabel Andriessen – All-Time #13
Pole Vault – Erin Hillerud – 10-0 (3.05m) – All-Time #7 tie
Shot Put – Mandy Mercil – 42-8.75 (13.02m) - All-Time #9
Personal records:
100- Karly Mayo, Lauren Santl;
200- Lauren Santl, Shelby Gelinske, Karly Mayo;
800- Miriah Forness;
1500- Maria West, Liz Vought, Colleen Vought;
100 hurdles- Mikayla Forness;
400 hurdles- McKenzie Lautt;
triple jump- Shelby Gelinske;
pole vault- Erin Hillerud;
shot put- Mandy Mercil, Bailey Hovland, Kelsey Rajewsky, Emily Albers;
discus throw- Kelsey Rajewsky;
hammer throw- Tresa Reuter, Mandy Mercil, Emma Gjesdahl, Emily Albers.