Women Lead, Men in Second Through Day 1 of G-MAC Outdoor Championship
Ashland, Ohio – The University of Findlay men's and women's track and field team began a three-day affair on Wednesday, May 3 in Ashland, Ohio as they kicked off the 2023 Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) Outdoor Track and Field Championship. Both teams are defending consecutive indoor titles while the men's team is also looking to go back-to-back in the outdoor season. Through one day of competition, the women, ranked 15th in the country, are in first place with 26 points scored while the men are currently tied for second with Walsh, 13 points behind Tiffin which currently leads.
Top Results
Men
Sophomore Orry Willems saved his best throw for last in the hammer throw competition where, on his sixth attempt, he recorded a throw of 63.46m (203'2"), the longest throw of his career. That distance is currently fifth-best in Division II this season and gives Willems the first conference event championship of his career.
Breaking his own school record in the 10,000m run was junior Noah Fisher who finished just two seconds behind Walsh's Zach Kreft to take runner-up in the event. Fisher, who has proven to be one of the top distance runners in the G-MAC, finished the grueling race in a time of 29:17.55, a new career-best.
Findlay's top finisher in the javelin throw was sophomore Gabe Clement who would need his final attempt to earn a fourth-place finish. That last effort measured 51.03m (167'5"). Junior Isaac Webb took eighth in the event with a 46.18m (151'6") throw.
Women
Senior Gabrielle Lawrence, who won the 10,000m run two years ago, reclaimed her spot atop the podium in the event, winning the G-MAC title with a time of 36:28.19. Lawrence was never outside the top three in the event and led the race for the final 12 laps, holding off her competitors to claim the crown, the third straight in that event for the Findlay women.
In the hammer throw, sophomore standout Trista Fintel, an outdoor all-American last season, brought home her first conference outdoor championship, winning the hammer throw. Her winning attempt came on the third throw when she distanced 56.05m (183'11"). That toss would edge out the event runner up by one inch.
Participating in the javelin throw, senior Rylee Sybert picked up a fourth-place finish as her third attempt measured 36.20m (118'9").