Sarah Burnell ’14 (left), Isabelle Miller ’13 and Christine Ajinjeru ’14 (right) all earned second-place finishes for Grinnell College Saturday as the Pioneers finished third as a team at the 2011 Midwest Conference Track and Field Championships in Monmouth, Ill.
The team finish is a significant step up from last year’s eighth-place finish.
Burnell was runner-up in the 800-meter run in 2:15.10, Ajinjeru claimed second in the 400 in 59.60 and Miller was second in the 400 hurdles in 1:05.47. Ajinjeru’s time is fourth in Grinnell history.
The Pioneers’ 4x400 relay team was third in 4:05.59, while fourth went to Miller in the 400 (1:00.06), Stephanie Rouse ’13 in the 5000 (18:58.93) and Meg Huey ’12 in the shot put (39-6 1/2). Huey’s performance is second in school history.
Placing fifth were Leah Russell ’11 in the 800 (2:21.39) and Jordan Young ’14 in the shot put (38-7 ¾). Russell’s time ranks sixth in Pioneer history.
Sixth went to the 4x100 relay team (52.48) and Huey in the javelin (86-10). The 4x100 team’s time is 10th best on the Pioneers’ all-time chart.
Placing seventh were Maja Gamble ’11 in the 5000 (19:32.21) and Young in the javelin (85-11), while Lilah Melzer ’11 was eighth in the 3000 steeplechase (13:17.20).
Elena Gartner ’14 added a 10th-place finish in the 800 (2:30.78).
As a team, Grinnell finished with 88.5 points to finish 6.5 in front of fourth-place Carroll University. The winner was Monmouth College with 295 points.
Outstanding Performers were Carroll’s Lindsay Gruenke, St. Norbert College’s Emily Schudrowitz and Monmouth’s Mary Kate Beyer in track events and Illinois College’s Melissa Norville and Monmouth’s Whitney Didier in field events.
