U Mary Wins Women's NSIC Team Title

Another dominating day two equals another Northern Sun Women’s Outdoor Track and Field title for the University of Mary. Trailing by 35 points entering today, the Marauders won their second consecutive conference crown and fifth in seven years by an impressive 42 points.
 
Led by double winners Melissa Agnew and Kathryn Stewart, U-Mary collected eight titles on championship Saturday.  One relay win in the 4x100 and seven individual firsts.Brittney McKinley, Jennifer Agnew and Janet Johnson each won individual titles.

Minnesota Duluth's Chanel Miller earned the NSIC Outdoor Championship High Point Performer.  Miller accrued 27 points on her own thanks to a championship performance in the heptathlon earlier this spring, a second in the 100-meter hurdles (in a school-record time of 14.20) today and a fourth in the long jump Friday.  She was also part of the 4 x 100 relay team that finished fifth.
 
After posting just 15 points and sitting sixth after the opening day, U-Mary added 165 points on Saturday to finish with 180 points. Winona State claimed second with 132 points. Augustana placed third with 102, followed by Sioux Falls (90), Minnesota Duluth (81.5), Wayne State College (67), MSU Mankato (47.5), St. Cloud State (44), Northern State (33), MSU Moorhead (28) and Bemidji State (12), and Minot State failing to score.
 
On the first track event Saturday, the Marauders Melissa Walker, Brittney McKinley, Mykala Benjamin and Kathryn Stewart won the 4x100 meter relay in 48.16 seconds, edging St. Cloud State by .53 seconds
 
Jennifer Agnew followed with a win in the 3,000 meter steeplechase, finishing ahead of teammate Alicia Nehl, who claimed second. Both posted NCAA DII provisional qualifying times.
 
The Marauders third straight win came in the next event, the 1,500. Melissa Agnew took the title with a provisional qualifying time of 4.33.77, with Dakota Wolf in third, Kayla Carlson fourth and Erin Leier in seventh. By racking up 23 team points in the event, U-Mary moved into first place.
 
Johnson pushed U-Mary’s win streak to four. The junior ran the 100 meter hurdles in 13.63 to break the NSIC and school records  and exceed NCAA provisional qualifying standards. Walker placed fourth in the event and McKinley fifth.
 
Stewart recorded a fifth straight Marauders win by capturing the 400. The sophomore ran a provisional qualifying time of 56.14 for her first of two wins on the day, capturing the event by .89 seconds. Their streak ended in the 100 meter dash when McKinley claimed fourth place.
 
The Los Angeles native later came through with a win in the triple jump. McKinley flew 38'9.75", a provisional qualifying mark.  Walker claimed fourth and Allison Opp placed seventh.
 
With one title already in hand, Melissa Agnew led another dominant effort by the Marauders in the 800 meter run. The senior from Onamia, MN, claimed her second win of the day by posting a provisional qualifying time of 2:13.98. Right behind in second was Brienna Lynch, who ran a 2:15.07. Carlson snared fourth and U-Mary garnered another 23 team points.
 
After Crystal Hovland and Megan Jenkins placed 4-5 in the 400 meter hurdles, Stewart earned the Marauders final win of the day. The Kingston, Jamaica, native won the 200 in 24.46, another provisional qualifying time. Jennifer Agnew placed second and Wolf fourth in the 5K. In the 4x400 meter, the quartet of Josie Guptill, Hovland, Lynch and Jenkins ran a 3:54.97 to place second. Top Three finishers in each event and top two relay teams are NSIC All-Conference

 In addition to winning the past two NSIC outdoor championships, the Marauders also won titles in 2007, 2009 and 2010. Full results are HERE. Photos from the meet are HERE.