School records fall for Gallaudet women's track and field at Mason-Dixon Outdoor Championships
GWYNEDD VALLEY, Pa. – The Gallaudet University women’s track and field team placed 6th overall at the 2012 Mason-Dixon Outdoor Championships this weekend hosted by Gwynedd-Mercy College. Methodist University defended its crown and won this year’s championship with 182 team points followed by Christopher Newport University (174 points) and Penn St.-Behrend (69 points). GU accumulated 34 points and finished in front of Gwynedd-Mercy (31 points), Keystone and Neumann.
Gallaudet picked up four all-conference honors that are bestowed to those who finish first, second or third in an event.
Junior Jessica Israel (Frederick, Md.) was a runner-up in the shot put at last year’s championships but came back this year and won the event with a toss of 12.22 meters (40 feet, 1.25 inches). That toss sets a new school record that was previously held by Carley Lords who threw the shot put 12.17 meters (39 feet, 11.25 inches) at the Capital Athletic Conference championships on April 16, 2005. Israel finished sixth in the discus with a toss of 34.21 meters (112 feet, nine inches).
Sophomore Mariah Ransom (Snellville, Ga.) was second in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 1:06.46 and was third in the 100-meter hurdles (15.89 seconds). Her time in the 400-meter hurdles lowers her school record she owns of 1:06.82 set back on April 7.
Sophomore Leslye Kang (Wayne, N.J.) couldn’t defend her javelin title at the Mason-Dixon outdoor championships as she placed second with a toss of 36.28 meters (119 feet). Freshman Lindsey Corthell (Orlando, Fla.) finished 13th in the 400-meter dash (1:03.63) and was 10th in 1,500-meter run (5:16.76). Sophomore Shadoe Williamson (Austin, Texas) finished 15th in 800-meter run (2:40.74) and was right behind Corthell in the 1,500-meter run (5:28.95).
The 4x400 relay team of Kang, senior Emma Bixler (Seattle, Wash.), Williamson and Ransom finished sixth when the Bison crossed the finish line in 4:38.84.
The Mason-Dixon Conference was founded in 1936 as a track and field only conference for schools from Maryland, Virginia and D.C. The original schools included American University, Baltimore University, Catholic University of America, University of Delaware, Gallaudet University, Johns Hopkins University, Randolph-Macon College, Washington (Md.) College and Western Maryland College (now McDaniel College).