YORK, Pa. - The Falcons concluded the Middle Atlantic Conference Track and Field Championships with Day Three on Saturday, finishing the competition very well. The Falcons placed sixth out of 15 teams with a team score of 63 points, finishing behind winner Widener (first, 171 points) as well as Lebanon Valley, King's, Stevens, and Misericordia. Action on Day Three was highlighted by all of the finals from the preliminary rounds on Day Two as well as the 5000 Meter Run final, accompanied by a host of field event competition finals as well. The Falcons benefited from a number of stellar performances on Day Three, including a gold medal in the Pole Vault, a silver medal in the 400 Meter Dash, and numerous lower scoring performances, following up on two silver medals from the previous two days. The Falcons also registered one new performance on the top 10 list to accompany the three entries achieved across the first two days, capping off a very strong championships.
 
On The Track
Action on the track began for the Falcons on Day Three with the 4x100 Meter Relay, fielding a team composed of Kara Brown, Emma Graybill, Clara Benner, and Arwyn Gruenwald. The team finished with a season-best time of 50.50 to just edge past their time of 50.58 in the preliminary round, placing in sixth overall.
 
In the 1500 Meter Run, Madison Kimmel toed the line as the sole Falcon in the race. Kimmel finished with a personal best time of 4:53.56 that surpassed her performance in last year's edition of these championships by less than half a second, earning her a finishing place of 11th. The race was fast from the start, turning the race into a time trial in the heat that Kimmel made the most of with a strong personal record time.
 
Kara Brown also turned in a very strong performance for the Falcons in the 100 Meter Hurdles, placing in fifth overall with a time of 15.45 that sits consistently within the rest of her performances this season. Brown rallied well after hitting the first hurdle, making up ground on her competitors and clawing her way back to a solid scoring position in the middle of the pack. 
 
One of the highlights on the day for the Falcons came in the 400 Meter Dash, with Halle Jennett running an incredible race to take second place over and duplicate her silver medal in the same event from Indoor MACs. Jennett's finishing time of 57.44 very well near carried her to the win before she was overtaken in the final meters but still placed her eighth on the Messiah Outdoor All-Time Top Ten list. Jennett's incredible return to the form and subsequent two personal record performances in the 400 Meter on the weekend on such a short turnaround after significant early-season injury stands as an incredible feat and an excellent way to cap a career for the senior.
 
Elana Pineda continued the Falcon streak of finals appearances in the 800 Meter Run, running a sensational third 800 Meter on the weekend with incredible consistency to finish within tenths of her lifetime best with a time of 2:20.26. Pineda's time earned her a placement of fourth, a stellar finish for the freshman.
 
Clara Benner returned to the track in the 400 Meter Hurdles after a personal best in the preliminary round, going two for two in the final round with another personal best time of 1:06.92 to place sixth, duplicating her placement in the same event from Outdoor MACs her freshman year with a much quicker time. 
 
The 5000 Meter Run capped off the individual events on the track, with five Falcons taking their places on the starting line on a very hot day far from ideal for distance running. Teddi Powell ran an incredibly strong race to earn three points in sixth overall, running a stellar time of 18:32.41 that sits within several seconds of her fastest time in the last four years. Powell spent much of the race in a pack containing runners placed seventh through twelfth before making a bold move with a mile to go to catch up to the lead pack of six just as it began to splinter apart. Powell caught one of the fading runners, carrying on strongly to the finish on a warm day to finish comfortably in sixth. Ella Swayne also ran an incredible race to finish as the second Falcon, ending up in tenth place with a time of 18:49.64 that sits just 10 seconds outside of her lifetime best despite running in nonideal conditions just two days after a 10000 Meter Run. Delaney Turk continued her return from lengthy injury with an excellent time of 19:07.80. Aubrey Yeager fought through injury to finish her race with a time of 21:31.50. 
 
The Falcons performed incredibly in the 4x400 Meter Relay, the final event on the track. The team, made up of Clara Benner, Elana Pineda, Kerrigan Lebo, and Halle Jennett, finished with a stellar time of 4:06.44, their fastest this season by nine seconds. Benner led the team off very strongly with a 62.5 final split, followed by Pineda's searing 61.2 on the second leg after three 800 meter races on the weekend. Lebo split a very quick season-best time of 62.4, a remarkable return to 400 meter shape for the junior, while Halle Jennett followed up her silver medal in the open 400 Meter with a time of 60.1 on anchor. The team finished in sixth place overall with this quick time, earning the Falcons three points for their efforts.
 
In The Field
The Shot Put was the first event in the field, with four Falcons making their way into the ring. Freshman Ella Axtell incredibly finished as the top Falcon, throwing yet another sizable personal record to finish with a distance of 10.71 meters and finish in 14th place overall. Senior Leah Ferster finished just behind with a top mark of 10.69 meters to place 16th. Freshman duo Ayva Sechman and Lia Ritzman ended up side-by-side in the finishing order with respective throws of 10.26 meters and 10.22 meters.
 
The Falcons also had two competitors in the Triple Jump, led by Olivia Call's season-best distance of 10.08 meters, her first time over 10 meters in a year after recovery from significant injury. Call finished in 12th with this performance, not far off finals, while Sara Cramer finished with a distance of 9.45 meters, a mark very close to her personal best.
 
Leah Ferster reprized her efforts from the Shot Put by taking her place in the lineup of the Javelin Throw, finishing with a mark of 24.89 meters.
 
The meet concluded with one of the highlights of the weekend for the Falcons resulting from Hannah Witter's long-awaited first Middle Atlantic Conference title in the Pole Vault. Witter fought off strong competition to validate her position as first seed coming into the championships, winning by being the only competitor to clear a height of 3.60 meters (11' 9.75"). Witter took three strong jumps at a would-be personal best height of 3.76 meters (12' 4") but will await a potential clearance at a last-chance meet. Hannah Estep also competed in the Pole Vault, finishing with a height of 2.50 meters (8' 2.5"). 
 
What's Up Next
The Falcons capped off an incredible season as a team with their finish at Outdoor MACs, taking home a performance to be proud of after facing significant adversity as a team this season. Several Falcons may compete in last-chance or final qualifier meets over the next week or two, but the team as a whole concludes their efforts on the season with this meet and will next look to return next winter after some well-deserved time off.
 

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