The Virginia Wesleyan University women's track and field team placed sixth overall with 35.5 points at the ODAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
The Marlins were led by a standout distance performance from freshman Ester Zar, who earned All-ODAC honors with a second-place finish in the 5000m, crossing in 17:54.89 to score eight points. Junior Abby Peck added to the distance scoring with a fifth-place finish in the 10,000m, running a personal-best 40:03.51 to bring in four points. Senior Ella Clingenpeel also competed in the 800m, finishing 10th in 2:24.44.
On the track, senior Lyric Hoggard advanced to the final in the 100m after running 12.48 in the prelims and went on to place eighth in the final in 12.40 to score a point. She also competed in the 200m, finishing 10th overall with a season-best time of 25.92 in the prelims. Senior Anisah Kersey joined Hoggard in the 100m, placing 14th in the prelims with a time of 12.82.
Junior Katelyn Griffin turned in a strong all-around meet. She qualified for the final in the 400m hurdles with a personal-best 1:12.22 and placed sixth in the final in 1:13.66 to score three points. Griffin also contributed in the field, placing fifth in the long jump with a mark of 5.40m, a performance that ranks No. 83 nationally in Division III and added four points, while also competing in the triple jump where she placed 16th with a mark of 9.49m.
The Marlins found additional success in the jumps, where freshman Alani Hampton scored in the long jump with an eighth-place finish at 5.16m to add a point. She also placed 10th in the high jump with a clearance of 1.32m and competed in the triple jump, finishing 15th with a mark of 9.86m. Junior Maria Plummer added a point in the high jump, placing eighth with a clearance of 1.37m.
Virginia Wesleyan's throws group made a significant impact on the team score with multiple scoring performances. Junior Zantia Durand placed fourth in the javelin with a throw of 33.87m to score five points. Freshman Abigail Samples followed with a fifth-place finish in the javelin, recording a season-best throw of 30.99m to add four points. Sophomore Bailey Schottin also competed in the javelin, placing 10th with a personal-best throw of 24.17m.
In the shot put, senior Mackenzie Swanson placed fourth with a season-best throw of 12.12m, earning five points. Freshman Desi Hill finished 17th with a throw of 9.82m, while Schottin placed 19th with a throw of 9.79m.
In the discus, Hill recorded a personal-best throw of 28.37m to place 17th, while Schottin finished 20th with a throw of 21.94m.
