Franklin Chosen to Repeat as HCAC Women’s Outdoor Track & Field Champs

GREENWOOD, IN – Franklin College’s women’s track and field team has been selected to repeat at the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference outdoor championships. The Grizzlies held off second place Rose-Hulman by seven points, receiving six first place votes in a poll of the conference’s ten head coaches. 

Rose-Hulman will look to claim the outdoor championship after earning the indoor title in February, as the Engineers totaled a second-best 88 points and four first place votes.  Hanover College placed third in the poll with 76 points.  Defiance College finished fourth with 71 points and was followed by Manchester College (68 points), Anderson University (47), College of Mount St. Joseph (45), Earlham College (28), Transylvania University (19), and Bluffton University (13).

Franklin earned its first women’s track and field championship last spring at the HCAC outdoor championships.  The Grizzlies finished second overall at the inaugural HCAC indoor championships in February.  Franklin returns the HCAC’s Most Outstanding Track Athlete from last year’s outdoor season and this year’s indoor season as senior Heather Waterman (Shelbyville, Ind./Morristown) competes at a conference meet for the final time.  Waterman will run in the distance events for the Grizzlies.

Rose-Hulman placed fifth at the 2010 HCAC outdoor championships, but claimed the inaugural title at the women’s indoor championship this February.  Sophomore Liz Evans (Bicknell, Ind./North Knox) was named the HCAC’s Most Outstanding Field Athlete after earning the title in the high jump.  Evans went on to win the national championship in the women’s high jump at the NCAA Indoor Championships, clearing 5’ 7.75”.  RHIT’s Erin Cox (West Harrison, Ind./Franklin Co.) was also honored by the conference at the indoor meet, earning Freshman of the Year honors after earning the conference title in the 200-meter dash.

After a sixth place finish at last spring’s outdoor championships, Hanover College has been selected to place third at the upcoming outdoor championships.  The Panthers placed third overall at the indoor championships and will look for similar results at the outdoor meet in April.  Senior Andrea Thomas (Brazil, Ind./Northview) earned the HCAC title in the 55-meter dash this indoor season and will hope for All-HCAC honors once again during the outdoor meet.

The 2011 HCAC Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Championships are set for Friday, April 29 and Saturday, April 30 at Hanover College.

The 2011 women’s outdoor track and field season gets in full swing this weekend.

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