By Marlon Scott | Senior Staff Writer

The Lady Govs indoor track and field team went to Nashville Saturday, Feb. 27 to compete in this season’s Ohio Valley Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships. Led by championship performances by senior pole vaulters Carrie Burggraf and Molly Bartkiewicz, the Lady Govs finished fourth overall, their best finish since 2001.

According to APSU Sports Information, head coach Doug Molnar praised the team’s performance.

“This is our best finish since 2001,” Molnar said. “This was a total team effort. We had a lot of people contributing and doing a great job for us.”

The team earned 72 total points. Conference rival Eastern Illinois earned a second consecutive title with 142 points.

Adding to an already impressive resume, Burggraf won her second indoor vaulting title in a row. Both she and teammate cleared 3.96 meters (13 feet). However, Bartkiewicz lost to Burggraf in a subsequent jump off. Sophomore vaulter Briana Lococo contributed to the team’s total by finishing fifth.

Also in the field events, freshman Leigha Tolliver finished second in the long jump and third in the triple jump. Senior Amanda McCoy tied with Eastern Illinois sophomore Megan Gingereich in the high jump, both clearing 1.63 meters. But McCoy lost the jump off and took second place. Junior Latoya Monger finished ninth in the same event.

“McCoy had a solid weekend and Tolliver couldn’t have done a better job as a freshman. Altogether, it was a fantastic job. The ladies really pulled together,” Molnar said.

McCoy and Tolliver also earned points in the 55-meter hurdles. McCoy earned third place and Tolliver finished fourth.

Junior Chiamaka Obi earned several points for the team on the track. She finished second with a time of 55.85 in the 400-meter dash. Obi also finished sixth in the 200 and was part of the four women team that finished sixth in the 4×400 relay. Junior Candace Johnson, freshman Ashley Carson and sophomore Jasmine Scott were the other members of the squad. Together they finished in 3:56.59
Scott also finished seventh in the 400.
Senior Shamai Larsen and Senior Jenelle Avery contributed in the long distance events.
Shamai finished in the top twenty of both the 3000-meter and 5000-meter run. Avery finished in the top twenty of the 3000.