Sophomore Abby Wagner and senior Sarah Hunt had a sensational day in the triple jump Friday to highlight the start of the outdoor season for the Shippensburg University women's track & field team at the Fred Hardy Invitational hosted by the University of Richmond.
 
Wagner began her second outdoor season with an enormous personal best of more than 1.5 feet – winning the competition on a tremendous mark of 40 feet, 3 ¼ inches (12.27m). It's an NCAA provisional qualifier that puts her in strong position to qualify for the outdoor national championships in May, as only 17 jumpers in the country last season exceeded 40 feet.
 
Hunt was one of those 17 women last season, and she matched her lifetime PR on Friday that was achieved the last time she competed outdoors – at the 2016 NCAA Outdoor Championships. Her jump of 40 feet, 2 inches (12.24m) is also a NCAA provisional qualifier and figures to also put her in position to reach the national championships once again.
 
Of SU's other jumpers and vaulters in competition Friday, three satisfied the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) qualifying standard. Junior Kali Hepner had a pole vault clearance of 11 feet, 5 ¾ inches, while senior Emily Wicker got over the bar at 10 feet, 11 ¾ inches. In the triple jump, junior Danielle Sciremammano had a top mark of 35 feet, 7 ¼ inches.
 
All six of SU's recorded throws on the day were PSAC qualifiers. Senior Tamara Ovejera paced the Raiders in both events, putting the shot 44 feet, 0 ¾ inches and throwing the hammer 147 feet, 8 inches. Junior Ava Bonetti notched PSAC qualifiers in both the shot and the hammer as well, while sophomore Paige Shirk did so in the shot and junior Erin Doherty did so in the hammer.
 
On the track, senior Casey Norton won the 5K on a sturdy season-opening time of 17:41.89 and also paced the Raiders by running the 1,500 meters in 4:43.06. Senior Abbey Farrell also notched a PSAC qualifier in the 1,500 meters, running just off her PR with a nice time of 4:56.27.
 
Junior Bryanna Dissinger finished fourth in the 5K, surpassing the league standard on a run of 18:28.16. Fellow junior Emily Kachik obtained her 10K conference qualifier in her collegiate debut at the distance, finishing second on a time of 39:33.04.
 
In the 400-meter hurdles, freshman Jordan Higgins finished sixth in her debut race on a PSAC qualifier of 1:06.86.
 
Competition resumes Saturday morning from Richmond.

1500
Casey Norton 4:43.06 (PSAC)
Abbey Farrell 4:56.27 (PSAC)
Lindsey Gerlach 5:01.42
Jackie Kinkead 5:01.46
Maria Antoni 5:17.53
Abbie Todd 5:18.98
 
5K
1. Casey Norton 17:41.89 (PSAC)
4. Bryanna Dissinger 18:28.15 (PSAC)
 
10K
2. Emily Kachik 39:33.04 (PSAC)
 
400H
6. Jordan Higgins 1:06.86 (PSAC)
 
Pole Vault
4. Kali Hepner 11' 5 ¾" (3.50m) (PSAC)
Emily Wicker 10' 11 ¾" (3.35m) (PSAC)
 
High Jump
T7. Erica Helm 5' 1" (1.55m)
Madelyne Pasteka 4' 11" (1.50m)
 
Triple Jump
1. Abby Wagner 40' 3 ¼" (12.27m) (NCAA 'P')
2. Sarah Hunt 40' 2" (12.24m) (NCAA 'P')
Danielle Sciremammano 35' 7 ¼" (10.85m) (PSAC)
Alyssa Sitch 35' 0 ¼" (10.67m)
 
Shot Put
4. Tamara Ovejera 44' 0 ¾" (13.43m) (PSAC)
6. Paige Shirk 40' 4 ¾" (12.31m) (PSAC)
Ava Bonetti 39' 9 ¾" (12.13m) (PSAC)
 
Hammer
7. Tamara Ovejera 147' 8" (45.00m) (PSAC)
Erin Doherty 142' 11" (43.56m) (PSAC)
Ava Bonetti 140' 11" (42.96m) (PSAC)