SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – The Shippensburg University women's outdoor track & field team aced its Thursday at home, delivering a host of significant performances at the Mid-Week PR Bonanza held at sunny and warm Seth Grove Stadium.
 
The Raiders engineered their training regimen to perform well last Sunday at Bucknell and wind that down with similar strength at Thursday's Mid-Week PR Bonanza.
 
Shippensburg lived up to the meet's namesake by producing 30 new personal bests ("PRs") while also compiling 23 performances that satisfied the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Outdoor Championships qualifying standards.
 
Below is a breakdown of Thursday's action by event group.
 
Sprints (100, 200 and 400 meters)
 
Izzy Slezak delivered new personal bests in both the 100 and 200 meters, winning both events. Each of her times ranks among the Top 3 in school history for the respective event. In the 100, Slezak ran 12.01 seconds with a legal wind – a new PR by .27 seconds – while in the 200, Slezak ran 24.54 seconds (with a more aggressive wind reading) – a new PR by .24 seconds.
 
Slezak is now third all-time in school history in the 100 meters, trailing only Leah Graybill (11.68 seconds) and current teammate Aliyah Serrano (11.98 seconds), and now second all-time in the 200 meters, trailing only Graybill (23.46 seconds).
 
Alyssa Wert also recorded two new personal bests – doing so in the 200 and 400 meters. Wert finished second to Slezak in the 200 meters, running 24.73 seconds. It was a huge PR – the first time she has ever broke 25 seconds in the event. She was also the runner-up in the 400 meters, continuing to improve her best season to date by running 56.13 seconds.
 
Wert went from outside of the Top 10 in school history in the 200 meters all the way up to the No. 4 slot all-time. She also improved her ranking from No. 9 to No. 5 in school history for the 400 meters.
 
Emily Calamia joined Slezak and Wert with two new personal bests in sprint events. She made it a 1-2-3 finish for Shippensburg in the 200 meters, delivering a personal best of 24.87 seconds to crack the 25-second mark for the first time in her career. In the 400 meters, Calamia finished fourth in 57.37 seconds – a new personal best by more than two-tenths of a second.
 
Calamia improved to the No. 6 position all-time at SU for the 200 meters – meaning that Raiders delivered the second, fourth and sixth fastest 200-meter races in school history in Thursday's race.
 
Serrano continued her inspirational comeback by picking up her PSAC Championships qualifier in the 100 meters – running a season best of 12.33 seconds. She also improved her season best in the 200 meters by running 25.99 seconds – a sixth-place finish.
 
Melanie Barger achieved a new PR in the 200 meters of 26.36 seconds. Greta Dwyer improved her season and collegiate bests in the 200 (28.70 seconds) and the 400 (1:06.32).
 
Hurdles (100 and 400-meter)
 
Madison Malcolm was the runner-up in both hurdle events for Shippensburg, delivering a personal best of 14.67 seconds in the 100-meter hurdles while running 1:03.54 in the 400-meter hurdles. Her 400-meter hurdle race was a new season best and is just .23 seconds off her personal best in the event that was set last season at the Colonial Relays.
 
Malcolm cracked the all-time SU Top 10 in the 100-meter hurdles with her PR, achieving the No. 10 position in school history with her time.
 
She was one of five Raiders to achieve a new personal best in the 100-meter hurdles. Linda Hussein had another excellent run, finishing third with a time of 14.77 seconds. Layla Duggan cracked the 15-second mark, running 14.98 seconds for sixth place. Michelle Olak achieved her PSAC qualifier with her new personal best of 15.21 seconds.
 
Camryn Pyle came within a tenth of a second of her PR – she equaled her season best by running 15.45 seconds – while Hannah Stonesifer enhanced her personal best to 16.11 seconds.
 
Complementing Malcolm in the 400-meter hurdles were Barger and Pyle. Barger ran third in 1:04.69, while Pyle was one place behind in 1:05.94. Duggan improved her PR to 1:11.30 while Kendra Jo Depew clocked in at 1:12.51.
 
Mid-Distance (800 and 1,500 meters)

The high sun and the heat did not yield conditions conducive to optimal mid-distance running for those in the field.
 
Lexi Kapschull placed sixth in the 800 meters with a time of 2:28.22, while Helene Shevick crossed the finish line in 2:35.09. Despite the heat, Kapschull improved her PR by more than 2.5 seconds.
 
Distance (3K Steeplechase, 5K and 10K)

Shippensburg did not have any competitors in distance events.
 
Relays (4x100-meter, 4x400-meter)

Shippensburg did not have any entries in the 4x100-meter relay and there was no 4x400-meter relay contested this year due to scratches.
 
Vertical Jumps (High Jump and Pole Vault)
 
Ashley Laukus led the way for the Raiders in the high jump by equaling her season and personal best with a clearance of 5 feet, 6 inches (1.68 meters). It resulted in a third-place finish.
 
Laukus remains tied with Wendy Clark for the No. 7 spot all-time in school history for the high jump.
 
Due to the 2026 edition of the Mid-Week PR Bonanza nearly doubling in size from previous years, the women's pole vault did not get underway until around 6 p.m. due to the large number of entrants in both the men's and women's sections.
 
Carissa Bender endured the wait well and delivered a season best by clearing 11 feet, 5 ¾ inches (3.50 meters) that was good for a fourth-place finish. It was a large increase to the next height, and Bender was unable to get over the bar at 12 feet, 1 ½ inches (3.70 meters). Her PR remains 11 feet, 9 ¾ inches (3.60 meters).
 
Horizontal Jumps (Long, Triple)
 
Riyah Whigham has had an excellent sophomore season and she continued it Thursday with second-place finishes in the long jump and the triple jump. Her long jump of 18 feet, 8 inches (5.69 meters) is a new season best that was only three inches off her personal best. In the triple jump. Whigham landed an impressive mark of 39 feet, 0 ¼ inches (11.89 meters) that was also just three inches off her personal best (set last week at Bucknell).
 
Olak made it a second PR on the day with a top long jump of 17 feet, 8 ¼ inches (5.39 meters), while Kaitlin Calvello equaled her PR (set in the season-opening Keystone Challenge) with a top mark of 17 feet, 7 inches (5.36 meters).
 
Duggan finished the day with personal bests in all three of the events in which she competed. Her triple jump PR of 37 feet, 3 ¾ inches (11.37 meters) resulted in a sixth-place finish. Anne Gardner upped her season best in the triple jump to 37 feet, 1 ¾ inches (11.32 meters).
 
Sara Shaffer enhanced her personal bests in the long jump (16 feet, 5 ¾ inches [5.02 meters]) and the triple jump (35 feet, 1 ¼ inches [10.70 meters]).
 
Throws (Shot, Discus, Hammer, Javelin)
 
Kyra Love is in the midst of her best season to date; she emphasized that Thursday with new personal bests in all three of her throws.
 
Her strongest event remains the shot put, and she has now exceeded the 40-foot mark in each of the last three events. Love enhanced her personal best to 40 feet, 8 ¼ inches (12.40 meters) with a second-place finish that puts her among the PSAC's current Top 10 throwers in the event. She also delivered a hammer throw of 130 feet, 8 inches (39.82 meters), while her discus soared 92 feet (28.05 meters).
 
Carly Bennett also recorded three new outdoor personal bests. Most notably, Bennett satisfied the PSAC standard in the discus with a sixth-place throw of 125 feet (38.10 meters). She also took fifth place in the hammer with a throw of 141 feet, 11 inches (43.27 meters) while putting the shot 33 feet, 4 ½ inches (10.17 meters).
 
Lauren Bellows won the hammer throw – her top mark of 159 feet, 11 inches (48.75 meters) was a huge season best that slots her among the Top 8 currently on the league leaderboard.
 
Makayla Decker paced SU in the discus with a fifth-place throw of 128 feet, 1 inch (39.05 meters).
 
All six SU hammer throwers recorded new season bests with their performances. Among them, Caroline Mercer and Lessa Luffy achieved new PRs. Mercer's sixth-place hammer throw traveled 141 feet, 8 inches (43.18 meters). Luffy's throw went 110 feet, 2 inches (33.57 meters); she also improved her PR in the discus by more than 12 feet (117 feet [35.67 meters]).
 
In the javelin, Hannah Cassner paced the Raiders with a fifth-place throw of 120 feet, 1 inch (36.61 meters).
 
Up Next
 
Shippensburg returns to action in eight days when it hosts the Paul Kaiser Classic on April 24-25 at Seth Grove Stadium.
 
Agate Results
 
100
1. Izzy Slezak 12.01 (PSAC) (No. 3 all-time at SHIP)
3. Aliyah Serrano 12.33 (PSAC)
 
200
1. Izzy Slezak 24.54 (PSAC) (No. 2 all-time at SHIP)
2. Alyssa Wert 24.73 (PSAC) (No. 4 all-time at SHIP)
3. Emily Calamia 24.87 (PSAC) (No. 6 all-time at SHIP)
6. Aliyah Serrano 25.99
Melanie Barger 26.36 (PR)
Greta Dwyer 28.70 (PR)
 
400
2. Alyssa Wert 56.13 (PSAC) (No. 5 all-time at SHIP)
4. Emily Calamia 57.37 (PSAC) (PR)
Greta Dwyer 1:06.32 (PR)
 
800
6. Lexi Kapschull 2:28.22 (PR)
Helene Shevick 2:35.09
 
1500
No competitors
 
5K
No competitors
 
100 Hurdles
2. Madison Malcolm 14.67 (PSAC) (No. 10 all-time at SHIP)
3. Linda Hussein 14.77 (PSAC) (PR)
6. Layla Duggan 14.98 (PSAC) (PR)
8. Michelle Olak 15.21 (PSAC) (PR)
Camryn Pyle 15.45 (PSAC)
Hannah Stonesifer 16.11 (PR)
 
400 Hurdles
2. Madison Malcolm 1:03.54 (PSAC)
3. Melanie Barger 1:04.69 (PSAC)
4. Camryn Pyle 1:05.94
Layla Duggan 1:11.30 (PR)
Kendra Jo Depew 1:12.51
 
3K Steeplechase
No competitors
 
4x1 Relay
No competitors
 
High Jump
3. Ashley Laukus 5' 6" (1.68m) (NCAA 'P') (equals her No. 7 all-time at SHIP)
T4. Elliot Oliphant 5' 1" (1.55m)
Allyson Richwine 4' 11" (1.50m)
Kaitlin Calvello 4' 9" (1.45m)
 
Pole Vault
4. Carissa Bender 11' 5 ¾" (3.50m) (PSAC)
 
Long Jump
2. Riyah Whigham 18' 8" (5.69m) (PSAC)
6. Michelle Olak 17' 8 ¼" (5.39m) (PR)
8. Kaitlin Calvello 17' 7" (5.36m) (PR)
Sara Shaffer 16' 5 ¾" (5.02m) (PR)
Ellie Manyara 16' 5" (5.00m)
Anne Gardner 16' 3" (4.95m)
Kendra Jo Depew NM
 
Triple Jump
2. Riyah Whigham 39' 0 ¼" (11.89m) (PSAC)
6. Layla Duggan 37' 3 ¾" (11.37m) (PSAC) (PR)
7. Anne Gardner 37' 1 ¾" (11.32m) (PSAC)
Ellie Manyara 35' 6 ¾" (10.84m)
Sara Shaffer 35' 1 ¼" (10.70m) (PR)
 
Shot
2. Kyra Love 40' 8 ¼" (12.40m) (PSAC) (PR)
Makayla Decker 36' 8 ½" (11.19m)
Caroline Mercer 34' 8 ½" (10.58m)
Aubrey Orsinger 33' 8" (10.26m)
Carly Bennett 33' 4 ½" (10.17m) (PR)
 
Discus
5. Makayla Decker 128' 1" (39.05m) (PSAC)
6. Carly Bennett 125' (38.10m) (PSAC) (PR)
7. Lessa Luffy 117' (35.67m) (PR)
Lauren Bellows 115' (35.06m)
Caroline Mercer 103' 4" (31.49m)
Kyra Love 92' (28.05m) (PR)
 
Hammer
1. Lauren Bellows 159' 11" (48.75m) (PSAC)
5. Carly Bennett 141' 11' (43.27m) (PR)
6. Caroline Mercer 141' 8" (43.18m) (PR)
Kyra Love 130' 8" (39.82m) (PR)
Makayla Decker 125' 5" (38.23m)
Lessa Luffy 110' 2" (33.57m) (PR)
 
Javelin
5. Hannah Cassner 120' 1" (36.61m)
6. Abby Gotwals 115' 10" (35.30m)
7. Alexis Keefer 111' 9" (34.07m)
Aubrey Orsinger NM