Women place second, men take sixth at Wartburg

WAVERLY, Iowa - The Simpson women's track team took home 10 top-three finishes - including four first-place finishes - to place second of eight teams at the 2010 Wartburg Outdoor Select Friday. The men placed sixth.

Catie Ellingson (Indianola, Iowa/Indianola) led the women's team, placing first in the 800 (2:17.42) and 1500 (4:42.25). Kinsey Bak (Hinton, Iowa/Hinton) took first in the high jump (5-3) and Ali Hagerty (Tama, Iowa/South Tama) won the javelin throw (126-11) to pace the women's field events. Bak also collected a fourth-place finish in the long jump (16-10 1/2).

Sarah Hammel (Dorchester, Iowa/Waukon) took third in the 800 (2:18.23) and fifth in the 1500 (4:46.93).

Lauren Bucklin (Bondurant, Iowa/Bondurant-Farrar) took third in both the 100 (14.79) and 400-meter hurdles (1:07.56), provisionally qualifying for the NCAA Championships in the 100 hurdles. Molly Sabers (Iowa City, Iowa/City) found herself right behind Bucklin in both events, taking fifth in the 100 hurdles (15.94) and fourth in the 400 hurdles (1:08.05).

Simpson added strong showings in the field events, adding a pair of second-place finishes and a third-place effort to Bak and Hagerty's victories. Jordan Maher (Baxter, Iowa/Baxter) took second in the discus throw (128-4) followed closely by Chelsey Degen (Algona, Iowa/Algona) in third (127-7). Stacey Bontertz (Swanton, Neb./Tri County) added a second-place effort in the shot put (39-2 1/4).

On the men's side, Jake Darrington (Louisburg, Kan./Louisburg) was Simpson's highest finisher, winning the javelin throw with a toss of 175-3. John Cord (Atlantic, Iowa/Atlantic) placed fourth in the long jump (20-10 3/4) and fifth in the high jump (5-11 1/2) and Scott Danielson (Dayton, Iowa/Southest Webster-Grand took fifth in the shot put (47-1 1/2) to lead the men's team.