April 16, 2017
By Megan Golden
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The University of Notre Dame track and field team fell to the Big 10 Conference at its third Atlantic Coast Conference/Big 10 Challenge on Saturday at Cardinal Park. The Irish men’s squad finished fifth overall, while the women placed sixth.
In his fourth outdoor hammer throw of the season, senior Anthony Shivers set a school record with a 65.60m throw and a first-place finish. Shivers was followed by Irish freshmen Logan Kusky (56.04m) and Shae Watkins (51.60m), who finished fifth and eighth, respectively.
Senior Nathan Richartz followed suit on Saturday, finishing first with a school-record 5.51m vault in the pole vault. Richartz’s jump is tied for eighth in the country this season.
Shivers was back at it on Saturday in the discus, throwing 53.00m and finishing fourth in a field of 12 athletes. Sophomore Daniel Hardiman (47.05m) and freshman Logan Kusky (47.29m) each set personal records in the event.
In the women’s discus, sophomore Alexa Coubal set her collegiate personal record for the second straight week, throwing 45.02m.
Sophomore Kyla Lewis (11.90) led the women in the 100m dash, finishing seventh overall. Freshman Michaela Butler set a collegiate personal record running a time of 11.91 and coming in ninth place.
On the men’s side, sophomore Zachary Zajdel recorded a personal record and fifth place in the 100m dash with a time of 10.72.
In the 100m hurdles, freshmen Summer Thorpe (13.94), Grace Cronin (14.18) and Madysen Hunter (14.64) finished fifth, eighth and 12th, respectively. For Hunter, the 14.64 mark was a collegiate personal record.
Five Irish athletes set personal records in the 200m dash, including Lewis (24.39), juniors Payton Miller (24.49) and Rachel Rhodes (25.52), Hunter (24.79) and Zajdel (21.46).
Junior Jordan Shead ran a time of 53.41 in the 400m dash, placing third overall and setting a personal record. Senior Patrick O’Connell (49.72) finished seventh in the men’s 400m dash, while sophomore Edward Cheatham (50.77) and junior Kirk Hansen (51.09) finished 12th and 13th.
Sophomore All-American Kelly Hart set a personal record with a time of 2:11.02 in the 800m race. Hart finished fifth and was followed by senior Jamie Marvil (11th, 2:13.63), freshman Emily Franz (12th, 2:13.63), sophomore Stephanie Knight (15th, 2:15.29) and junior Samantha Murray (19th, 2:18.39).
Sophomore Anna Rohrer made her debut in the 1,500m race, placing seventh with a time of 4:27.79.
Coming Up Next
The Irish return to action at Baylor and at Virginia at 10 a.m. on Friday, April 21, at Lannigan Field (Charlottesville, Virginia).
For a closer, behind-the-scenes look at the Irish track and field team, follow @NDXCTF on Twitter.
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Megan Golden, athletics communications assistant director at the University of Notre Dame, has been part of the Fighting Irish athletics communications team since August of 2016. In her role, she coordinates all media efforts for the Notre Dame women’s lacrosse and cross country/track and field programs. A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Golden is a 2014 graduate of Saint Mary’s College and former Irish women’s basketball manager. Prior to arriving at Notre Dame, she worked in public relations with the Cleveland Indians and Chicago White Sox.