MANKATO, MN – Back-to-back conference records in the final two events of the 2017 Northern Sun women's indoor track & field propelled 8^th ranked University of Mary to a runner-up finish. After All-American Alexis Zeis broke the conference record in the 5,000 meter run, the Marauders 4x400 meter relay team set a new NSIC standard to clinch second for Mary.
 
One day after winning the 3,000 meter run in a conference-record time, Zeis came back and dominated the 5,000 meter run with a clocking of 16:27.92. The junior from Bismarck, ND, destroyed the field by over 38 seconds in an NCAA automatic qualifying time. Zeis beat the previous conference record by over 13 seconds.
 
In a nip-and-tuck battle for second place in the team standings with Winona State University, the Marauders 4x400 meter relay team of Julia Hammerschmidt, Maria Bolibruch, Nelecia Richards and Tonie-Ann Pandohie exploded for an NCAA provisional qualifying time of 3:47.46. The quartet beat the conference record set by Mary in 2015 by nearly three seconds. It was the fastest time for the Marauders this season and missed the school mark by just .11 seconds.
 
Mary's win in the 4x400 kept the Marauders in front of Winona State for second place overall. Should the Warriors have won the relay instead of placing second in the event to the Marauders, WSU would have edged past Mary.
 
Host Minnesota State University won the team title with 171 points. Mary placed second with 103, followed by Winona State (100.5), Minnesota Duluth (82), Augustana (58), Concordia-St. Paul (45.7) Northern State (41), St. Cloud State (39). MSU Moorhead (37), Sioux Falls (33.3), Wayne State (17), Southwest Minnesota State (10.5) and Minot State (1).
 
Pandohie registered three scintillating performances for the Marauders on Championship Saturday. In addition to running a leg on the winning 4x400 meter relay team, the junior All-American captured the 60 meter hurdles title in 8.42 seconds. It is the top time in the country and an NCAA provisional qualifying time.
 
The Kingston, Jamaica, native just missed a third title in the 200 meter dash. Pandohie was clocked in a provisional qualifying time of 24.71 seconds, just .18 seconds out of first.
 
Several other Marauders also earned all-conference honors by finishing in the top three of their individual event or running on the first or second-place relay teams.
 
Competing in her first collegiate conference championship meet, freshman Tanesha Davis placed second in the 60 meter dash. Equaling her career-best time, she was clocked in a provisional qualifying time of 7.62 seconds.
 
Bree Erickson, another freshman, sailed to third in the 1,000 meter run with a time of 2:57.03
 
Hammerschmidt opened her day with a third-place finish in the 400 meter dash, timed in 57.35 seconds, before running a leg on the winning 4x400. Through conversion, Hammerschmidt's mark becomes a provisional qualifying effort for the NCAA national championships of 56.60.
 
Kylie Pastian keyed the Marauders efforts in the field events, earning All-Northern Sun honors in the triple jump. Exploding for a career-best leap of 11.75 meters on her first attempt of the day, Pastian placed third in the event. She also met the NCAA provisional qualifying standards.
 
The Marauders additionally picked up points from several other performers. Jaiden Schuette placed fourth in the 800 meter run with a time of 2:15.65. As with Hammerschmidt, Schuette's time also converts to an NCAA provisional qualifying mark of 2:14.11.
 
Despite running a provisional qualifying time of 8.58 seconds and one of the top marks in the country, Bolibruch placed fourth in the 60 meter hurdles.
 
Kate Fox snared fifth in the 1 mile run in 5:06.12.
 
#marauders#