MANKATO, MN – No strangers to success,
D'Andra Morris and
Elizabeth Acheson once again claimed individual titles at the 2021 Northern Sun Women's Indoor Track & Field Championships. The Marauders totaled six additional All-Conference performances and registered five NCAA qualifying efforts.
The three-time defending conference champion Marauders finished third at the 2021 NSIC championships. A unique meet following an unusual season, the traditional two-day NSIC championship meet was forced to be completed in one day due to regulations required to compete safely during the pandemic.
Morris won the triple jump title for the second straight year and the third time in her career. The senior won the event by over two feet, exploding for an NCAA provisional qualifying jump of 40-09.75 feet (12.44 meters) on her sixth and final attempt. In actuality Morris would have won the title with any of her five successful attempts as her shortest effort was 12.05m. The runner-up, Samiya Abu-Youm of Minnesota State, posted a mark of 38-07.00 (11.76m). Morris previously won the triple jump as a freshman in 2018.
Additionally Morris placed in both the high jump and the long jump. The two-time defending NSIC indoor champion in the high jump, Morris finished fourth while tying for the second-best height of the day, an NCAA provisional qualifying mark of 1.67 meters.
The Kingston, Jamaica, native closed out her day with a 5
th place finish in the long jump, clearing a distance of 5.61 meters,
Morris earned 19 team points for the Marauders, fourth-most of any competitor at the meet and the most solely earned in field events. She now owns five individual titles at the NSIC indoor championships in her career.
Acheson claimed the other individual title for the Marauders. The sophomore won the 800 meter run in an NCAA provisional qualifying time of 2:11.24. At the 2020 championships Acheson won the 600 meter run.
Taylor Hestekin generated 13 points on the day for the Marauders. The All-American placed second in the 1000 meter run in a clocking of 2:56.81 to earn All-NSIC honors. She also posted an NCAA provisional qualifying time of 4:56.88 while placing fourth in the mile run.
Tereza Bolibruch placed second in the 60 meter hurdles. She flew over the barriers in 8.72 seconds, an NCAA provisional qualifying time, to earn all-conference recognition.
In the first race of the day,
Lacey Feist and
Starlynn Costa posted a pair of outstanding performances in the 5000 meter run. Feist cracked the finish line in 17:36.24 and Costa crossed next in 17:40.40 to place second and third respectively and earn both distance runners All-Northern Sun recognition. The duo later finished 6-7 in the 3000 meter run.
Ava Grimm blazed her way to a runner-up finish in the 600 meter run. Her time of 1:36.17 earned Grimm All-Northern Sun honors.
Arianna Passeri earned All-NSIC honors in the triple jump. The sophomore posted a mark of 11.49 meters to place third overall.
Other top performances for the Marauders include:
The Marauders, who own nine NSIC indoor championships in 15 years, generated 105 team points. Host Minnesota State University won the 2021 NSIC Women's Indoor Track & Field championship with 178 points, followed by Augustana (155), UMary, Winona State (57), Northern State (44), Bemidji State (28), St. Cloud State (27), Concordia-St Paul (26), Minnesota Duluth (25), Wayne State (22), MSU Moorhead (21), Sioux Falls (20), Minot State (14), Southwest Minnesota State (13) and Upper Iowa (6).
Next up for UMary is the NCAA Division II national indoor track & field championships on March 11-13 in Birmingham, AL.
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