CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- School Records fell and the program's Top-5 all-time lists were populated as the Point Park University women's track and field team began its outdoor season at the UNC-Charlotte 49er Classic on Friday and Saturday of this weekend.
Competing at the NCAA Division I meet, the Pioneers started off the outdoor season strong. Point Park had four school records, an NAIA national qualifier in the high jump and several all-time Top-5s and high placements achieved throughout the two days.
Mya Greschner was a standout performer for the Pioneers competing in four events and leading the Pioneers in each. The sophomore from Thomas Jefferson High School and a transfer from Carlow set a school record in the 100 meters running 12.56 seconds for 20th place. She also tied the school record held by Anna Shields in the 400 meters running 58.09, which had a very high placement of sixth at the meet.
Greschner also led the Pioneers in the long jump placing 19th at 5.03 meters, the fourth-best mark in team history. She also anchored the 4x100 relay that set a school record.
The sprints group was on fire for the Point Park women. The group of Greschner, Diamond Rush, Emma Roemer and RaKeya Ellsberry combined on the 4x100 relay. They took down a seven-year old school record placing ninth at the DI meet with a time of 48.82 seconds.
Those sprinters all ran the 100 meters individually. After Greschner in 20th place, Rush was 26th at 12.66 seconds, one of the Top 5 times in team history. Roemer ran 12.98 for 42nd place, and Ellsberry was 13.29 for Top 50 as well.
Rush got in on the school records running 25.22 seconds in the 200 meters. That was good for 14th place. Natalea Hillen and Ellsberry also competed in the 200.
Emma Pavelek, fresh off her Point Park women's basketball season, qualified for NAIA nationals in the outdoor high jump right off the bat. She cleared 1.65 meters to hit the NAIA B standard and place fifth. That was just two centimeters off her school record as NAIA All-American.
The 400 meters had Greschner in sixth and then Jana Schmid and Karen Rios running 1:04 and 1:05 for the Pioneers.
The hurdles had some of the best Point Park performances ever. Hillen was 17th in the 100 hurdles at 15.21, and Emma Roemer was 25th at 15.66. Both of those are among the Top 5 in team history with Hillen's NAIA national qualification last year the school record.
In the 400 hurdles, Rush and Hillen both ran 1:06 and change for 12th and 14th place, respectively. Rush joined Hillen on the Top-5 list with that.
Allison Plassio stayed strong from her NAIA indoor qualification to run a PR of 4:49 in the 1,500 meters. That is fourth in program records. Olivia Hare ran that race in 5:07.
Those mid-distance runners got together for a high placement of seventh in the 4x800 relay. The group of Schmid, Hare, Rios and Plassio had a time of 9:49.80, which is second in team history up there with relays that had NAIA All-Americans Anna Shields and Alyssa Campbell on them.
Kiyara Sawyers ran the fifth-best 3,000 meters in team history. That was 11:49 for 16th place. The distance events also had Amanda Lisotto at 23:30 in the 5,000.
Along with Greschner 19th in the long jump, Pavelek was one centimeter behind her at 5.02 to make the Point Park all-time Top 5. Roemer leaped 4.62 meters.
Luchama Lubin, who also ran both hurdle races, led the Pioneers in the triple jump. She was 21st at 9.92 meters. Roemer was right behind in 22nd place at 9.62.
Lina Single, a freshman from Germany, got her first chance at the javelin and threw 31.60 meters. That placed 24th at the meet and is the third-best toss in team history. Pavelek also threw the javelin at 25.71 meters.
The Pioneers get back into competition next weekend March 22-23 at the WVU Stan Romanowski Open.
