Ini Umana (Cottage Grove, Minn./Park) registered top-five finishes in three throwing events, including a win in the discus throw, to lead the Valparaiso women’s track and field squad as it opened the 2010 outdoor season Saturday at the Polar Bear Invitational in Marion, Ind.

Umana registered a mark of 126’4” in the discus throw for the event victory, edging the runner-up in the event by a mere two inches.  The redshirt junior also placed fourth in the hammer throw (139’8”) and fifth in the shot put (35’1”).  Also on the infield, freshman Kara Connelly (Sugar Grove, Ill./West Aurora) tied for sixth in the pole vault, clearing 9’4 ¼”.

On the track, Alyssa Bradford (Mukwonago, Wis./Mukwonago) had the best individual finish for Valpo, placing third in the 800m run with a time of 2:22.72.  Whitney Bowman (Portage, Ind./Portage [Purdue]) crossed the line in the 10,000m run in 40:02.29, good for fourth place, while Haley Kerlin (Rensselaer, Ind./Rensselaer) placed fifth in the same event with a time of 40:29.38.  Sara Christensen (Bettendorf, Iowa/Pleasant Valley) completed the 3,000m steeplechase in 12:21.13 as well, good for sixth place.

Valparaiso returns to action next Saturday, April 3, as the Crusaders take to the track at the DePauw Invitational in Greencastle, Ind.  The first event is slated for an 11 a.m. CDT start.