Emilie Marsicek (Spalding, Mich./Carney-Nadeau) set a new school and Horizon League record en route to victory in the shot put, while Melanie Wilson (Saint Louis, Mo./Rosati-Kain) took top honors in the 100m hurdles as the Valparaiso women’s track and field team finished third in its first-ever Outdoor Championships Friday in Youngstown, Ohio.  Marsicek was named the league’s Outstanding Field Performer after finishing the meet with two event victories.

            The Crusaders tallied 74 points on the meet for their third-place finish.  Youngstown State took top team honors with 194 points, while Milwaukee was the only other squad to finish ahead of Valpo.

            Marsicek registered a toss of 46’9” in the shot put, almost two feet farther than her previous best effort in the event, for the victory.  She bested the runner-up finisher by better than three feet.  The fifth-year senior also recorded a third-place showing in the javelin throw with a mark of 119’0”.

            Wilson also recorded a victory on the day in the 100m hurdles, crossing the line in 14.42 seconds, nearly one-half second faster than the second-place finisher.  Wilson also placed third in the triple jump with a leap of 39’2 ½”, leading three Crusaders in the top-ten in the event.  Amanda Body (Harlan, Ky./Harlan) jumped 35’11 ¼” for seventh place, while Carissa Heinold (Charleston, Ill./Charleston) placed tenth with a leap of 33’1 ¾”.

            Body also registered a top-ten finish on the track, crossing the line in 12.44 seconds in the 100m dash to finish fourth.  Patricia Kloth (Medford, Wis./Medford Area) finished eighth in the same event with a time of 13.20 seconds, and also tallied a seventh-place showing in the 400m dash, crossing the line in 58.40 seconds, the third-fastest time in school history in the event.  Rachael Button (Farmington Hills, Mich./Farmington) ran to an eight-place finish in the 5,000m run with a time of 18:08.22.