The Valparaiso women’s track and field team concluded the 2012 Horizon League Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Milwaukee, Wis. on Sunday, finishing in eighth place.

The Crusaders totaled 19 points over the three-day meet.  Youngstown State tallied 172 points to earn the team championship.

Valpo received a pair of top-ten finishes, including one podium placement, on Sunday from sophomore Sarah Drozdowski (Roselle, Ill./Lake Park).  Drozdowski finished in third place in the shot put with a new PR of 43’4 ¼”, improving upon her second-best mark in program history.  The sophomore also placed seventh in the discus throw with a toss of 125’3”, matching her season-best effort in the event.  Sophomore Erica Funk (Blue Mound, Ill./Meridian) earned a top-ten finish in the discus as well, recording a season-best mark of 123’6” to finish in ninth place.

Other top performers on Sunday among the Crusader contingent included sophomore Nicole Zehel (Wixom, Mich./Lutheran Westland), who ran a season-best time of 4:49.90 in the 1,500m run to pace the Valpo runners and finish in tenth place overall.  Freshman Brooke Hinstorff (Waterloo, Wis./Lakeside Lutheran) earned a 12^th-place finish in the triple jump, leaping 30’10 ½”.

Valpo’s 4x100m relay squad, comprised of freshman Malea Buck (Davenport, Iowa/Central), freshman Abby Kenyon (Canton, Ohio/Jackson), Hinstorff and sophomore Marissa Crafton (Chesterton, Ind./Chesterton), ran to an eighth-place finish, crossing the line in 52.08 seconds.  Due to weather, the 5,000m run was stopped halfway through, while the 4x400m relay was canceled as well.