Day 1 Results -- 2015 Horizon League Outdoor Track & Field Championships
ROCHESTER, Mich. – Jessica Parham of Youngstown State became just the fourth female student-athlete in Horizon League history to win an outdoor event four times as the Horizon League Outdoor Track and Field Championships opened on the campus of Oakland University.
Parham took the javelin crown for the fourth time in five years, splitting individual victories around her redshirt season in 2013. Throwing into the wind, Parham unleashed a 48.05-meter toss in her second attempt of the finals round, breaking her record of 44.75m, set just a year ago.
Parham’s final throw of 45.42m would also have given her the championship in both years. The senior joined Cassandra Lloyd (Wright State, 100m hurdles – 2009-12), Erin Havener (Milwaukee, pole vault – 2007-09, 2011) and Altramese Roberts (Detroit, discus – 1999-02) as the only women in Horizon League history to win an event four separate years.
The effort helped the Youngstown State women take a five-point lead after the first day with 27 points. Detroit sits second with 22 points, followed by Wright State (16), Valparaiso (15), Oakland (12) and Milwaukee (1).
On the men’s side, Jeremy Getz returned to the winner’s circle after a 59.94-meter throw in the javelin. Getz’ three best throws of the finals all would have captured the title. A senior, Getz previously took the Horizon League men’s javelin title as a sophomore in 2013.
Alex Chollet continued the run of repeat winners when the Milwaukee senior defended his discus title, throwing 48.92m in the finals to outdistance YSU’s Connor Neu.
Fueled by a 2-3-4 finish in the 10,000 meters, Youngstown State leads the men’s team results after a day with 40 points. Valparaiso is second, 15 points behind, while Detroit (16) and Milwaukee (12) round out the scorers.
Detroit took three individual titles on the day, with Ashley Bayles collecting the first. On her final discus throw of the competition, Bayles threw 42.78 meters, snagging the title from Wright State’s Natassia Roberts, who tossed 41.67m.
In the evening, the Titans proved themselves adept at the distance events, as senior Louisa Coppola and freshman Ben Kendell won the women’s and men’s 10,000 meters, respectively.
Coppola, posting a time of 37:18.09, pulled away to win by over 13 seconds. Meanwhile, Kendell grabbed control of the men’s 10,000 midway through the 25 laps and steadily controlled the race, crossing the line in 31:44.78.
Day two of the championship will begin at 9am ET with the conclusion of the decathlon; the heptathlon will begin at 9:30am ET, with field event finals starting at 12pm ET. Prelims for running events will begin at 3pm ET.
