(LEBANON, Ill., Feb. 10)—The McKendree University women’s indoor track and field team fared well Saturday at the Illinois College Blue Classic in Jacksonville, Ill.

 

Junior Sophy Yapsabila (Kampala, Uganda/Bubulo Girls) (Kampala, Uganda) topped a list of six Bearcats that placed in the top 10 of their respective events. Yapsabila won the 5,000-meter run in a time of 18:54.70, which was more than 21 seconds faster than the runner-up time in the event.

 

Sophomore Nicole Neal (Normal, Ill./University) (Normal, Ill./University) took fourth place in the 55-meter dash finals. She was clocked in a time of 7.46 seconds. Junior Lanece Clarke (Nassau, Bahamas/C.R. Walker) (Nassau, Bahamas) took fifth in the 400-meter dash in 59 seconds flat. Clarke’s effort was fast enough to qualify for the NAIA national meet next month in Johnson City, Tenn.

 

In the shot put, sophomore Krystin Baker (Bloomington, Ill./Bloomington) (Bloomington, Ill./Bloomington) finished seventh in Saturday’s meet. She had a toss of 37 feet, seven inches (11.46 meters). Junior Clarissa Jennings (Belleville, Ill./Belleville East) (Belleville, Ill./Belleville East) brought home eighth place in the 55-meter hurdles with a time of 9.15 seconds.

 

Rounding out the list of top-10 finishers for McKendree was senior Sara Pettersen (Antioch, Ill./Grant) (Antioch, Ill./Grant), who was ninth in the 800-meter run. Pettersen registered a time of 2:31.30 in the race.

 

The Bearcats’ 4 x 400-meter relay team of Clarke, Neal, Pettersen and junior Sasha Joyce (Nassau, Bahamas/St. Augustine) (Nassau, Bahamas) finished in fourth place with a time of 4:18.31.

 

McKendree will return to action Friday afternoon at the Indiana Hoosier Hills Classic in Bloomington, Ind. The meet is scheduled to begin at 4 p.m.