NU Wins HUB City Team Title
CENTRALIA, Wash. - Northwest University's women won the team title at the HUB City Open on Saturday with a total of 170 points. Warner Pacific placed second with 154. NU's Ericka McDaniel, just back from the NAIA indoor championships, continued her success outdoors breaking two Northwest U school records in the 100m dash and 200m dash at the HUB City Open yesterday. Ericka ran a 12.69 in the 100m event, breaking Eli Seifert's 12.84 set in 2003. Her 26.11 time in the 200m dash broke Crystal Gubler's record of 26.24 established in 2006. She also led off the Eagles' winning 4X400 relay team.
Three other Eagle women won their events yesterday: Chantal Grothen won the javelin with a throw of 29.52m (96-10); Michelle Snider won the 100m hurdles in 16.27, just .01 secs. off her NU record setting performance at PLU where she broke Tanya Balliard's school record (16.39) which stood since 1998; and Charnie Dondrea won the high jump with a height of 1.55m (5-1) moving her into second on the NU all-time high jump list and bettering her previous best of 1.52 (5-0). The women's 4X400 relay also won their event.
Said Coach Mark Mandi following the meet, "I'm excited in the direction this team is headed, and proud of our ladies winning the team title. We have a talented group that continues to get better at competing. Our men's group as a whole is getting healthier so I look forward to watching them push each other during races this season. On the women's side we had some great performances. We were breaking school records and if they weren't winning events we were certainly doing a great job of placing high."
Next weekend, a small group of team members will be heading to the Oregon Preview next week and will split the squad the following week as some will compete at the Willamette Invitational in Salem, Ore., and others at the Club Northwest Spring Break Open in Seattle.