ALLENDALE, Mich. – Lewis University's seventh ranked women's track and field team finished sixth with 36 points at the 2021 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships that was completed on Saturday (May 29). It's the Flyers second top 10 finish in the last six years. Lewis finished ninth at the 2016 NCAA Championships with 28 points.
The Flyers got All-American and scoring performances in all eight events they competed in over the course of the three days of the meet including all seven they had competitors in on Saturday evening. It's the highest finish by a Great Lakes Valley Conference school since former member SIU Edwardsville finished fifth at the 2008 NCAA Championships with 45 points.
Jada Hoffman (Chicago, Ill./Kenwood Academy) and
Allison Heinzer (Sugar Grove, Ill./Kaneland HS) had Lewis' highest scoring performances at the meet with each finishing third in their respective events. Hoffman took third in the 100 meters with a time of 11.89 seconds. Heinzer finished third in the 200 meters with a time of 23.50 and finished fourth in the 400 meters with a time of 54.03 seconds.
Natasha Bernett (McAlpin, Ill./Lane Tech) took fourth in the 100-meter hurdles and ran a personal best and tied the school record time of 13.74 seconds. She matched the record that was set by Megan Marchildon back in 2014.
The Flyers 4x100 relay team of Hoffman, Heinzer,
Grace Harris (Dousman, Wis./Homeschooled) and
Rose-Marie Ogbuli (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield East) set a new school record in the event with a time of 45.36 seconds to finish fourth overall.
Kylie Wymer (Rock Island, Ill./Rock Island) recorded a personal best in the shot put with a heave of 15.03 meters (49'3.75") to finish sixth overall. Her mark is second best in school history behind Lane Kadlec's mark of 51'11.25 which was set in 2019.
Lewis' 4x400 relay team of
Tsitsi Mahachi (Harare, Zimbabwe/Chisipite Senior School), Heinzer,
Kyla Chalmers (Elk Grove Village, Ill./James B. Conant) and Harris finished seventh in the event with a time of 3:45.33.
Harris also finished ninth in the 400 meters with a time of 55.59 seconds.
