GRANVILLE, Ohio (April 26, 2024) – Denison University women's track & field hosted the Big Red Invitational on Friday at Deeds Field-Piper Stadium in Granville, Ohio. It was also Senior Day for nine Denison women's track & field athletes.

Sydney Flores won the shot put with a personal record throw of 12.09 meters (39-08.00). Kylee Silverman was third in the shot put at 11.55 meters (37-10.75).

Amy Pollack was third in the hammer at 46.89 meters (153-10) while Silverman was fourth at 46.69 meters (153-02).

Flores was also fourth in the discus at 37.89 meters (124-04).

Anaya Jolivette won both the long jump at 5.20 meters (17-00.75) and the 200 meter dash at 25.80 seconds.

Earning top-five times on the track was Cara Bodary (4:54.65) with a personal record in the 1,500 meter run, Fiona Martinelli (2:27.72) with a personal record as well in the 800 meter run, and Kate Immesberger (11:58.55) in the 3,000 meter run.
 
EVENT WINNERS:

• Sydney Flores – shot put – 12.09 meters (39-08.00)
• Emily Collins – high jump – 1.40 meters (4-07.00)
• Anaya Jolivette – long jump – 5.20 meters (17-00.75)
• Rainer Yaeger – triple jump – 10.34 meters (33-11.25)
• 4x100 Meter Relay "A" team – 49.12 seconds (Piper Lee, Sophia Ellerkmann, Libby Hornick, Anaya Jolivette)
• Anaya Jolivette – 200 meter dash – 25.80 seconds
• 4x400 Meter Relay "A" team – 3:58.79 (Sophia Ellerkmann, Tessa Gerhardt, Libby Hornick, Piper Lee)

 
TOP-10 FINISHES:

• Ava Sinex – second place in the 400 meter hurdles – 1:08.34
• Amy Pollack – third place in the hammer – 46.89 meters (153-10)
• Kylee Silverman – third place in the shot put – 11.55 meters (37-10.75)
• Sydney Flores – fourth place in the discus – 37.89 meters (124-04)
• Kylee Silverman – fourth place in the hammer – 46.69 meters (153-02)
• Cara Bodary – fifth place in the 1,500 run – 4:54.65
• Fiona Martinelli – fifth place in the 800 meter run – 2:27.72
• Kate Immesberger – fifth place in the 3,000 meter run – 11:58.55
• Kylee Silverman – sixth place in the discus – 35.72 meters (117-02)
• Mariel Drost – seventh place in the discus – 32.62 meters (107-000)
• Rainer Yaeger – seventh place in the long jump – 4.13 meters (13-06.75)
• Mariel Drost – seventh place in the hammer – 40.56 meters (133-01)
• Quinn Greene – seventh place in the 100 meter dash – 13.70 seconds
• Tessa Gerhardt – seventh place in the 200 meter dash – 27.57 seconds
• Julia Renetzky – eighth place in the 3,000 meter run – 13:11.83
• Caiti Panten – ninth place in the 800 meter run – 3:04.62

 
SENIOR DAY (Times/Marks entering Friday):

• Cara Bodary is from New Boston, Michigan. A 2024 Denison President's Medalist, Bodary finished 31st at this year's NCAC Cross Country Championship with a time of 24:43.4 and ran a career-best 6k time of 23:07.2 to finish 98th at the NCAA Division III Great Lakes Regional Championship. On the track, Bodary helped the Big Red finish in third place in the distance medley relay at this year's NCAC Indoor Championship. In indoor track & field, Bodary ranks sixth in program history in the mile with a time of 5:18.21 set at this year's Wittenberg Invitational. She has also set personal records this season with a winning time of 10:56.24 in the 3,000 meter run at the Fighting Scots Invitational, with a 14th-place time of 2:25.19 in the 800 meter run and an 18th-place time of 4:56.00 in the 1,500 meter run both at the Dr. Jack M. Toms Alumni Invitational, and lastly with a runner-up time of 18:50.98 in the 5,000 meter run at the Marv Frye Invitational. She is a three-time member of the NCAC Academic Honor Roll and is a three-time Denison Top-50 Scholar-Athlete. She was awarded the Ted Barclay Top-Five Award in 2022 and 2023 and at this year's James T. Glerum '82 Top-50 Scholar-Athlete Honors Celebration, Bodary received the Lynn Schweizer Award for the highest-ranking senior varsity female scholar-athlete, by GPA. On campus, she is a member of Newman Catholic Club and Mission34.
• Sophia Ellerkmann is from Baltimore, Maryland. Ellerkmann is a 10-time All-NCAC performer in the 200 and 400 meter dashes and the 4x100, 4x200 and 4x400 meter relays. She is a three-time NCAC Champion who won the 400 meter dash at this year's NCAC Indoor Championship and added a runner-up finish in the 200 meter dash. She is also a nine-time All-Ohio performer who earned wins in the 200 meter dash, 400 meter dash and the 4x400 meter relay at this year's All-Ohio Indoor Championship and won the 200 meter dash and the 4x400 meter relay at this year's All-Ohio Outdoor Championship. Ellerkmann is Denison's record holder in the 400 meter dash for outdoor track & field with a time of 56.30 seconds set at the Tennessee Invite earlier this season. In addition, her personal record of 25.66 seconds in the 200 meter dash came with her win at this year's All-Ohio Outdoor Championship. She was a member of the 2021-22 and 2022-23 NCAC Academic Honor Roll.
• Tessa Gerhardt is from Lexington, Ohio. At this year's All-Ohio Indoor Championship, Gerhardt helped the Big Red to a runner-up finish in the 4x200 meter relay and also ran the anchor leg of Denison's 4x400 meter relay team that placed with a time of 4:00.79. Then at this year's All-Ohio Outdoor Championship, Gerhardt again helped the Big Red win the 4x400 meter relay with a time of 4:00.79 while also setting a personal record with a sixth-place time of 1:01.41 in the 400 meter dash. She finished 26th and set a personal record with a time of 28.32 seconds in the 200 meter dash at the Wittenberg Invitational earlier this season as well. At this year's NCAC Indoor Track and Field Championship, Gerhardt was a part of Denison's 4x400 relay that placed third with a time of 4:05.11 while also running the 400 leg of Denison's distance medley relay that also finished third with a time of 12:51.45. She was named to the NCAC Academic Honor Roll in 2022-23.
• Michaela Hassler is from Naperville, Illinois. In cross country this season, Hassler finished 50th at the NCAC Championship with a time of 25:55.2 and ran a career-best 6k time of 23:26.5 to finish 117th at the NCAA Division III Great Lakes Regional Championship. In track this season, she set a personal record with a 17th-place time of 11:18.84 seconds in the 3,000 meter run at the NCAC Indoor Championship. Hassler also ran a personal best in the 5,000 meter run at last year's NCAC Outdoor Championship with a 16th-place time of 19:54.08. Hassler was a member of the 2021-22 and 2022-23 NCAC Academic Honor Roll.
• Brooklyn Heller is from Marysville, Ohio. This season she has set personal records in the 60 meter dash with a 33rd-place time of 8.86 seconds at the Wittenberg Invitational and a 10th-place mark of 2.96 meters in the pole vault at the All-Ohio Outdoor Championship. She was named to the NCAC Academic Honor Roll in the 2022-2023.
• Kate Immesberger is from Winnetka, Illinois. In cross country this season, Immesberger finished 61st at the NCAC Championship and ran a career-best 6k time of 23:51.6 to finish 149th at the NCAA Division III Great Lakes Regional Championship. On the track, she is a distance runner who set a personal record of 5:49.94 with a 17th-place finish in the mile at this year's Marv Frye Invitational. At the 2022 Denison Invitational, Immesberger ran a personal best in the 3,000 meter run with a fourth-place time of 11:22.69.
• Amy Pollack is from Topsham, Maine. Pollack specializes in hammer, weight and discus and is second in program history in the hammer with a mark of 48.75 meters set at the 2023 Wooster Dual Meet. During that same meet, she also set a personal record in the discus with a fourth-place throw of 32.74 meters. This season, she finished sixth with a personal record of 13.30 meters in the weight throw at the NCAC Indoor Championship before earning her first-career All-Ohio honor with a third-place throw of 47.02 meters in the hammer at this year's All-Ohio Outdoor Championship. She is a three-time member of the NCAC Academic Honor Roll and is a three-time Denison Top-50 Scholar-Athlete. On campus, Amy works as a fellow for the HESS department and for the Denison Sports Network.
• Kylee Silverman is from Princeton, New Jersey. Silverman is Denison's school record holder in the hammer with a mark of 48.89 meters set at the 2023 Wooster Dual Meet. Silverman is a two-time All-NCAC performer who won the hammer at the 2021 NCAC Outdoor Championship with a throw of 47.52 meters and finished third in the weight throw at this season's indoor championship with a personal record of 15.25 meters, which ranks second in program history for indoor track & field. She also owns personal records of 35.74 meters in the discus, which she set with a ninth-place finish at the 2023 NCAC Outdoor Championship, and 11.69 meters in the shot put, which she set with a fifth-place finish at this year's Dr. Jack M. Toms Alumni Invitational. In addition, Silverman has earned two All-Ohio honors for outdoor track & field in her career with a third-place finish at the shot put in 2023 and a runner-up finish in the hammer throw this season.
• Rainer Yaeger is from Jamesville, New York. Yaeger specializes in the triple and long jump and is ranked third in program history in the triple jump for both indoor and outdoor track & field. He owns a personal record of 10.90 meters set at the Tiger Opener in December 2022 while his personal best long jump of 4.89 meters came at the 2021 Tiger Opener. On campus, Yaeger is a member of the orchestra.

 
NEXT UP: The Big Red will return to action this weekend (Apr. 27-28) when Sydney Brown represents the women's track & field program at the 2024 North Coast Athletic Conference Combined Events Outdoor Championships, hosted by Oberlin College.
 
Big Red Invitational Results