Women’s T&F takes fourth at NCAC Championship

Jolivette named Sprints/Hurdles Athlete of the Year for the second time in her career

GRANVILLE, Ohio (May 4, 2024) – Led by a pair of conference titles in the 100 meter dash and the 200 meter dash by Anaya Jolivette, a win in the 400 meter dash by Sophia Ellerkmann and a title in the 4x400 meter relay on Saturday, Denison University women's track & field moved up two spots to finish in fourth place at the 2024 North Coast Athletic Conference Women's Outdoor Track & Field Championships.

Denison finished with 103.50 points and was 10 points in front of the College of Wooster (93.50 points) in fifth place. In front of Denison was Ohio Wesleyan University (112 points) in third place, DePauw University (184 points) in second and Wittenberg University (192.50 points) capturing the team championship.

Jolivette won the 100 meter dash with a time of 12.14 seconds and won the 200 meter dash at 24.86 seconds, setting a new personal record in both races for the second day in a row. As a freshman in 2022, Jolivette also won both the 100 meter dash and 200 meter dash en route to being named the 2022 NCAC Outdoor Track & Field Sprints/Hurdles Athlete of the Year and the Newcomer of the Year. This year represented her the second Sprints/Hurdles Athlete of the Year award of her career.

After finishing as the runner-up in the event last year, Ellerkmann won the conference championship with a time of 56.37 seconds in the 400 meter dash. It was her first-career conference title for outdoor track & field.

In the 4x400 meter relay, Ellerkmann ran the opening leg, followed by Jolivette, Piper Lee and Tessa Gerhardt as Denison claimed the conference title with a time of 3:57.01.

In addition to her wins in the 100 meter dash, 200 meter dash and the 4x400 meter relay on Saturday, Jolivette finished with a combined four conference championships this weekend after also winning the long jump on Friday.

In the 4x100 meter relay, Lee, Ellerkmann, Libby Hornick and Jolivette finished second with a time of 48.83 seconds. It was Denison's second consecutive runner-up finish in the 4x100 meter relay at the outdoor championships.

In the throws, Denison picked up a pair of third-place finishes from Sydney Flores with a personal record of 12.32 meters (40-05.00) in the shot put, and from Amy Pollack with a throw of 47.09 meters (154-06) in the hammer. It was Flores' second all-conference finish of the meet after taking second place in the discus on Friday, and it was Pollack's first-career all-conference finish between indoor and outdoor track & field.

NCAC CHAMPIONSHIPS:

Sophia Ellerkmann – 400 meter dash finals – 56.37 seconds
Anaya Jolivette – 100 meter dash finals – 12.14 seconds
Anaya Jolivette – 200 meter dash finals – 24.86 seconds
4x400 Meter Relay team – 3:57.01 (Sophia Ellerkmann, Anaya Jolivette, Piper Lee, Tessa Gerhardt)

All-NCAC PERFORMANCES (TOP-3):

Sophia Ellerkmann – first place in the 400 meter dash finals – 56.37 seconds
Anaya Jolivette – first place in the 100 meter dash finals – 12.14 seconds
Anaya Jolivette – first place in the 200 meter dash finals – 24.86 seconds
4x400 Meter Relay team – first place – 3:57.01 (Sophia Ellerkmann, Anaya Jolivette, Piper Lee, Tessa Gerhardt)
4x100 Meter Relay team – second place – 48.83 seconds (Piper Lee, Sophia Ellerkmann, Libby Hornick, Anaya Jolivette)
Sydney Flores – third place in the shot put – 12.32 meters (40-05.00)
Amy Pollack – third place in the hammer – 47.09 meters (154-06)