By Steve Holt, Sports Editor

Senior Maresa Cadienhead won the high jump championship at the Penn Relay Carnival last weekend, continuing her dominance in the event this season. She cleared 5-8 3/4 on her final leap, finishing ahead of Tami Smith from Ohio State and Jenna Grimaldi from Syracuse University.

Several other ACU athletes had successful showings in front of the 50,000-plus spectators at the Relays, which lasted from last Wednesday to Saturday. The men’s 4xMile relay team placed fourth out of 17 universities with a time of 16:38.3. The team was composed of Jean-Marie Ndikumana, Martin Okello, Bernard Manirakiza and John Kemboi.

Wildcat distance runner Arthemon Sindayigaya competed in the men’s 5,000 meters, placing 21st. His time of 14:26.15 is a season best and moves him up to eighth on the Division II qualifying list.

Freshman Richard Phillips finished 15th in the 4×400-meter hurdles with a time of 52.96. Over 85 collegiate men competed against Phillips in the event.

The women’s 4×400-relay team ran a season-best time of 3:49.19 in the preliminaries, barely missing a berth to the finals. The time qualifies the team provisionally for nationals.

In the men’s distance medley relay, the Wildcat men ran about 19 seconds slower than their university-record time at last year’s Penn Relays, placing 10th in 9:48.4.

Cassie Chaffin improved her season best in the 3,000 meters by more than 20 seconds Thursday, placing 20th in a stacked heat of the nation’s best distance runners. The freshman’s time of 10:07.77 ranks her 13th in the nation in Division II.

Other finishers for the Wildcats included Shauna-Gaye Stephens, who competed in the long jump and relays. The women’s 4×100-meter relay team dropped the baton in the preliminaries, finishing last and not making the finals.