MILLERSVILLE, Pa. – First-year Bella Johnson broke the school record in the 200 meter dash while three Diplomats claimed individual event titles to highlight the Franklin & Marshall women's track & field team's performance at the Millersville Invitational.
Johnson turned in her school record performance in the 200 meters with a time of 25.74 seconds, breaking the previous record of 25.93 seconds that was held by Megan Hunter '10 for over 15 years. Johnson trimmed four-tenths of a second off her previous personal best in the event and gives her the third-best time in the Centennial Conference this season.
Johnson added the second-best time in school history when she crossed the line in 12.55 seconds during the heats of the 100 meter dash before eventually taking third in that event. She concluded her day by running the opening leg of the third-place 4x400 relay (4:32.92), with Arek Giir, Daniella Dziedzic, and Ava Leshem running the closing three legs.
Franklin & Marshall's three event winners were Hana Hyman in the 5,000 meters (20:17.74), Tara Silverman in the steeplechase (11:59.21), and Mackenzie Ward in javelin (39.55m). Silverman was over a minute faster than her closest competitor from host Millersville. Silverman's finish was the fifth-best steeplechase run in school history after she placed 10th in the 800 meters (2:36.14).
The school record holder in the javelin, Ward was later the team's top finisher in discus (26.00m). Ruth Axford also competed in those two throwing events, placing ninth in javelin (24.86m) and 12th in discus (19.30m). Jiali Pickering turned in F&M's top performance in the hammer throw (28.78m).
Hayden Adams and Amanda Imhauser both had busy days across multiple events. Adams posted the sixth-best 100 meter hurdle time in school history during a third-place finish in the finals (16.25). She added a third place finish in pole vault (2.90m), claiming a sixth place finish in the high jump (1.40m). Imhauser competed in four events, highlighted a finals qualification in the 100 meter hurdles (16.64) and sixth-place finish in the long jump (4.79m).
Franklin & Marshall wraps up the regular season this coming week with the Elizabethtown Blue Jay Tune-Up that will run from Friday, April 25 through Saturday, April 26. That will be the Diplomats' final meet before the Centennial Conference Championships during the first weekend in May.
