(LEBANON, Ill., April 11)—The McKendree University women's track and field team registered a fifth-place finish Saturday at the Billiken Invitational, which was hosted by Saint Louis University.
 
The Bearcats scored a total of 50.5 points in the two-day meet, which wrapped up Saturday afternoon. Seven McKendree athletes scored points to account for the fifth-place showing.
 
Freshman Mollie Bowman (Sullivan, IL/Sullivan) helped highlight the top efforts for McKendree. Bowman won the long jump with a leap of 5.03 meters while grabbing third place in the triple jump at 10.39 meters. Freshman Asaiah Hooks (Goodyear, AZ/Agua Fria) also scored points in both events, placing seventh in the long jump (4.47 meters) and the triple jump (9.74 meters).
 
Senior Hannah Inyart (Belleville, IL/Belleville East) shattered a 15-year old program record when she took fourth place in the 1,500-meter run. Inyart crossed the finish line in a final time of 4:38.48, which was nearly seven seconds better than the previous mark set by Sarah Korir back in 2000. The new record set by Inyart also marked a new personal best at the distance.
 
McKendree had two athletes earn points in the 100-meter hurdles. Freshman Julia Sangster (Round Lake, IL/Grant) topped the list in third place at 16.49 seconds, while sophomore Lindsey Jansen (St. Louis, MO/Lafayette) took eighth place at 19.35 seconds. Also on the track, sophomore Nicole Dentzman (Springfield, IL/Lanphier) placed fourth in the 400-meter dash with a time of 1:01.30.
 
Freshman Halle Devoe turned in a third-place performance in the high jump as she cleared a height of 1.56 meters. McKendree also placed third in the 4 x 100-meter relay. Dentzman was joined on the relay squad by sophomore Lashawntianna Brown (Chicago, IL/Northlawndale College Prep), freshman Jayda Hill (O'Fallon, IL/O'Fallon) and freshman Jessika Sillas (Collinsville, IL/Collinsville).
 
The Bearcats will be in Rolla, Mo., next Saturday (April 18) for the Dewey Allgood Invitational hosted by Missouri S & T.