Barbacci Wins High Jump & Pole Vault; 4X400 Team Earns Win at Susquehanna

SELINSGROVE, Pa.- The Juniata women's track and field team scored three event wins at the Susquehanna Tuneup on Saturday ahead of next weekend's Landmark Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships. Olivia Barbacci won the pole vault and high jump, setting a new program record in the pole vault by breaking her previous mark, while the Eagles' 4x400-meter relay team bested three other schools to win the relay. 

Barbacci set a new standard with her first-time clear of 3.30 meters, winning the event and breaking the program record she already held. Her previous best mark was 3.18 meters, set at the Mini-Dip Invitational at Franklin & Marshall in January. Ashley Alfree also competed in the pole vault, tying for seventh place with a mark of 2.45 meters.  

Barbacci also shared the victory in the high jump with a competitor from Scranton with a mark of 1.54 meters that she cleared on her first attempt. Alfree set a personal best in the high jump with a mark of 1.47 meters. Her previous best was 1.42 meters, which she set to start the season at Susquehanna in December. 

The team of Rebecca Christophel, Zoe Biles, Beck Mensch, and Camille McRoberts narrowly bested Scranton with a time of 4:21.49 to win the 4X400-meter relay by 0.39 seconds. They improved on the team's best time of the season, which was set at the Blue and White Invitational at Franklin & Marshall two weeks ago, a time of 4:31.32. 

In throwing events, Nandee Correia returned to competition by earning bronze in both the weight throw and shot put. Her weight throw mark of 13.47 meters earned her third place, while her mark in the shot put was 11.15 meters. Justice Sheaffer and Kaleah Leisher also competed in both events. Leisher set a personal best in both events. She was 14th in the shot put with a mark of 9.35 meters, up from 8.96 meters at the Moravian Indoor Meet in January, while she finished in 24th place with a mark of 7.08 meters in the weight throw. Her previous best was 7.00 meters, which she also set at Moravian's meet. Sheaffer PR'ed in the weight throw, improving 1.00 meters from the Mini-Dip Invitational in January as she threw 8.67 meters to finish 22nd. In the shot put, she was 30th with a throw of 7.31 meters. 

Christophel also competed as an individual in the 800 meters, setting a new personal best of 2:29.48 to finish 7th from a field of 29. Her previous best time was 2:32.97, which she set at the Moravian Indoor Meet in January. McRoberts also raced in the 800 meters, finishing a couple of spots back in 16th with a time of 2:39.22. 

McRoberts achieved a PR in the mile with a time of 6:04.50, good enough for 14th place. Her previous best was a time of 6:10.31, set at Moravian last month.  

Biles and Alfree each logged a 200-meter time, with Alfree earning a personal best time of 29.78 to claim 23rd place. Her previous best time was 31.16, which she set last season at the Blue and White Invitational at Franklin & Marshall. Biles' time was 30.61, and she was 31st in her first collegiate 200-meter event. 

Biles also raced in the 400 meters, earning 14th place with a time of 1:11.26.  

The Juniata women's track and field team returns in a week's time to Susquehanna from the Landmark Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships.