Windemuller Sets Penn Relays Meet Record, Named Performer of the Day

Windemuller Sets Penn Relays Meet Record, Named Performer of the Day

Site: Philadelphia, Pa. (Franklin Field)

Event: Penn Relays (Day 1 of 2)

U-M Result: No team scoring

Next U-M Event: Friday, April 28 — at Penn Relays – Day 2 (Philadelphia, Pa.); at Jim Greene Invitational – Day 1 (Lexington, Ky.)

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. —  The University of Michigan women’s track and field team kicked off the first day of action at the Penn Relays on Thursday (April 27) behind two event wins and one meet record. Hosted by the University of Pennsylvania at Franklin Field, the Wolverines marked the beginning of the historic meet as U-M competed in three distance events.

Kayla Windemuller set a Penn Relays meet record in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, winning the event with a time of 9:51.60. The steeplechase is one of Windemuller’s strongest events – a fact that showed in her strategic race strategy at Penn. Hanging tight to the pack for early laps, the fifth-year took the lead in the second half of the race, quickly creating a gap between herself and her nearest competitor. Windemuller maintained a healthy lead for the remainder of the race, beating Michigan State’s Katelyn Stewart-Barnett by almost five seconds and beating the previous meet record by nearly four seconds. Her performance won her the Penn Relays USMC Performer of the Day award.

Sam Tran secured an event win in the 1,500 meters, running a time of 4:15.47. Tran won the race by a second, running alongside fellow Wolverine Aurora Rynda in the first heat. Rynda took fourth overall in the event and her time of 4:17.77 was a new personal best — a three-second improvement on her previous best. Anna Juul was the final Wolverine in the 1,500, starting in the second heat. Juul also claimed a new personal best, running an impressive 4:18.11. Her time was strong enough to win the second heat and take fifth overall.

The final race of the day for Michigan was the 5,000 meters. Racing as the sun went down over Franklin Field, Ericka VanderLende, Samantha Saenz and Katelynne Hart all competed in the race’s first heat. After a false start, the trio was able to regroup and put out a solid race. Saenz led the Wolverines after a strong final push in the race, and her time of…