Point Park wins RSC Women's Outdoor Track & Field Championship for fourth time

FINAL RESULTS

NEVILLE ISLAND, Pa. -- Point Park (Pa.) University had a big performance on Friday to get back on top at the River States Conference Women's Outdoor Track & Field Championships. The Pioneers scored 137 points on the final day to secure their fourth conference outdoor title in history. The championship was held at the P3R Track & Field Complex at the RMU Island Sports Center. 

Point Park topped the field of 12 teams with 191.5 total points at the two-day meet. The Pioneers were in second place after Day 1 on Thursday, but they proceeded to score more points on Friday than any other team did over the course of the full meet. 

IU Kokomo placed second to take runner-up honors with 122 points. Brescia (Ky.) University placed third with 111 points with University of Rio Grande (Ohio) (95.5 points) and Shawnee State (Ohio) University (94.5 points) rounding out the top five teams. 

Point Park won seven events at the championship, which included five on Friday. All of those came on the track to propel the Pioneers to victory. 

Point Park sprinter Diamond Rush earned RSC Women's Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year honors. She won the 200 meters with a meet record, placed second to teammate Mya Greschner in the 400 and was third in the 100. She scored 26 points to lead all women in the track events. 

Point Park had the top three women's scorers on the track. After Rush with 26 track points, Allison Plassio scored 22.5 winning the 800 and 1,500 on Friday and taking the Pioneers from second to first in the final lap of the 4x800 relay and set an RSC record on Thursday. Jana Schmid was third in women's track points with 20.5 points as she was second in the 800 and 1,500 and on two relay podiums. 

Greschner was a big performer for Point Park tying for second in women's overall points in the meet with 30. She won the long jump and 400 meters setting RSC records in both. She was also fourth in the triple jump and 100. The Pioneers also got a big win on Friday from Natalea Hillen in the 100 hurdles. 

Sydney Duncan from IU Kokomo was the big individual award winner. She led the Cougars to runner-up team honors as RSC Women's Outdoor Field Athlete of the Year and RSC Women's Outdoor Track & Field Newcomer of the Year. Duncan won three throwing events taking the shot put with a meet record and also winning the hammer and discus. She had 30 points to lead all field scorers and tying for second most among women overall. 

Jordyn Cardwell from Brescia scored more points than any other woman in the championship with 32.5 total. She led the Bearcats to third as a team placing second in the long and triple jumps and the 100 and being a part of the 4x100 winning relay in addition to third in the high jump. The Bearcats won both relays on Friday taking the 4x100 and 4x400 to bookend the day and climb the standings.

There were nine women's records set at the championship. Point Park pulled in records with Rush's 200 meters (24.83), Greschner's long jump (5.80) and 400 meters (58.08) and the 4x800 relay (9:51.20). IU Kokomo had three RSC records with Duncan in the shot put (13.28), Hannah Wells in the 3,000 steeplechase (11:13.65) and Emma Byrum in the javelin (41.54). Other records came from Shawnee State's Olivia Cisco in the 10,000 meters (37:34.83) and St. Mary-of-the-Woods (Ind.) sprinter Savannah Lewis in the 100 meters (12.16).

Also named was the RSC Women's Outdoor Track & Field Champions of Character Team honoring one member from each school who best exhibits the NAIA Champions of Character traits of respect, responsibility, integrity, servant leadership and sportsmanship. 

2024 RIVER STATES CONFERENCE OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS

Team Scores

1. Point Park (Pa.) -- 191.5
2. IU Kokomo -- 122
3. Brescia (Ky.) -- 11
4. Rio Grande (Ohio) -- 95.5
5. Shawnee State (Ohio) -- 94.5
6. IU East -- 68
7. Midway (Ky.) -- 65.5
8. St. Mary-of-the-Woods (Ind.) -- 45
9. Ohio Christian -- 19
10. Oakland City (Ind.) -- 16
11. WVU Tech -- 12
12. Alice Lloyd (Ky.) -- 9

Individual Awards

RSC Women's Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year -- Diamond Rush, Point Park (Pa.)
RSC Women's Outdoor Field Athlete of the Year -- Sydney Duncan, IU Kokomo
RSC Women's Outdoor Track & Field Newcomer of the Year -- Sydney Duncan, IU Kokomo
RSC Women's Outdoor Track & Field Coach of the Year -- Tim Creamer, Point Park (Pa.)

Champions of Character Team