SAVANNAH, Ga. – The Mercer University track and field team competed in the women’s events at the Savannah State Eyeopener on Saturday, Feb. 22. Mercer won two individual events while finishing in the top three of two relay events.

The Bears dominated the women’s 5000-meter run by placing four runners in the top five, including Kami Orrender, who finished in first place with a time of 18 minutes and 6.04 seconds. Jenna Gipperrich (18:17.44), Victoria Rogers (19:31.13) and Courtney Czerniak (19:58.60) finished second, third and fifth, respectively, in the event.

Lia Sewell snagged Mercer’s other individual win, edging USC-Beaufort’s Betsy Douglas with a finishing time of 2:22.85 in the women’s 800-meter run.

Mercer competed in the women’s 4x400-meter and 4x100-meter relays as well, placing in third place of both. Sewell, Alicia Williams, Madison Mueller, Madison Morris, Callie Hammerle and Katie-Rose Alligood finished behind winner Clafin and runner-up Paine in the 4x400-meter with a time of 4:15.45. The 4x100-meter team – Hammerle, Mueller, Williams, Nicola Tirpak, Melody Hancock and Myranda Ham – ran a 49.90 to place behind winner Savannah State and runner-up Paine.

Other top-five finishes for the Bears included Cheyenne Andrew’s second-place finish in the women’s 3000-meter steeplechase. Andrew finished in 12:15.31 to place as runner-up behind SCAD Savannah’s Caroline Cook. The Bears’ Bethanie Bailey (12:58.45) and Ryan Sharry (14:51.31) finished fourth and fifth in the event, respectively.

Myranda Ham placed third in the women’s javelin throw with a 27.31-meter performance while Katie-Rose Alligood finished fifth in the women’s 1500-meter with a time of 5:20.10.

The Bears return to action on Saturday, March 12 when they compete in the Gamecock Quad Meet at Jacksonville State in Oxford, Ala.