The Aurora University women's track and field team captured its second consecutive Northern Athletics Conference outdoor championship, and the third in school history with a dominating performance at the 2013 Meet. AU was able to pull away and hold on to the championship with a significant 78.13 point
margin over second place finisher and host Wisconsin Lutheran.
In winning the second consecutive championship, AU gathered four of the five NAC awards as Head Coach
Ryan Chapman was honored as the 2013 NAC Women's Outdoor Track and Field Coach of the Year, sophomore
Kaylee Swearingen was named the NAC All-Around Athlete of the Meet, freshman
Liz Canaday was named the Track Athlete of the Meet and freshman
Elise Hinson was named the Freshman of the Meet.
The Coach of the Year award is the seventh such honor Chapman has received in his five seasons at the helm of the AU men's and women's cross country and track and field programs. He was previously named NAC Women's Cross Country Coach of the Year in 2008 and 2012, the 2010 and 2012 Men's Cross Country Coach of the Year, the 2011 Women's Indoor Track and Field Coach of the Year and 2012 Women's Outdoor Track and Field Coach of the Year.
Sophomore
Kaylee Swearingen was named the 2013 NAC Women's All-Around Athlete of the Meet after
winning an individual conference championship in the javelin throw, finished second in the heptathlon, third in the 100 meter hurdles and seventh in the pole vault. Her prowess in the four events earned her 26 points in the meet.
Freshman
Liz Canaday was selected as the NAC Women's Track Athlete of the Meet after being crowned the 200 and 400 meter dash champion. She broke the AU school record in the 200 with a time of 26.08 and had a time of 59.25 in the 400. Canaday was also part of the 4 x 400 relay team that placed first, along with
Loretta Johnson,
Lena Palmer and
Ciara Marlow. She finished the meet with 20 individual points and 30 all together with the relay win.
Elise Hinson rounded out the Spartan award winners being named the NAC Women's Freshman of the Meet. Hinson was also named the Indoor Track and Field Women's Athlete and
Freshman of the Meet in March. In the outdoor meet, she won the 100 meter hurdles, breaking the AU school record with a time of 16.06. Hinson also recorded a second place finish in the triple jump, fourth in the shot put and tied for sixth in the high jump.
All together in the meet, AU had six individual NAC champions as well as one team relay champion on the day. In all, AU had 45 individual point scorers from 21 Spartans and two relay teams that contributed to the championship winning effort.
Next action for the Spartan women's track and field team comes on Thursday, May 9 and Friday, May 10 at the Dr. Keeler Last Chance Meet hosted by North Central College. Meet time is set for 3:00 p.m. in Naperville, Ill.
