ALLENTOWN, Pa. – Morgan Cope got the Ursinus College women's track and field team off to a flying start with a record-breaking performance on the first day of the Centennial Conference outdoor championship at Muhlenberg.
Cope turned in the best pole vault clearance in school history, a stunning effort that put her in rarified air as Ursinus' first outdoor champion in the event.
The senior made her last outdoor championship a historic one, becoming the first pole vaulter in program history to garner Centennial Conference gold. Cope and Johns Hopkins' Annie Gutierrez each cleared 11-4.50, but it took Gutierrez three attempts to do so, while Cope was able to do it on the first try. The mark is nearly a foot higher than the previous outdoor school record.
Cope, who tied for fifth a year ago, became a first-time conference champion and will leave as Ursinus' all-time record-holder in both the indoor and outdoor pole vault.
Junior Sophia Simoes blew past her previous PR with a toss of 117-3 in the hammer, enough to place fifth overall. Senior Mikaela Bordonaro earned a place for the second consecutive season, grabbing eighth with a mark of 113-5. Freshman Zenya Yanoff wound up 11th (102-6).
Freshman Lauren Ferguson ran the 10000 meters, finishing 17th in 45:16.25.