Marauders look to end season strong at PSAC Championships

Thursday, May 8

Slippery Rock, PA

11:00 AM

Millersville University

PSAC Outdoor Championships

Marauders look to end season strong at PSAC Championships

5/7/2025 2:47:00 PM | Women's Outdoor Track and Field

By: Connor Glunt, Athletic Communications Graduate Assistant

MILLERSVILLE, Pa. — With the year winding down, the Marauders final meet of the season is just around the corner with the PSAC Outdoor Championships at Slippery Rock University.

Millersville has 59 accepted entries at the meet from 39 athletes looking to push the Marauders to a top three finish at the conference meet. Additionally, 'Ville has seven entries inside the top three across five different events. After finishing fourth at the PSAC Indoor Championships, head coach Andy Young said his team was primed to compete for the top spots in the conference in the spring season. With the championship meet on deck, Young expects his team to rack up the points this weekend.

"This is the largest group we've had for the conference meet," Young said. "It's a great thing we have this many athletes qualify. A lot were on the bubble, so this will be good experience for them to get an understanding of what it's like to compete at a championship level. And for the ones who already have that experience, they know how to compete at that level. The expectation is they're going to compete as hard as they can, and hopefully it plays out our way where they score and help the team move up the leaderboard."

The strength of the team throughout the season has been its throwers, led by Sarah Hessler and Maddy Downs, the duo is backed up by Seya Trujillo, Mikaela Wolf, Annika Gunderson, and Erin Krauss. Hessler has dominated from start to finish so far, as she enters with the best entry in the discus, second in the hammer throw, and third in the shot put. Downs has followed closely behind her, coming into the meet with the second-best discus entry and third-best hammer throw entry. Hessler and Downs have both hit the NCAA provisional mark in the discus, and Hessler also hit that mark in the hammer throw.

"It wouldn't surprise me if either Sarah or Maddy were at the top of any of those three throws events," Young said.

Another constant Millersville has had this season has been Megan Malecki in the pole vault. Malecki has started to carve out a reputation as one of the top pole vaulters in the conference after earning her first All-PSAC finish last year at the meet and ending the indoor season as the runner-up. In a three-horse race for the pole vault crown right now, Malecki stands at second place in the conference right now with a top mark of 12-5 1/2. With the standings so close, each of the three athletes are within an inch of each other coming into the meet.

"Megan's come on really strong down the stretch, so she's in a good spot, but there's going to be a little bit of luck needed in this race."

On the track side of events, Millersville has a solid blend of new faces and returning veterans looking to lead the charge. Katelyn Murphy has been one of the top athletes in the conference in both the indoor and outdoor season, as she's looking to add All-PSAC to her resume for the second time this season in the hurdles. Young has high hopes for a trio of his runners in the 400-meter dash: Aubrey Sydnor, Shelby Derkosh, and Jillian Sydnor. Aubrey Sydnor has earned All-PSAC in the event each of the last two years and also has a first-place finish to her name two years ago at the championship meet. Other athletes that enter with the potential to score well for Millersville are Aasly De Leon in the 100-meter dash, Cora Heilman in the 800-meter run, and Sabela Zablackis in the heptathlon.

The Marauders will start the meet with the Heptathlon at 11 a.m. on Thursday, resuming competition in the same event at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, and beginning the final day of the meet with the javelin throw at 11 a.m. on Saturday.