All-Heartland Conference Honorees

BLUFFTON, Ohio - Juniors Tori Bowen (Wapakoneta/Elida) and Alexis Cash (Gaines, Mich./Lake Fenton) led the way for Bluffton when the All-Heartland Conference awards were delivered on Thursday, Feb. 21, following the 2019 HCAC Indoor Championships staged at Defiance College on Saturday, Feb. 16.

Earning First Team All-Heartland Conference acclaim was Bowen who dominated the pole vault with an HCAC-record breaking height of 3.62 meters (11 feet, 10.5 inches), topping the meet record that was previously held by 2017 Bluffton graduate Terrill Webb.

Cash took her place on the podium with a second-place finish in the 5000 meters with a time of 19:10.69. She followed that up later in the evening with a fourth-place mark in the 3000 meters with a time of 11:00.92. Cash secured Second Team All-HCAC recognition for her work in the 5000 meters.

A pair of the Beavers scored big points in the shot put as senior Maelinn Delong (Archbold/Bryan) placed third with a toss of 37 feet, 5.75 inches, while sophomore Stephanie Fox (Pickerington/Central) was fourth with a throw of 35 feet, 10.75 inches. Delong took home Honorable Mention honors for her toss in the shot put.

A pair of Bluffton University men earned All-Heartland Conference awards. Freshmen Daniel Williams (Lansing, MI/Waverly) and Noah Judd (Columbia City, IN) were named Honorable Mention All-HCAC for their efforts at the Indoor Track and Field Championships.

Williams was third in the 60 meter dash with a time of 7.19 seconds and he added to his resume when the 4x200 team of Williams, Christian Parker (Urbana/West Liberty-Salem), Dalton Taynor (Troy/Miami East) and Omar Warlick (East Pointe, MI/Clintondale) took fourth (1:34.98).

Judd led the field event athletes with a third-place mark in the long jump with a leap of 21 feet, 0.5 inch. He was joined by Warlick, Brandon James (Waynesfield/Waynesfield-Goshen) and Connor Gulick (St. Louisville/Utica) on the 4X400 team that placed fourth with a time of 3:34.42.

Bluffton senior Keturah Warlick (East Point, MI/Clintondale) and freshman Austin Hernandez (Marion/Ridgedale) were also recognized by the HCAC by being placed on the All-Conference Sportsmanship team for the 2019 indoor season. The award has been developed as part of a conference-wide sportsmanship initiative. Members of the All-HCAC Sportsmanship team are selected by the coaches and their teammates as individuals who demonstrate the ideals of positive sportsmanship both on and off the court.

-BEAVERS-