Graceland Dominates Throws, Vandemark Hits NAIA ‘A’ Standard at Cornell Invitational

MOUNT VERNON, Iowa — The Graceland University women's outdoor track and field team delivered a strong performance at the Cornell Invitational, highlighted by a record-setting effort from Kady Vandemark and multiple top-three finishes in the throws. The Yellowjackets placed fourth overall with 82 team points.

Graceland was led by Kady Vandemark, who qualified for the NAIA national meet with an A standard and set a new school record in the hammer throw with a mark of 54.55 meters, finishing first overall. The mark currently leads the Heart of America Athletic Conference.

Vandemark added to her performance with a first-place finish in the discus at 40.58 meters and recorded a fourth-place finish in the shot put with a season-best mark of 12.12 meters, contributing across all three throwing events.

Graceland swept the top three positions in the hammer throw, as Amanda Newton placed second with a throw of 46.98 meters and Hannah Kling finished third at 46.39 meters, accounting for a full podium finish for the Yellowjackets.

Newton also secured a first-place finish in the shot put with a mark of 12.71 meters, while Kling added a third-place finish at 12.31 meters, giving Graceland two podium finishes in the event.

In the discus, Newton contributed another top-three finish with a third-place mark of 37.37 meters, as the Yellowjackets recorded two podium finishes in the event.

Graceland added points in the javelin, where Malori Leonard placed fourth with a throw of 27.10 meters, and Grace Testerman finished fifth at 25.05 meters.

On the track, Caitlin Grover recorded a sixth-place finish in the 5000 meters with a time of 21:34.92, adding to the team scoring effort.

Head coach Tom Shore emphasized the team's execution in the throws and overall progression.

"Kady's performance is a significant mark for our program, and qualifying with an A standard at this point in the season is important," Shore said. "We had strong depth in the throws, and our ability to place multiple athletes in scoring positions reflects our consistency. We will continue to focus on technical execution as we move forward."

Graceland returns to competition on Saturday, April 11 at 9:00 a.m. CDT at the Central Missouri State Mule Relays at Walton Stadium/Kennedy Field in Warrensburg, Missouri.

For more information on Graceland outdoor track and field and all of Graceland athletics, visit GUjackets.com.