CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. ? Austin Peay State University women's track and field team showed their mettle at the 2009 Ohio Valley Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships, finishing sixth with a team score of 55 points.

“I'm very pleased with how we performed overall,” said head coach Doug Molnar. “We moved up two spots from last year, so we're heading in the right direction.
The Lady Govs were led in the field events by the pole vaulters, who earned 19 points for the team score early Saturday morning. Junior Carrie Burggraf won the event with a school-record (and OVC record-tying) 3.80 meter (12-05.00) vault. Classmate Molly Bartkiewicz tied for second with a 3.65 meter (11-11.75) height and freshman Brianna Lococo finished seventh with a 3.20 meter (10-06.00) attempt in her first OVC Championship. McCoy also finished fourth in the high jump with a 1.63 meter (5-04.25) jump.

“Burggraf did an outstanding job winning the vault,” said Molnar. “Bartkiewicz didn't miss a jump until her final one, and Lococo contributed. To get 19 points like that early Saturday morning really motivated the rest of the team.”

Several Lady Govs contributed on the track, led by sophomore Chiamaka Obi's second-place finish in the 400-meter dash (58.22). Senior Tameka Southern finished fourth in the 800-meter run with a 2:19.60 mark. Senior Bertha Castillo, nursing injuries, finished sixth in the 3000-meter run with a 10:36.87 mark, while junior Shamia Larsen finished eighth in the 5000-meter run with a 18:46.38 time. Junior Amanda McCoy rebounded from a bad start to finish sixth in the 60-meter hurdles (9.02). The 4x400- (third, 3:59.25) and distance medley (fourth, 12:31.79) also scored points for the Lady Govs on the track.

“Everyone had a season-best, which is huge,” said head coach Doug Molnar. “Obi hadn't run the 400 in a year, but we knew she could run with anybody. For someone who was on crutches as recently as Tuesday, Bertha did very well; Larsen stepped up in the 5000 to help us out and Bertha came back strong in the 3000. The mile relay team had a chance to win and the distance team set the school record again.”

“The toughest was Southern's run. She made a move with a lap to go in the 800 that put her in second place and held on until the last meter; she had a great run.”

Overall, Molnar was pleased as his team heads to the outdoor season.

“We scratched and clawed to get everything this weekend,” said Molnar. “I'm very proud of the team. This is the most points we've scored in the championships since I've been here and it looks like we're on the right track.”