INDIANAPOLIS – The first indoor event of the season was completed on Friday as Great Midwest Athletic Conference Women’s Indoor Track & Field Athletes of the Week awards started for 2020-21.
 
The Tiffin University Challenge included Findlay, Hillsdale, incoming league member Ashland and the host Dragons in the Heminger Center.
 
This was the first indoor competition in the sport for Great Midwest student-athletes since the NCAA Championships were canceled before getting underway back in March.  Cedarville is slated to host the indoor conference championships in the new calendar year on Feb. 26-27.
 
Women’s Track Athlete of the Week
Gabrielle Lawrence
Findlay
Middle Distance
Junior
Dudley, MA (Shepherd Hill Regional HS)
 
A two-time all-conference performer in cross country, Lawrence excelled in her season debut during the 3K at the Tiffin Challenge while breaking a 17-year old school record in the process.
 
The 3K event has been one of the Great Midwest’s best with Malone’s Hannah Thompson and Hillsdale’s Hannah McIntyre earning All-American status in recent history.
 
Lawrence ran a 10:09.28 to break a longstanding program record by four seconds held since 2003.
 
She was one of three Findlay women’s event victories including Cassidy Baran in the 400-meter dash and Morgan England in the pole vault.
 
Lawrence was coming off of a fourth-place individual finish at the Great Midwest Cross Country Championships. She was the Great Midwest XC Freshman of the Year in 2018 as well.
 
Women’s Field Athlete of the Week
Marisa Gwinner
Tiffin
Jumps
Junior
Galion, OH (Galion HS)
 
Gwinner still holds the title of defending national champion in the high jump, her signature event. By all accounts from her first try of 2020-21, it’s a label she won’t be giving up anytime soon.
 
Gwinner’s first attempt at the Tiffin Challenge was an impressive one as she cleared 1.77m, second to her own PR and conference record of 1.80m.
 
She edged out the field which included teammate Mercedeez Francis, who recorded a cleared height of 1.71m, good for a spot in the conference top 10 list while provisionally qualifying for nationals.
 
Gwinner auto qualified for nationals and is tops in Division II with the new qualifying standards released.
 
This is her fifth career conference field athlete of the week nod since 2018. She has a share of eight of the top 10 marks in conference history, including the championship record.