Ward, Mirkes Claim Titles At BIG EAST Championships

The Marquette University track and field teams concluded action Saturday afternoon at the 2021 BIG EAST Outdoor Championships presented by Jeep at the Spire Institute in Geneva, Ohio.

The Golden Eagles' men's team claimed fifth and the women's team finished sixth. UConn, back in the BIG EAST for the first time since 2013, claimed the men's title and Villanova was victorious on the women's side.

"We competed hard today and I'm very proud of these two teams," head coach Bert Rogers said. "We had a lot to overcome this year and we put a bow on this season in a very good way be leaving it all out there,"

MU finished the meet in possession of multiple trips to the podium, a handful of program top-10 finishes and both overall and freshman records with No. 1 all-time efforts included during the weekend. On Friday, Mady Marko (long jump), Vinnie Voudrie (hammer throw), Brielle Buechler (pole vault), Marquis Ward (high jump) and Samuel Johnson (long jump) all claimed top-three finishes.

Senior Marquis Ward claimed the BIG EAST title in the triple jump in dramatic fashion, matching his all-time best with an effort of 50-2.75 on his sixth and final attempt. That mark is No. 2 in school history, matching his effort earlier this season at Miami.

Junior Lindsey Mirkes, who was the runner-up in the high jump in both 2018 and 2019, broke through for her first BIG EAST outdoor title with a school-record matching effort of 5-10.75. She is now the reigning league champion in the high jump in both indoor and outdoor, having claimed the indoor title in 2020.

"My teammates were there to support me, my family was in the stands and the weather was amazing," Mirkes said. "I felt healthy and ready to go and it all came together today."

Freshman Julian Wright continued his impressive debut at the outdoor meet, earning second in the 200m with a time of 21.16 and third in the 400m, crossing the finishing line at 47.46. Wright was fifth coming off the turn in the 200m, but finished strong to claim the runner-up spot.

Juru Okwaramoi's record-setting weekend included a second-place effort in the 400m, crossing the line at 1:01.10, which was a personal best and the No. 2 time in school history.

Voudrie, who claimed second on Friday in the hammer throw, picked up his second medal of the weekend with a second-place effort in the discus (157-6) on Saturday.

In the heptathlon, Katie Dingle earned fifth with a personal-best total of 4429 (No. 8 all time) and Mila Puseljic was right behind at 4395 for her own personal record, the No. 9 mark at MU.

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