SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. — Renee Simmonds heads into the final three events of the women's heptathlon at the PSAC Championships with a 50-point lead over Slippery Rock's Leighanne Swann.

Simmonds entered the event ranked No. 5 among PSAC athletes and turned in a strong opening day performance. She placed fifth in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 15.55 seconds, seventh in the high jump at 1.51 meters, first in the shot put with a throw of 11.98 meters and sixth in the 200-meter dash in 26.66 seconds.

Pitt-Johnstown's Ellie Zuro-Cirino, the top-ranked PSAC athlete entering the event, sits in third place, 68 points behind Simmonds.

Also competing for IUP was Nate Kociela in the men's 10,000-meter run. Kociela placed eighth out of 19 runners with a time of 31:37.36 after climbing as high as seventh place after lap 21.

His finish was just three-tenths of a second off his personal best of 31:34.12, which he set earlier this season at Bucknell.