Sunday, May 10
Rochester, Mich.
Purdue Fort Wayne
at
Horizon League Outdoor Championship
Bella Hodges celebrates on Sunday.
Photo by: Robert Hayes
Seniors Hodges and Sparks Collect Titles on #HLTF Outdoor Final Day
5/10/2026 3:51:00 PM | Women's Track and Field
ROCHESTER, Mich. - The Purdue Fort Wayne women's track and field program closed the 2026 Horizon League Outdoor Championships on Sunday (May 10) with a pair of event titles.
Senior Bella Hodges won her first Horizon League title, winning the 800 meters with a school record time of 2:09.17. The Indianapolis native had been chasing the event for the past two season, taking third in 2025 outdoors and runner-up during the 2026 indoors. Ava Genovese earned the Mastodons another point in the event, finishing in 2:26.46 for eighth place.
Ali Sparks claimed the seventh Horizon League title of her career by winning the hammer throw on Sunday. The senior's first throw of 53.91 meters was enough to win the title. It is the third consecutive year the Fort Wayne native has won the event. She is the fourth student-athlete in Horizon League history to win three career hammer championships. Francesco Carlo took sixth in the event, reaching 48.19 meters on her final attempt.
Genovese started the day running a 4:33.12 1500 meters for third place.
Riley Tate finished the individual running events with a fourth-place finish in the 5000 meters, crossing the finish line in 17:11.63.
Purdue Fort Wayne finished in fourth as a team with a total score of 79 points. The Mastodons collected 43 points from the throwers and 36 points from distance runners. Youngstown State won the 2026 Horizon League Outdoor Championships with 172 points and Milwaukee took second with 163.5.
Senior Bella Hodges won her first Horizon League title, winning the 800 meters with a school record time of 2:09.17. The Indianapolis native had been chasing the event for the past two season, taking third in 2025 outdoors and runner-up during the 2026 indoors. Ava Genovese earned the Mastodons another point in the event, finishing in 2:26.46 for eighth place.
Ali Sparks claimed the seventh Horizon League title of her career by winning the hammer throw on Sunday. The senior's first throw of 53.91 meters was enough to win the title. It is the third consecutive year the Fort Wayne native has won the event. She is the fourth student-athlete in Horizon League history to win three career hammer championships. Francesco Carlo took sixth in the event, reaching 48.19 meters on her final attempt.
Genovese started the day running a 4:33.12 1500 meters for third place.
Riley Tate finished the individual running events with a fourth-place finish in the 5000 meters, crossing the finish line in 17:11.63.
Purdue Fort Wayne finished in fourth as a team with a total score of 79 points. The Mastodons collected 43 points from the throwers and 36 points from distance runners. Youngstown State won the 2026 Horizon League Outdoor Championships with 172 points and Milwaukee took second with 163.5.
~ Feel the Rumble ~
Players Mentioned
Distance
/ Women's Track and Field
Distance
/ Women's Track and Field
Throws
/ Women's Track and Field
Distance
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