BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Two throwers and two distance runners from Abilene Christian University reached the podium on the first day of the Southland Conference indoor track and field championships Wednesday.
Morgan Knight in the men's shot put and
Lonnie Smith in the women's weight throw each finished second, and the twin duo of Alexandria and
Michaela Hackett led a 2-3-4 finish in the women's 5,000-meter run. ACU
Carnley Graham finished fourth with a new personal best of 17:09.69 after Alexandria's 16:42.98 and Michaela's 16:45.60. Rabea Schoneborn, a 23-year-old German recently added to the roster at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, won with a meet-record 16:26.46.
Knight threw 56 feet, 4 inches, and ACU teammate Joshua Hunter was seventh with 52'3.25". Smith led the women's weight throw with 61'10.5" until the fifth round when Sam Houston State's Yarixza Rivera threw 62'11.5" to upset the defending champion. Smith's teammates,
Kayla Melgar (fourth at 60'4") and
Taylor Posey (fifth with 59'3.5"), set personal best marks.
Sam Houston State, defending champion in both divisions, again leads the point standings after the first day. SHSU scored 48 in the men's division to top Stephen F. Austin's 40 with the Wildcats 10th with 10 points from Knight and Hunter. ACU is runner-up in the women's division with 41 points to 44 for SHSU. The ACU women scored 19 points in the 5,000 and 17 in the weight throw.
ACU's women's distance medley relay team of Diana Garcia Munoz (1200),
Jamie Kennedy (400),
Soren Underwood (800) and
Briahna Gerlach (1600) was seventh in 12:16.82, and
Megan Kirby was sixth in the pentathlon with 3,428 points.
In Wednesday's qualifying rounds of the running events, the only Wildcats to advance were
Jared Williams (48.41) and
Avery Williams (48.45) in the men's 400.
The Wildcats return to action Thursday on the second of two days with the men's heptathlon at 8:30 a.m., running events at 12 p.m. and field events start at 10 a.m. at the Birmingham Crossplex.
Pentathlon:
6.)
Megan Kirby – 3428
10.)
Irene Akwitti – 3295
18.)
Jaycee Pannell – 2612
Women's 5,000m Run:
2.)
Alexandria Hackett – 16:42.98
3.)
Michaela Hackett – 16:45.60
4.)
Carnley Graham – 17:09.69
17.)
Hannah Marut – 18:39.67
20.)
Sierra Bennett – 19:13.67
Men's 5,000m Run:
Conner Miller - DNF
Travis Nichols - DNF
Women's 60m Hurdles:
13.)
Irene Akwitti – 9.11 (Prelims)
16.)
Jaycee Pannell – 9.16 (Prelims)
Women's 60m Dash:
13.)
Taylor Tolen – 7.69 (Prelims)
17.)
Karrington Lewis – 7.73 (Prelims)
24.)
Mya Henson – 7.78 (Prelims)
26.)
Tori Hardy – 7.83 (Prelims)
30.)
Jessica King – 7.90 (Prelims)
Men's 60m Dash:
14.)
Le'Gari Daniels – 6.91 (Prelims)
21.)
Ryan Linton – 6.97 (Prelims)
Women's Mile:
11.)
Briahna Gerlach – 5:10.11
Men's 400m Dash:
5.)
Jared Williams – 48.41 (Prelims) Q
6.)
Avery Williams – 48.45 (Prelims) Q
13.)
Lee-Andrew Bloomfield – 49.16 (Prelims)
26.)
Samuel Garcia – 52.89 (Prelims)
Men's 800m Run:
14.)
Blaze Brownlow – 1:54.86 (Prelims)
19.)
John Gomez – 1:58.94 (Prelims)
Women's 200m Dash:
14.)
Mya Henson – 25.00 (Prelims)
19.)
Karrington Lewis – 25.21 (Prelims)
20.)
Taylor Tolen – 25.22 (Prelims)
23.)
Jessica King – 25.41 (Prelims)
29.)
Jamie Kennedy – 25.67 (Prelims)
34.)
Tori Hardy – 25.92 (Prelims)
Men's 200m Dash:
17.)
Ryan Linton – 22.00 (Prelims)
24.)
Le'Gari Daniels – 22.34 (Prelims)
Women's DMR:
7.) Diana Garcia-Munoz,
Jamie Kennedy,
Soren Underwood,
Briahna Gerlach – 12:16.82
Women's Weight Throw:
2.)
Lonnie Smith – 18.86m
4.)
Kayla Melgar – 18.39m
5.)
Taylor Posey – 18.07m
Men's Long Jump:
26.)
Noah Herring – 6.27m
Men's Pole Vault:
Jaden Dement – NH
Justin Haines – NH
Jancen Power – NH
Men's Shot Put:
2.)
Morgan Knight – 17.17m
7.)
Josh Hunter – 15.93m
Ryan Simmons – Foul
Men's High Jump:
10.)
Riley Ellis – 1.94m
Women's Long Jump:
14.)
Megan Kirby – 5.32m
