ABILENE - A partial Wildcat squad traveled across Abilene to compete in the McMurry War Hawk Classic. The meet's field was made up primarily of NAIA, NCAA Division III, and NJCAA teams, but the meet was a chance to stay sharp as ACU enters the final half of the outdoor season as the WAC Championship meet looms in a month.
The meet produced three outstanding efforts, several first-place finishes, and most important, several personal bests (PB) and season bests (SB), plus the chance to climb up the WAC performance list.
Top Highlights
- Ja'Dasia Sims high jumped to a PB of 5-9.25/1.76 – winning the event and moving to the top spot on the WAC performance list. Heptathlete Natalie Poe also high jumped to a PR of 5-4.25/1.88, while also jumping to a long jump PB of 17-6/5.33.
- Sutton Welch notched a new PB in the hammer throw with a toss of 194-8/59.35, which not only puts him atop the WAC performance list, it also moves Sutton to #6 on the all-time performance list for ACU.
- Luize Velmere jumped to a new PB of 40-9.5/12.43 in the triple jump, also ascending to the top spot on the WAC list.
Other Wildcat Victories
- Kailey Roskop had a big day as she won both the discus and the hammer throw – the DT traveling 148-6/45.27 (#4 on the WAC list) and the HT flying 160-5/48.90 (#3 on the WAC list). In the HT, Sterling Glenn was close behind in 3rd place with a throw of 153-0/46.64 and freshman Mariana Van Dyk in 4th place throwing 149-3/45.51, moving her into #8 on the WAC list in the event.
- Freshman Andruw Villa led a Wildcat sweep in the 1500, with Samuel Lanham in 2nd and Zachary Martin in 3rd.
- Jess Reyes won the women's 800 with an outdoor PB of 2:16.32 (she ran a 2:13.26 indoors this past season).
- Sterling Glenn won the shot put with a throw of 43-8.75/13.33, with Kailey Roskop close behind in 3rd.
- Freshman Mark Barajas won the 5000-meter run, with fellow freshman Austin Roberts in 3rd and Jacob Russell in 4th.
- Freshman heptathlete Nele Huth won the javelin with a PB throw of 131-5/40.06.
Other notables:
- Freshman Ryan McMeen finally debuts for the Wildcats, finishing in 2nd place in the 400 with a time of 48.15, after missing the indoor season and the early outdoor season to nagging injuries. Transfer sophomore Landon Gary also ran a SB of 48.78 in getting 5th place.
- Freshmen Jalyn Childers (58.03) and Gracee Whitaker (SB time of 58.04) finished 3rd and 4th in the 400.
- Stone Smith placed 2nd in the discus throw with a throw of 159-5/48.60, just 2 inches short of his PB from earlier in the season.
- Kyla Fuller placed 2nd in the 1500, with freshmen Lola Buentello just behind in 3rd and Madison Anderson in 4th.
The ACU T&F teams head to one of the most prestigious meets in Texas on April 18-19, the Michael Johnson Invitational held at the Clyde Hart Track on the Baylor University campus.
