Posted: Apr 23, 2022
SAN ANTONIO, Texas - Behind two individual wins and 15 all-conference performances, the Trinity University Tigers hold the lead after the first day of the 2022 SCAC Women's Track and Field Championship. Official Website | Results | Photo Gallery
COMPLETE STANDINGS
1. Trinity - 103
2. Colorado College - 86
3. Texas Lutheran - 70
4. Southwestern - 26
5. St. Thomas - 19
6. Schreiner - 4
7. Dallas - 2
8. Centenary - 0
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Colorado College's Elliot Singer (watch post race interview) took top honors in the first women's event of the meet, the 10,000 meters. The first-year runner crossed in a time of 39:57.95. With the victory, Singer became the first woman since Maddie Murphy of Trinity to win the cross country individual title in the fall and the 10,000 meters at the spring outdoor championships in the same academic year. Trinity's Elaine Kaster, the defending champion in the event, took runner-up honors with a 40:33.76 finish. Singer's teammate and fellow CC freshman, Britt Helgaas, placed third in a time of 41:00.61.
- CC kept the momentum in the 3000 meter steeplechase as junior Kendall Accetta (watch post race interview) posted the second-fastest time in the history of the event, finishing with a winning time of 10:57.54. Sophomore Ellie Catron of Trinity, the defending champion in the event, finished as runner-up this year with a time of 11:30.75. Colorado College junior Na'ama Nevo finished third in a time of 11:37.63.
- In field event action, Trinity swept the medals in the long jump, led by junior Jordyn White (watch post event interview), who took first place clearing 5.71 meters (18' 9") on her fifth attempt before hitting sand - the second longest leap in SCAC championship history. Her teammates, first-year Joy Areola and sophomore Kyra Stafford, finished second and third with jumps of 5.52 meters (18' 1 1/2") and 5.10 meters (16' 8 3/4"), respectively.
- TLU first-year Julissa Rodriguez (watch post event interview) took the gold in the shot put with a toss of 11.98 meters (39' 3 3/4"). Trinity sophomore Maggie Nava was second with a throw of 11.49 meters (37' 8 1/2") and her teammate, junior Kierra Francois, took the bronze with a toss of 10.83 meters (35' 6 1/2").
- In the pole vault, Colorado College senior Mabel Gardner cleared 3.20 meters (10' 6") with the fewest faults to earn the gold (watch post race interview). She is the first CC woman to ever win the pole vault. Junior Bailey Dueitt of Trinity also cleared 3.20 meters (10' 6") but with one more fault and settled for the silver medal. Sophomore Lily Dawson of Texas Lutheran earned broze with a clearance of 3.05 meters (10' 0").
- Texas Lutheran senior Dejah Carr won her fourth straight hammer throw competition - just the second SCAC woman to do so - with a winning toss of 45.08 meters (147' 11"). Junior Kierra Francois of Trinity earned her second medal of the meet, finishing second in the hammer with a throw of 43.42 meters (142' 5"). TLU's Julissa Rodriguez also snared her second medal of the day, earning a bronze with a hammer toss of 41.06 meters (134' 8").
- In the first race of the afternoon session, the University of St. Thomas first-year quartet of Ny'Cierra Hinton, Jamaya Coaster, Clydajia Williams and Kaela Sawyers (watch post race interview) won the program's first-ever SCAC track title, coming home in 48.85 in the 4x100 to take gold. Trinity placed second with a time of 48.98 and Texas Lutheran was third, crossing the line in 49.05.
- Trinity sophomore Madison Habeck and Colorado College senior Megan Koch locked up in a dual to the wire in the 800 meters with Habeck (watch post race interview) defending her crown with a 2:18.06 finish. Koch finished second in 2:18.20, taking silver in the event for the third straight meet. First-year Gish Sainz of Trinity was third in a time of 2:23.57.
- In the 400 meter hurdles, Southwestern first-year Arden Neff (watch post race interview) outstrode Texas Lutheran sophomore Brenna Iannelli and Colorado College sophomore Emma Fowkes to the line, taking gold medal honors with a winning time of 1:06.11. Neff is the first SU woman to win the 400 hurdles and its the first track win for the Pirates' women's program since 1999 (Andrea Bird in the 100-meter hurdles). Iannelli and Fowkes followed closely with finishing times of 1:06.83 and 1:06.88, respectively.
- In the final women's event of Day One, first-year Leilani Lopez of TLU (watch post race interview) won the closest 200 meters in SCAC championship history as just .03 seconds separated gold from bronze on the podium. Lopez broke the line in a time of 25.68, followed by CC junior Shekinah Oloyede in second at 25.70 and first-year Christina Stinson of St. Thomas in third at 25.71.
UP NEXT
- Competition resumes tomorrow with the men's 5000-meter final at 8:00 a.m., followed by the women's event at 8:30 a.m. A complete schedule of events can be found here.
