BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Registering three event victories and a season-best time in the 4x400-meter relay, the Austin Peay track and field team concluded the indoor regular season on a high note at the Bulldog Open on Saturday.
In their final tune-up before the Ohio Valley Conference Indoor Championships, Feb. 23-24, the Govs recorded three event victories on the track along with three top-five finishes in the field. The first event win on the track came in the 800-meter dash with senior Mikaela Smith running a time of 2:13.67. Â It was Smith's first victory in the 800-meter this indoor season and the third of her career.
Picking up her first career event win in the 5000-meter was senior Sara Martin. Martin finished with a time of 18:35.64 to secure the event win, defeating competition from Troy, North Alabama and Embry-Riddle. Rounding out the event victories was the Govs 4x400-meter relay team posting a season-best time of 3:49.50 to win the event over McNeese State, South Carolina State and UL-Monroe.
The 4x400-meter relay team of Allana Johnson, Lauren Lewis, Kyra Wilder and Kenisha Phillips bolstered the fastest time the Govs have run this season. The Govs 3:49.50 time is the fastest time in the OVC this season and just 11 seconds off being top 50 in the NCAA.
It was the final regular-season indoor meet for Austin Peay as the Govs now set their sights towards defending their conference title, Feb. 23-24 at the OVC Indoor Championships in Birmingham, Ala. The Govs enter the indoor championships holding the top time or mark in five of the 16 track and field events in the conference.
FIELD
- Pole Vault
- Junior Karlijn Schouten finished fourth with a mark of 3.85 meters
- Schouten defeated competition from UAB, Belmont, and McNeese State
- Shot Put
- Senior Kori McDaniel finished fourth with a mark of 13.41 meters
- It's the highest finish in the shot put this season for McDaniel
- High Jump
- Senior Denia Hill-Tate recorded a fifth-place finish with a mark of 1.63 meters
SPRINTS
- 60-meter dash
- Junior Kenisha Phillips ended the preliminary round with the third-fastest time of 7.64
- Junior Kyra Wilder qualified for the semifinals with a time of 7.84.
- Wilder finished just 0.03 away from qualifying for the 60-meter final
- 60-meter hurdles
- Senior Lennex Walker finished eighth in the prelims with a mark of 9.20
- 200-meter dash
- Phillips placed second in the event with a time of 23.94
- 400-meter dash
- Phillips recorded a fourth-place finish with a time of 54.33
- 800-meter dash
- Freshman Lauren Lewis finished fourth in the event with a time of 2:14.52
- Her time of 2:14.52 was a career-best
- Lewis was one of two Govs to place in the top five in the event
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