(Lebanon, Ill., Dec. 5) – The McKendree University track and field team opened its 2016-17 campaign this weekend in Indianapolis in a meet hosted by the University of Indianapolis at the Athletics and Recreation Center.
The Bearcats traveled a partial squad to kick off the season, competing along with over 400 athletes at the meet.
The women's team was led by juniors
Rebecca McKee (Morris, IL/Morris) and
Ciara Jones (O'Fallon, IL/O'Fallon) who each tallied personal bests in the 60-meter after McKee placed first with a time of 8.09 seconds and Jones finished fifth with a finish of 8.17 seconds.
In the 200-meter freshman Shelby
Mourey placed ninth with a time of 28.04 seconds.
Sophomores
Tatianna Nieves and
Ashlyn Smith both put in top ten finishes in the 400-meter with
Nieves claiming first place after a time of 59.27 seconds and Smith landing in tenth with a time of 1:07.89.
Freshman
Shayna Philips put in a time of 2:23.85 in the 800-meter to finish second, while junior
Karis Johnson earned fourth place after finishing in 2:28.43. Johnson also placed third in the mile run with a time of 5:41.96.
Sophomore
Peyton Ali (Noblesville, IN/Noblesville) earned a sixth place showing in the 3000-meter after a finish of 11:41.57.
Junior Julia
Sangster placed third in the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 9.56 seconds, while junior
Kirby Smith (Des Arc, AK/Des Arc) hit a personal best time of 10.15 seconds.
In the field Jones took third place in the long jump with a distance of 5.15-meters and was joined by Smith who hit another personal best at 4.74-meters to finish sixth.
Freshman Shelby
Mourey hit a height of 1.62-meters in the high jump to place second.
Freshman
Cydney Colllins finished fifth in the shot put with a throw of 10.77-meters. Junior
Christiana Hill and freshman Hanna
Toepper placed eighth and ninth with throws of 10.40 and 10.19-meters
respectively. Hill also earned a fifth place showing in the weight throw with a distance of 10.76-meters.
McKendree returns to action Saturday at the Crimson and Gold Invitational hosted by Pittsburg State in Pittsburg, KS.
