By DACODA MCDOWELL-WAHPEKECHE, Sports Editor
Northwestern’s track and field team have competed in half their season after not competing last year because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Last year, the Lady Rangers scheduled four outdoor track and field meets but the meets were all canceled.
Northwestern athletic officials announced the Lady Rangers’ 2021 schedule on March 10.
The track and field team has competed in three out of the five schedule meets in the season.
The Lady Rangers travelled to Emporia, Kansas to compete in the Emporia Invitation on March 19.
Northwestern athletes broke two track and field school records. Deja Lacy, a freshman from Norman, broke Northwestern’s track and field record in the 200-meter race. She ran the race in 26.38 seconds. She said her goal is to complete the 200-meter race in 24 seconds.
Kelsey Swindle, a sophomore from Woodward, broke Northwestern’s track and field record in the hammer throw event. She threw the hammer for 35.96 meters.
Northwestern finished ahead of Allen Community College and Ottawa University. The team scored 15 points in its first meet.
Northwestern went back to Emporia State University to compete in the Emporia State Relays on March 26 and 27.
Swindle and Lacy passed their recently broken records to establish a better record for the program. Freshmen Emily Smith and Harlie Whisenant set records for the outdoor track and field team in their first season.
Swindle threw the hammer for 37.99 meters, beating the March 19 hammer throw by 2.03 meters.
Lacy ran the 200-meter race in 26.24 seconds, beating her previous record by .14 seconds.
Smith finished the 100-meter hurdles in 16.09 seconds. Whisenant set the school record when she crossed the finish line in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of one minute and 12.78 seconds.
Senior Cayla Smither finished third in the triple jump event with a distance of 10.88 meters.
Northwestern’s 1600-meter sprint medley team set the school’s track and field record in the event.
The 1600-meter sprint medley team consisted of Babette Brown, Briley Yunker, Ladasheray Bell and Lacy finished in fifth place with a time of 4 minutes and 28.91 seconds.
The Lady Rangers finished the Emporia State Relays in last place with 12 points.
Northwestern’s Gina Wilson competed in the heptathlon at the Cowley Tiger Multi beginning on March 31.
Wilson competed in the 100-meter hurdles, high jump, shot put and 100-meter race on March 31. The next day, she competed in the long jump, the javelin throw and the 800-meter race
Wilson won the heptathlon with 3117 points.
The Lady Rangers next team competition came after Wilson’s heptathlon win. The team travelled to West Texas A&M University in Canyon, Texas on April 2 and 3.
Smith and Whisenant broke their previous meet’s records. Lacy set another record for the program.
During day two of the Jo Meaker Classic & Multi, Smith finished 0.53 seconds ahead of her time from the previous meet.
Whisenant beat her previous meet’s record in the 400-meter hurdle with a time of one minute and 11.41 seconds. She was faster by a little over a second.
Lacy set the record in the 100-meter dash. She finished the race with a time of 12.53 seconds.
The Lady Rangers’ 400-meter relay team of Alexa Leyva, Shakira Lane, Smith and Lacy finished in fifth place with a time of 51.13 seconds.
The Lady Rangers finished in 15th place at the Joe Meaker Classic & Multi. They finished ahead of two other competitors.
Northwestern’s track and field team will compete in one more regular season track meet before the Great American Conference championship track meet beginning on April 15.