By Ranger Athletic Department
Northwestern Oklahoma State University triple jumper Cayla Smither walked away with an event championship Saturday evening at the SCU/Paul Parent Invitational in Yukon, Oklahoma, hosted by Southwestern Christian.
It was well rounded meet for the young Ranger Track and Field program with two event championships, 19 top five finishes and 15-plus new personal records (PR).
Head coach Jill Lancaster addressed the team factor of the performances at the meet and how they can show in the conference outcome. “Our team performances are showing that we are on the right path for conference,” said Lancaster. “We are seeing the product of our work start to come through.”
Smither finished just ahead of teammate Keiazyiah Young in the event.
Smith leapt to the individual event title with a mark of 11.27 meters, while Young was the second place finisher at 11.23 meters. Both marks are new personal records (PR) in the triple jump and the fourth and fifth best distances in the GAC this season.
Young, a freshman from Midwest City, Oklahoma, also set a new PR in the in the 100 meter with a time of 12.68 to finish inside the top 10 in eight place.
Smith and Young both teamed up with Kylee Isbell and Lashayla Green in the 4×100 meter relay and set a new program best time of 49.83. The 4×400 meter relay team of Isbell, Smither, Journey LeBeau, and Megan Mayfield recorded a time of 4:12.31, also a new NWOSU best time in the event.
Green set a new PR mark in the high jump at the meet at the 1.42-meter height to finish in a three-way tie for second with teammate Gina Wilson an athlete from Southwestern. Claire Theis had a solid showing in the high jump with a 1.22-meter mark and a fifth place finish.
Alexa Leyva had a fourth place finish in the long jump with a new PR mark of 4.94 meters. She also competed in the triple jump for a distance of 10.34 meters to PR in the event.
A trio of Ranger throwers competed in the javelin throw and finished in consecutive order with Eryn Setzerleading the way. Setzer threw for a distance of 26.14 meter for a second place mark, followed by Theis is third at 25.44 meters and Kelsey Swindle completed the event in fourth at 25.15 meters.
Setzer picked up a top five finish in the discus throw with a 34.44-meter mark, a new personal best for the freshman.
Rosaria Milton led the Northwestern throwers in the shot put. Milton tossed a distance of 10.72 meters for a second place mark, while Rayna Patton went 10.56 meters for fifth place.
Jenny Martinez picked up a top ten finish in the event with a mark of 10.32 for a new PR, as well as a 29.52-meter throw in the discus.
Jenny Martinez (30.81 meters) and Swindle (29.36 meters) rounded out the top five in the hammer thrown.
Other top five finishers in their respective events was Theis in the 400-meter hurdles in fourth at 1:13.49 (PR), and Wilson (16.57) and Ladasheray Bell (2:27.07) each finished in fifth place in the 100-meter hurdles and 800-meter run respectively.
Both times by Wilson and Bell were new personal records, while Theis’ top five finish was in her first time to participate in the event as Ranger. Bell’s mark in the 800 is also the No. 16 time in the GAC this season, as was Theis’ time in the 400-meter hurdles.
Running in the 3000-meter race for the first time this year, Kayla Gourley logged a new outdoor personal best time of 11:19.04 to finish just outside the top five. Jessalyn Rivet-Tissot had a best time of 11:37.76, as did Camille Lear (12:07.72) and Melissa Perez (13:58.84).Associate head coach Brock Hime, who specializes in distance running, was pleased with the work the Ranger athletes have been putting in.
“The ladies have been working extremely hard for months and for them to their marks fall is awesome for me to witness. The hay is in the barn, it’s time for put everything on the line.”
Other personal records at the meet include: Green, 100-meter dash (13.01), 200-meter dash (26.63); Mayfield, 200-meter dash (27.25); Wilson, 100-meter dash (13.42); LeBeau, 800-meter run (2:33.41); Theis, shot put (9.33m).
Northwestern track and field gets a break for the first time in over a month as the athletes gear up for the Rangers first ever Great American Conference Outdoor Championship meet on April 18-19 in Shawnee, Oklahoma.