The Lady Eagles recorded four winners and seven individual national-qualifying postings at the Cowley Tiger Invite in Arkansas City, Kansas.
Maci Rich started Friday’s meet for Oklahoma Christian University with a season-best time in the 800-meter dash, winning the event with her national-qualifying time of 2:24.51. She outlasted East Central University’s top runner, Regina Germaine.
Rich was one of four individuals to win their events at the Cowley meet. Katie Ostlund, McKenzie Stanford and Layne Hammer all won their respective events.
Ostlund competed in the javelin throw, posting her third consecutive first-place finish. Her mark of 125 feet, 10 inches was past the national qualifying standard and gave her the first-place title. Katie Ostlund’s sister, Miranda, came in third in the same event with her throw of 116 feet, 3 inches. This also met the standard for the national meet.
Other Lady Eagle competitors in the javelin included Audrey Hayes and Roxann Gonzalez – Hayes took sixth and Gonzalez finished seventh. Miranda Ostlund also qualified nationally in the hammer throw with a top mark of 143 feet, 6 inches.
Stanford, a sophomore field competitor, said she is finally getting in to her groove of track season after transferring from the basketball court.
“I feel like it took me a few weeks to adjust to a new style of competing, but I think I am used to it by now,” Stanford said. “It reminds me of when I got to play both sports in high school and it’s really fun and I love it.”
Stanford won the high jump on Friday with her top mark of 5 feet, 3 1/4 inches, a NCCAA qualifying standard. Hammer won her 3,000-meter steeplechase with a final time of 13:26.59. Although she won the event, it was not her best time.
Makenzie Brown competed in the discus throw and placed eight with a throw of 122 feet, 9 inches, a national qualifier.
Paradise Henson posted national qualifying times in both of her events, the 100- and 200-meter dashes. Henson posted a time of 12.57 in the 100-meter and a time of 26.42 seconds in the 200-meter. Kara Drewke posted a national-qualifier in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 1:09.62 seconds.
The relay teams for the Lady Eagles rounded out the day, beginning with the 4×100-meter team of Rebecca Bloodworth, Maegan Cowan, Wilmina Gley and Henson placing third with a season-best time of 50.84 seconds. This once again qualified the four-person team for the national outdoor championships.
In the 4×400 relay team, Bloodworth, Gley, Drewke and Cowan took second with a time of 4:08.32.
Head Coach Randy Heath said despite having to hold some injured competitors back, he was pleased with Friday’s meet.
“We had to keep a few athletes from competing on Friday due to injury, but we want everyone healthy for the Kansas Relays as well as the national outdoor championship meet, which is right around the corner,” Heath said. “Despite that, I am pleased with the way the ladies ran and competed today.”
The Lady Eagles will return to action on April 11 in the David Suneram Gorilla Classic in Pittsburg, Kansas.
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