The Murray State Track and Field team set a school record in the 4×400-meter relay and had multiple first-place performances this past weekend. A majority of the team competed at the Missouri Invitational on Feb. 7, while a handful of runners competed in Massachusetts at the Bruce Lehane Scarlet and White Invitational on Feb. 8.
Missouri Invitational
The Racers posted five top-10 finishes in the 60-meter dash, with freshman Serena Blackwood claiming first with a 7.70-second sprint, followed by fellow freshman Amahrie Harsh who placed third with a time of 7.78. This rookie duo dominated the 200-meter race as well, Harsh taking first and posting a time of 24.48, and Serena claiming fifth with a time of 25.25.
Junior Ayla Rice broke into the top 10 all-time list in the weight throw for Murray State and placed seventh overall with a personal record throw of 34’11.25’’.
Sophomore DiamonAsia Taylor claimed second place in both high jump and third in triple jump, her longest jumps being 1.66M and 36’9.5’’, respectively. Junior Emily Wagner took fourth place in the high jump with a top jump of 1.56M, while also claiming sixth place in long jump, jumping 16’11.5’’.
The 60M hurdles were second nature to the Racers, as they had four women in the top ten. Senior Darrione Joseph sprinted an 8.62 to take first, and sophomore Lindley Johnston came in second with a time of 8.77. Murray State’s dominance continued with junior Andrea Segovia placing fourth, running an 8.90, and Saria Oliver rounded out the team in tenth place, running a personal record of 9.10.
Making a strong mid-distance showing, senior Ainsley Smith took third in the 800-meter race with a time of 2:16.82 and fellow senior Breanna Day claimed seventh in the mile with a 5:08.70.
Freshman Jaiden Knoop secured a fourth-place finish in pole vault, jumping 11’4.5,’’ and sophomore Katie Schneider placed fifth with a 10’10.75’’ jump. Junior Kylie Gormann took seventh place with a 16’10.5’’ long jump, underclassmen Skyler Libel and Johnston claiming eighth and ninth place respectively.
Boston Bruce Lehane Scarlet and White Invitational
While the rest of the team competed in Missouri, sister duo senior Cheyenne Melvin and junior Chelby Melvin, junior Simone Joseph, senior Kayla Bell and freshman Presley Gallimore traveled to Boston, Massachusetts, to participate in the Bruce Lehane Scarlet and White Invitational, where they broke their own school record in the 4×400 Meter Relay and also achieved multiple personal and season-best times.
Beating their previous record, which was set in Columbia, Missouri, on Jan. 25 by a full second, the quartet placed second in the 4×400 meter relay time of 3:37:39 at Boston University’s Track and Tennis Center. Chelby Melvin finished in eighth place in the 400-meter dash with a time of 55.27, with Joseph finishing 14th and Gallimore not far behind in 16th place. The two seniors also competed in the 800-meter race, with Cheyenne Melvin finishing in 17th place and Bell in 24th out of 68.
The team will compete next in Nashville, Tennessee, at the Music City Challenge on Friday, Feb. 14 and 15. This will be the last meet before the Racers compete in the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) Indoor Championships in Chicago, Illinois, on March 2 and 3.
