MAGNOLIA, Ark. – Oklahoma Baptist won the Great American Conference Women’s Track & Field Championships for the third-straight year as the Bison won five events on Friday. Harding finished second. Southern Nazarene’s Abriel Thrash took home the Most Valuable Player honor.
The Bison’s Sophia Strange backed up her Thursday win in the 10,000-meter run by winning the 5000 for the second-straight year. She broke a seven-year meet record with a time of 17:37.27. Shayna Hendrix also set a Championship record as she won the 800 in 2:12.80. Kelechi Christian took first in the 200 in 24.30 seconds. Flora Dupans became the first women to register a discus throw greater than 50 meters at the GAC Championships after she uncoiled a throw of 50.18 meters, a distance that ranks her third in Division II. The Bison 4x100-meter relay team won with an NCAA Provisional and GAC Championship record time of 45.80 seconds. Brian Whitlock won Coach of the Year.
For the third-straight season, the Lady Bisons finished as the runners-up. Five Lady Bisons won individual titles led by Anna-Kay Clark, who captured her third-straight title in the javelin. Briana Johnson won the 100, one year after taking second; Cella Nguema and Lisa Retailleau claimed victories in the 100- and 400-meter hurdles, respectively. Cadence Sansom gave the Lady Bisons four straight wins in the pole vault.
Thrash, the victor in the heptathlon on Thursday, added a second-place finish in the high jump, a fourth-place showing in the long jump and a seventh-place result in the javelin. She ran the anchor leg on the Crimson Storm’s 4x100 relay team and the lead-off leg in the 4x400 relay squad.
Ouachita Baptist took third followed by Southern Arkansas. The Tigers’ Izzi Breaux and Macie Cash registered a 1-2 finish in the 1500.
Southeastern Oklahoma State claimed fifth. Macayla Needham set a GAC Championship record in the shot put with a winning mark of 15.28 meters. Her throw places her fifth in Division II. The Savage Storm closed out the meet by winning the 4x400-meter relay with an NCAA Provisional time of 3:48.13.
East Central, Northwestern Oklahoma State, Southern Nazarene, Arkansas Tech and Southwestern Oklahoma State rounded out the team standings.
The GAC also handed out its Elite and Distinguished Scholar Athlete Awards - Presented by Conway Regional Health System. Harding’s Jenna Akins, Kaia Bieker, Kiera Blankinship, Ashley Gray, Meghan McElroy and Kylie Phillips; Ouachita Baptist’s Ashley Dillman, Elise Knight and Taylor Koeth; Arkansas Tech’s Morganne Browning and Felicity West, East Central’s Madison Ham and Oklahoma Baptist’s Jade Robinson received the Elite Scholar award.
A total of 36 GAC standouts earned the Distinguished Scholar Accolade in Ouachita Baptist’s Rebecca Beard, Izzi Breaux, Macie Cash, Mackenzie Davis, Sara Holman, Megan Monk, Emily Payne and Alexis Perry; Harding’s Jenna Akins, Anna Kay Clark, Jessica Davis, Jayden Ellerman, Emily Patterson and Sydney Soto; Northwestern Oklahoma State’s Hannah Appleton, Brianna Brantley, Shakira Lane and Jordyn Tucker; Oklahoma Baptist’s Jade Byrd, Kaylen King, Sophia Strange and Zoee Weaver; Arkansas Tech’s Avery Stanley, Mandy Symons and Dallice White; Southeastern Oklahoma State’s Amore Armstrong, Sarah Coblentz and Kathryn Newsom; Southern Arkansas’ Alyzah McGlasson, Ariana Morris and Hailey Sutton; Southern Nazarene’s Eve Brennan and Elora Jones, Southwestern Oklahoma State’s Marleigh West and Delaney York plus East Central’s McKenna Leveling.