SHAWNEE, Okla. – Oklahoma Baptist won the Great American Conference Women’s Track & Field Championships for the fourth-straight year as the Bison won five events on Friday. Harding finished second. Oklahoma Baptist’s Valerie Olson claimed the MVP award.
Olson collected two of Oklahoma Baptist’s seven event titles on Friday. She became the first GAC woman to win the 100-meter dash and the 100 hurdles at the same meet. Asia Foster also picked up two titles on Friday as she completed the 200-400 double, both with record times. She won the 400 in 53.74 seconds and the 200 with a time of 23.63 seconds. Sophia Strange continued her reign as the league’s top distance runner. She won the 5000 with a record time of 16:50.90. She broke her own record by more than 45 seconds and she finished more than 40 seconds ahead of her closest competitor. Mary McKey became a four-time champion in the 400 hurdles. Jamora Horace won the high jump after clearing 1.72 meters.
Harding tallied three event wins and claimed both relays. Hanna Onufriieva set the GAC Championship record in the triple jump with a top effort of 12.55 meters. Lisa Retailleau broke the meet record in the 800 with a victorious time of 2:11.02. Josie Parks won the 1500 in 4:40.27. The team of Tetiana Kharashchuk, Leila Ngapout, Kewes Gomes and Jerlana Williams won the 4x100 relay and Retailleau, Omolara Ogunmakinju, Jayden Bowman and Kharashchuk claimed the 4x400 title.
Ouachita Baptist finished in third, followed by Southern Arkansas. The Muleriders’ Kailyn Thomas won the discus with a top throw of 46.32 meters. Northwestern Oklahoma State claimed fifth, followed by Southeastern Oklahoma State and Southern Nazarene. Southwestern Oklahoma State, Arkansas Tech and East Central filled out the team standings.
The GAC also handed out its Elite Athlete Awards - Presented by Conway Regional Health System. Ouachita Baptist’s Ashley Dilman, Allison Hylkema, Belle Lindsey, Elise Knight and Abby McElhaney; Harding’s Kaia Bieker, Kiera Blankinship, Dinah Winders and Mariia Yashchenko; Oklahoma Baptist’s Shayna Hendrix, Lauren Robinson and Zewde Strange; Arkansas Tech’s Calli Beshore and Mackenzie Epperson; East Central’s Kaylyn Cotner and Madison Ham; Northwestern Oklahoma State’s Ashley Low and Southeastern Oklahoma State’s Emma Berry received the award An additional 118 GAC standouts made the Academic Honor Roll.