Gov’s track and field headed north to the Fred Wilt Open, hosted by Purdue, in West Lafayette, Indiana. Governors put on another outstanding performance against top-ranked opponents and also two known OVC rivals, Southeast Missouri and Tennesee Tech.
Freshman Kyra Wilder put on a tremendous performance on Saturday in her first collegiate 400m attempt, dusting the field for a victory, holding off Purdue’s Alanah Owens on her stomping grounds. This race is Wilder ’s first individual win as a Governor.
Wilder also made the finals in the 60m dash, she posted a 7.86 mark to place fourth overall, with freshman Tiyanna Johnson (sixth, 7.86) and junior Diamond Battle (seventh, 7.88) joining her in the finals. Johnson also placed seventh (26.00) in the 200-meter dash, along with junior Tymeitha Tolbert placing fifth (25.84).
The Gov’s performance in hurdles is always consistently miraculous.
Sophomore Lennex Walker qualified second to lead five Govs into the eight-runner final; she then raced to a season-best 8.70 mark to place third overall. She was accompanied by freshman Camaryn McClelland (fourth, 9.00), junior Kaitlyn Black (fifth, personal-best 9.03), Kamile Dunbar (seventh, 9.13) and sophomore Denia-Hill Tate (eighth, 9.71).
The Govs were also successful in the longer distances as well. Senior Immaculate Kiplagat set a new personal-best in the mile run (5:18.91 ), while freshman Mikela Smith continued an outstanding freshman campaign in the 800m with a fourth-place, (2:22.02).
In field events, Dascha Hix hit 3.85m in the vault, taking second overall matching Savannah Amato’s mark.McClelland placed fifth in the long jump with a 5.37m mark, while senior Nia Gibbs-Francis (1.61m, high jump) and junior Maya Perry-Grimes (11.57m, triple jump) each placed third.
The Governors will be back in Birmingham, Alabama for the Samford Opening, Feb. 8-9.
