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Photo by: CUSA
Forbes, Simpson-Sullivan Break Records at C-USA Championships
5/14/2021 9:18:00 PM | Women's Track & Field
Five Owls earn all-conference honors
MURFREESBORO, TN – The Rice Owls women's track & field team collected 32 team points on day two of the Conference USA Championships at Middle Tennessee's Dean A. Hayes Track and Soccer Stadium by winning two events and placing four athletes on all-conference teams.
To conclude the evening, Rice outdoor freshman Grace Forbes put an exclamation point on a stellar day for the Owls by winning the 10,000m in a C-USA Championship record time of 33:50.06. The C-USA title was the sixth individual gold medal for the Wallingford, Pa. native and the seventh overall in her young career. Forbes broke the record formerly held by Rice alumna Cali Roper (34:30.90 in 2016) and defeated the next closest competitor by nearly 13 seconds, pulling away with four laps to go.
The Penrith, England native, who ranked fourth in the NCAA West region entering this weekend, recorded her second career C-USA title and picked up her eighth victory this season by notching the winning throw on her second attempt. Simpson-Sullivan became the first Owl to win a conference title in the hammer throw.
Joining Simpson-Sullivan on the medal stand was sophomore Julie Perez, who established a personal best mark with a throw of 55.80m (183-1) in the hammer throw on her second attempt to place third overall and earn an additional six points for the Owls. The all-conference performance was the second of Perez's career.
Freshman Eliza Kraule also earned all-conference honors by placing third overall in the heptathlon with 5083 points in her first C-USA Outdoor Championships. The native of Ritga, Latvia recorded a pair of top-three finishes (100m hurdles/high jump) on Thursday and totaled four season-best marks, including a leap of 5.55m (4th place) in the long jump a time of 2:27.68 in the 800m (6th place) on Friday.
Day three of the C-USA Championships will pick back up on Saturday starting at 1 p.m. with the discus.
Hammer Throw
1. Tara Simpson-Sullivan – 66.01m (216-7, C-USA Championship record)
3. Julie Perez – 55.80m (183-1)
Heptathlon
3. Eliza Kraule – 5083 points
10,000m
1. Grace Forbes – 33:50.06 (C-USA Championship record)
12. Lourdes Vivas de Lorenzi – 37:34.87
To conclude the evening, Rice outdoor freshman Grace Forbes put an exclamation point on a stellar day for the Owls by winning the 10,000m in a C-USA Championship record time of 33:50.06. The C-USA title was the sixth individual gold medal for the Wallingford, Pa. native and the seventh overall in her young career. Forbes broke the record formerly held by Rice alumna Cali Roper (34:30.90 in 2016) and defeated the next closest competitor by nearly 13 seconds, pulling away with four laps to go.
Freshman thrower Tara Simpson-Sullivan began the day in style by setting a Conference USA Championship record with a winning toss of 66.01m (216-7) in the hammer throw. Simpson-Sullivan broke a record that stood for 17 years, besting the previous mark held by South Florida's Dayana Octavian (2004).🎥 Instant reaction from Grace Forbes after another record-breaking performance! #GoOwls👐 x #RFND pic.twitter.com/LUPnqvKg4R
— Rice TF & XC (@RiceTFXC) May 15, 2021
The Penrith, England native, who ranked fourth in the NCAA West region entering this weekend, recorded her second career C-USA title and picked up her eighth victory this season by notching the winning throw on her second attempt. Simpson-Sullivan became the first Owl to win a conference title in the hammer throw.
🎥 Reaction from the champ! pic.twitter.com/oRNq4SFxzE
— Rice TF & XC (@RiceTFXC) May 14, 2021
Joining Simpson-Sullivan on the medal stand was sophomore Julie Perez, who established a personal best mark with a throw of 55.80m (183-1) in the hammer throw on her second attempt to place third overall and earn an additional six points for the Owls. The all-conference performance was the second of Perez's career.
Freshman Eliza Kraule also earned all-conference honors by placing third overall in the heptathlon with 5083 points in her first C-USA Outdoor Championships. The native of Ritga, Latvia recorded a pair of top-three finishes (100m hurdles/high jump) on Thursday and totaled four season-best marks, including a leap of 5.55m (4th place) in the long jump a time of 2:27.68 in the 800m (6th place) on Friday.
Day three of the C-USA Championships will pick back up on Saturday starting at 1 p.m. with the discus.
Hammer Throw
1. Tara Simpson-Sullivan – 66.01m (216-7, C-USA Championship record)
3. Julie Perez – 55.80m (183-1)
Heptathlon
3. Eliza Kraule – 5083 points
10,000m
1. Grace Forbes – 33:50.06 (C-USA Championship record)
12. Lourdes Vivas de Lorenzi – 37:34.87
-RiceOwls.com-
Players Mentioned
Distance
/ Women's Track & Field
Multis
/ Women's Track & Field
Throws
/ Women's Track & Field
Throws
/ Women's Track & Field
Distance
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