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Saturday, February 19
Birmingham, AL
All Day
Rice University
vs
C-USA Championships
Photo by: Michael Wade
Taylor, Gunnarsdottir Capture Titles in Birmingham
2/20/2022 3:50:00 PM | Women's Track & Field
Owls place 5th as a team at C-USA Championships
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The Rice Owls women's track and field team closed out the second day of the Conference USA Indoor Championships by capturing two more individual titles and placing fifth overall as a team with 69 points.
Freshman jumper Josie Taylor, a native of New Zealand, stole the show by breaking the school and C-USA meet record with a clearance of 1.86m (6-01.25) on her second attempt to capture a gold medal in her first conference championship appearance. Taylor's mark of 1.86m is currently tied for fifth-best in the NCAA this indoor season. Taylor's previous best clearance was 1.75m earlier this season at the Houston G5 & Super 22 Invitational.
Junior thrower Erna Gunnarsdottir repeated as C-USA shot put champion and won her third career conference title overall with a winning throw of 16.79m on her first attempt.
Other Owls who registered team points included Alyssa Balandran in the 800m (4th-2:10.80), Morgan Fey in the shot put (4th-14.21m), KC Nwadei in the high jump (1.69m), Caitlin Wosika and Taigen Hunter-Galvan in the mile (7th/8th, 4:57.23/5:00.66), Ginnie Okafor in the triple jump (8th-12.19m), Arayna Mickles in the 400m (59.00) and the foursome of Tanae Dorsett, Mickles, Balandran and Savannah Simms in the 4x400 (6th-3:48.43).
Postmeet Reaction - Head Coach Jim Bevan
"I am very happy and proud of the efforts over the last two days. We had a number of outstanding, outstanding performances, highlighted by the victories by Tara (weight throw), Josie (high jump), Eliza (pentathlon) and Erna (shot put). We had three new Rice school records (Eliza, Tara and Josie) along with one conference record (Tara) and one national record (Tara). In addition, both of our relays stepped up with season's bests and best times from the past few years. The 4x400 of Tanae, Arayna, Alyssa and Savannah really stepped up with all four running PB legs. The DMR medaled third with great efforts by Alyssa, Tanae, Taigen and Caitlin. Caitlin and Taigen came back with scoring efforts in the mile and freshman Arayna had a scoring effort in the 400m. Morgan Fey also competed and scored in the shot put and Julie Perez pulled out a scoring effort in the weight throw after being so close the last two years. Lourdes Vivas de Lorenzi ran a PB in the 5000m, scoring as well. Alyssa Balandran had a big PB in the 800m, she was seeded seventh going in and finished fourth. Ginnie Okafor rounded out our scoring with her finish in the triple jump."
High Jump
1. Josie Taylor - 1.86m (Meet Record/5th in NCAA)
5. KC Nwadei - 1.69m
11. Eliza Kraule - 1.64m
Shot Put
1. Erna Gunnarsdottir - 16.79m (back-to-back titles)
4. Morgan Fey - 14.21m
Triple Jump
8. Ginnie Okafor - 12.19m
11. Savannah Simms - 12.00m
14. KC Nwadei - 11.64m
Foul - Christelle Bonzil
Mile
7. Caitlin Wosika - 4:57.23
8. Taigen Hunter-Galvan - 5:00.66
400m
8. Arayna Mickles - 59.00
800m
4. Alyssa Balandran - 2:10.80
3000m
9. Lourdes Vivas de Lorenzi - 9:46.87
33. Maddie Forbes - 10:24.88
41. Ava White - 10:41.42
DNF - Caitlin Wosika
DNS - Ellie Schweiker
4x400
6. Tanae Dorsett, Arayna Mickles, Alyssa Balandran, Lindsay Simms - 3:48.43
Freshman jumper Josie Taylor, a native of New Zealand, stole the show by breaking the school and C-USA meet record with a clearance of 1.86m (6-01.25) on her second attempt to capture a gold medal in her first conference championship appearance. Taylor's mark of 1.86m is currently tied for fifth-best in the NCAA this indoor season. Taylor's previous best clearance was 1.75m earlier this season at the Houston G5 & Super 22 Invitational.
Junior thrower Erna Gunnarsdottir repeated as C-USA shot put champion and won her third career conference title overall with a winning throw of 16.79m on her first attempt.
Other Owls who registered team points included Alyssa Balandran in the 800m (4th-2:10.80), Morgan Fey in the shot put (4th-14.21m), KC Nwadei in the high jump (1.69m), Caitlin Wosika and Taigen Hunter-Galvan in the mile (7th/8th, 4:57.23/5:00.66), Ginnie Okafor in the triple jump (8th-12.19m), Arayna Mickles in the 400m (59.00) and the foursome of Tanae Dorsett, Mickles, Balandran and Savannah Simms in the 4x400 (6th-3:48.43).
Postmeet Reaction - Head Coach Jim Bevan
"I am very happy and proud of the efforts over the last two days. We had a number of outstanding, outstanding performances, highlighted by the victories by Tara (weight throw), Josie (high jump), Eliza (pentathlon) and Erna (shot put). We had three new Rice school records (Eliza, Tara and Josie) along with one conference record (Tara) and one national record (Tara). In addition, both of our relays stepped up with season's bests and best times from the past few years. The 4x400 of Tanae, Arayna, Alyssa and Savannah really stepped up with all four running PB legs. The DMR medaled third with great efforts by Alyssa, Tanae, Taigen and Caitlin. Caitlin and Taigen came back with scoring efforts in the mile and freshman Arayna had a scoring effort in the 400m. Morgan Fey also competed and scored in the shot put and Julie Perez pulled out a scoring effort in the weight throw after being so close the last two years. Lourdes Vivas de Lorenzi ran a PB in the 5000m, scoring as well. Alyssa Balandran had a big PB in the 800m, she was seeded seventh going in and finished fourth. Ginnie Okafor rounded out our scoring with her finish in the triple jump."
High Jump
1. Josie Taylor - 1.86m (Meet Record/5th in NCAA)
5. KC Nwadei - 1.69m
11. Eliza Kraule - 1.64m
Shot Put
1. Erna Gunnarsdottir - 16.79m (back-to-back titles)
4. Morgan Fey - 14.21m
Triple Jump
8. Ginnie Okafor - 12.19m
11. Savannah Simms - 12.00m
14. KC Nwadei - 11.64m
Foul - Christelle Bonzil
Mile
7. Caitlin Wosika - 4:57.23
8. Taigen Hunter-Galvan - 5:00.66
400m
8. Arayna Mickles - 59.00
800m
4. Alyssa Balandran - 2:10.80
3000m
9. Lourdes Vivas de Lorenzi - 9:46.87
33. Maddie Forbes - 10:24.88
41. Ava White - 10:41.42
DNF - Caitlin Wosika
DNS - Ellie Schweiker
4x400
6. Tanae Dorsett, Arayna Mickles, Alyssa Balandran, Lindsay Simms - 3:48.43
-RiceOwls.com-
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Distance
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