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Thursday, May 15
Charlotte, N.C.
Rice University
at
American Athletic Conference
Photo by: Juan DeLeon/Juan DeLeon Creative
Rice Set for AAC Outdoor Championships
5/14/2025 12:22:00 PM | Women's Track & Field
HOUSTON – The Rice Owls women's track & field team is set to take part in the American Athletic Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships this weekend in Charlotte, N.C. The Owls will have 27 athletes competing across 20 events for the three-day meet starting Thursday, May 15.
MEET INFORMATION
AAC Track Home Page | Live Results
Mckyla Van der Westhuizen returns to the conference meet after already posting the third-best throw in the nation this season in javelin. She is already a two-time All-Conference honoree, winning the event at last year's AAC meet, and also a two-time All-American. Van der Westuizen also earned an Academic All-American honor last season.
Alice Taylor looks to replicate her heroic performance at last season's conference meet once again this year. Taylor set both the Rice and AAC record with a clearance of 1.91m during the heptathlon high jump, earning the AAC Most Outstanding Performance of the Meet. Taylor later went on to the NCAA Championship meet, finishing ninth to earn Second Team All-American honors.
Last time out, two Owls cracked into the Rice top 10 all-time list, with Saniya Friendly doing so in the 100m with a time of 11.55s, ranking ninth. Riana Green also set a personal best in the 200m, finishing with a time of 23.60m to rank seventh all-time at Rice.
Freshman Julia Johannesdottir enters the meet with the third-best mark in the heptathlon. Her 5396 points from earlier this season rank her second all-time at Rice after just her first collegiate heptathlon. Johannesdottir also ranks ninth in the 100m hurdles.
Morgan Fey also enters ranked in two events, sitting fifth in the shot put and eighth in the discus.
On the track, Heidi Nielson is seeded fourth in the 5000m and seventh in the 1500m, while Niamh Collins is seeded sixth in the 1500m and seventh in the 800m.
Scheduled Rice competitors
100m – Lucella Kennybrew, Saniya Friendly
100mH – Alexis Tarlue, Eva Vreeland, Julia Johannesdottir
200m Araoluwa Odelowo, Lucella Kennybrew, Addison Zamzow, Petra Taylor, Riana Green, Saniya Friendly
400m – Addison Zamzow, Araoluwa Odelowo, Petra Taylor, Riana Green
400mH – Eva Vreeland
800m – Ava White, Cullen Merrell, Cici Calhoun
1500m –Brooklyn Crow, Heidi Nielson, Niamh Collins, Amelie Attenborough
3000m Steeplechase – Molly Humes, Katlyn Schmeltzer
5000m – Heidi Nielson, Daphne Mayer, Alex Gobran, Molly Humes, Katlyn Schmeltzer
10000m – Daphne Mayer, Alex Gobran
4x100 – Rice A
4x400 – Rice A
Heptathlon – Julia Johannesdottir, Alice Taylor, Lindsay Simms
Discus – Morgan Fey
High Jump – Alice Taylor
Javelin – Elena Schwegman, Addison Zamzow, Mckyla Van der Westhuizen
Long Jump –Alexis Tarlue
Pole Vault – Elena Siemens, Lauren Schmitt
Shot Put – Morgan Fey
Triple Jump – Alexis Tarlue
MEET INFORMATION
AAC Track Home Page | Live Results
Mckyla Van der Westhuizen returns to the conference meet after already posting the third-best throw in the nation this season in javelin. She is already a two-time All-Conference honoree, winning the event at last year's AAC meet, and also a two-time All-American. Van der Westuizen also earned an Academic All-American honor last season.
Alice Taylor looks to replicate her heroic performance at last season's conference meet once again this year. Taylor set both the Rice and AAC record with a clearance of 1.91m during the heptathlon high jump, earning the AAC Most Outstanding Performance of the Meet. Taylor later went on to the NCAA Championship meet, finishing ninth to earn Second Team All-American honors.
Last time out, two Owls cracked into the Rice top 10 all-time list, with Saniya Friendly doing so in the 100m with a time of 11.55s, ranking ninth. Riana Green also set a personal best in the 200m, finishing with a time of 23.60m to rank seventh all-time at Rice.
Freshman Julia Johannesdottir enters the meet with the third-best mark in the heptathlon. Her 5396 points from earlier this season rank her second all-time at Rice after just her first collegiate heptathlon. Johannesdottir also ranks ninth in the 100m hurdles.
Morgan Fey also enters ranked in two events, sitting fifth in the shot put and eighth in the discus.
On the track, Heidi Nielson is seeded fourth in the 5000m and seventh in the 1500m, while Niamh Collins is seeded sixth in the 1500m and seventh in the 800m.
Scheduled Rice competitors
100m – Lucella Kennybrew, Saniya Friendly
100mH – Alexis Tarlue, Eva Vreeland, Julia Johannesdottir
200m Araoluwa Odelowo, Lucella Kennybrew, Addison Zamzow, Petra Taylor, Riana Green, Saniya Friendly
400m – Addison Zamzow, Araoluwa Odelowo, Petra Taylor, Riana Green
400mH – Eva Vreeland
800m – Ava White, Cullen Merrell, Cici Calhoun
1500m –Brooklyn Crow, Heidi Nielson, Niamh Collins, Amelie Attenborough
3000m Steeplechase – Molly Humes, Katlyn Schmeltzer
5000m – Heidi Nielson, Daphne Mayer, Alex Gobran, Molly Humes, Katlyn Schmeltzer
10000m – Daphne Mayer, Alex Gobran
4x100 – Rice A
4x400 – Rice A
Heptathlon – Julia Johannesdottir, Alice Taylor, Lindsay Simms
Discus – Morgan Fey
High Jump – Alice Taylor
Javelin – Elena Schwegman, Addison Zamzow, Mckyla Van der Westhuizen
Long Jump –Alexis Tarlue
Pole Vault – Elena Siemens, Lauren Schmitt
Shot Put – Morgan Fey
Triple Jump – Alexis Tarlue
Players Mentioned
Distance
/ Women's Track & Field
Distance
/ Women's Track & Field
Distance
/ Women's Track & Field
Distance
/ Women's Track & Field
Throws
/ Women's Track & Field
Sprints
/ Women's Track & Field
Distance
/ Women's Track & Field
Sprints
/ Women's Track & Field
Distance
/ Women's Track & Field
Multis
/ Women's Track & Field
Sprints
/ Women's Track & Field
Distance
/ Women's Track & Field
Distance
/ Women's Track & Field
Distance
/ Women's Track & Field
Sprints/Jumps
/ Women's Track & Field
Distance
/ Women's Track & Field
Pole Vault
/ Women's Track & Field
Javelin
/ Women's Track & Field
Pole Vault
/ Women's Track & Field
Multis
/ Women's Track & Field
Sprints/Jumps
/ Women's Track & Field
Jumps/Multis
/ Women's Track & Field
Sprints
/ Women's Track & Field
Javelin
/ Women's Track & Field
Hurdles
/ Women's Track & Field
Distance
/ Women's Track & Field
Multis
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