Dec. 4, 2015
Results | Schedule | 2015-16 MSU Indoor Results | Record Book
LAWRENCE, Kan. - The Missouri State track and field team competed in its first meet of the 2015-16 indoor season at the Bob Timmons Challenge here Friday. Six Bears - Robiann Broomfield, Oarabile Babolayi, Cindy Forde, Tenaly Smith, Shani Adams, and Savannah Beaver - grabbed first place finishes in their respective events to give MSU a solid team showing in the season debut. The Bears finished the meet in second place with 207.50 points behind meet host Kansas (222.50).
"We had a very good meet," said head coach Ronald Boyce. "This was one of our better opening season meets in a very long time."
Earning two first-place finishes for the Bears was jumping standout Broomfield, who won the triple jump and the long jump with leaps of 11.94 meters and 5.58 meters, respectively. Teammate Daijha Heron joined Broomfield in collecting second-place and third-place finishes in the triple jump and long jump, respectively, to give the Bears an impressive showing in these two events.
MSU's 60-meter hurdles school record holder, Babolayi, had an impressive showing in the first meet of her senior season, winning the event with a time of 8.86 seconds. Friday's performance was her first win in the 60-meter hurdles of her indoor career.
In her first-ever attempt in the event, distance standout Forde clocked in a time of 10:05.31 to win the 3,000-meter run, while second-place finished nine seconds behind her. Forde is coming off of an impressive 2015 cross country campaign in which she finished her cross country career as the second-fastest 5-kilometer runner at MSU. Forde also served as the anchor in one of the two distance medley relays for the Bears that finished third.
Smith was the lone MSU runner in the 1,000-meter run, crossing the finish line with a time of 3:04.89 to give the senior her second indoor win in the event in her MSU career. She crossed the finish line 18 seconds ahead of the final finisher in the three-person race, as she collected the final first-place finish for the Bears.
Adams (600-yard run, 1:22.88) and Beaver (1-mile run, 5:21.78) collected an additional 10 points apiece for the Bears in their victories in their respective events.
Four individuals - Heron (triple jump, 11.72 meters), Erin Roebuck (400-meter dash, 58.48), Marissa Kurtimah (200-meter dash, 24.54), and Megan Nickles (800-meter run, 2:30.55) - placed second in their events. Six Bears - Kurtimah (60-meter dash, 7.50 seconds), Rachel Campbell (400-meter dash, 1:01.35), Selena Buckner (800-meter run, 2:33.69), Jade Raynor (1-mile run, 5:23.15), Heron (long jump, 5.45 meters), and Melanie Raterman (weight throw, 15.63 meters) - joined their teammates at the top of the grid by earning third-place individual finishes of their own. Five Bears picked up career bests at Friday's meet, with Kurtimah and Mirissa Massey leading the way with two each.
"We enjoyed the victories and all of the personal bests," commented Boyce. "More than anything, however, we have a very good idea of where we are and know more about what we need to do to reach our goals. It was a good day for the Bears in Kansas."
UMKC finished third in the meet with 82 points, while Oral Roberts secured 75 points.
The Bears will now take a significant break in the schedule before continuing their 2015-16 indoor track and field season at the Missouri Invitational in Columbia on Friday, Jan. 15.
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