Meet Results
 
PITTSBURG, Kan. – Edna Dar and Jessica Haney each captured individual titles to highlight the Missouri State track and field team's final day at the Gorilla Classic on Saturday (Feb. 15).
 
In the final regular-season meet before the Missouri Valley Conference Indoor Championships, the Bears proved they are hitting their stride at the right time by setting numerous personal-best times at the two-day competition, hosted by Pittsburg State.
 
"This meet was definitely what we wanted to see with our last tune-up before the conference meet," said head coach Jordan Fife.  "We had so many season and lifetime bests scattered among all the events.  Edna and Jessica both came away with tough-fought victories in their events."
 
Haney soared to the top spot in the high jump by clearing a personal-best height of 1.71m on her opening attempt of the round.  It was the freshman's first individual title after a pair of third-place showings earlier this season.
 
Dar adds another title to her impressive sophomore résumé by clinching a first-place finish in the 800-meter run with a career-best time of 2:10.03.  The Toronto-native broke the event's four-year meet record, distancing herself from Harding's Kinga Szarzynska down the final stretch.   
 
The MSU relay team of India McNeill, Grace Breiten, Adyson Delaney, and Dar received fourth in the distance medley race after running an 11:59.33 on the opening day of the meet.  The Bears' time ranks fifth on the program's all-time indoor list, surpassing the 12:01.57 mark from last year's Gorilla Classic.
 
After recording the fastest time in the qualifying round of the 60-meter dash, Timeka Jordan paced the Bears in the preliminaries with a 7.70 in her season debut.  Malia Watkins and Calandra Henry followed by posting times of 7.71 and 7.74, respectively.  A'Mira Askew was just shy of matching her personal-best time as she ran a 7.84 to round out the event for MSU.
 
The Bears had all five runners record personal bests in the 400-meter dash after finishing under the one-minute mark.  Chanice Forbes led the charge with a time of 57.29 while McNeill (57.35) and Jayda Buchannan (57.39) trailed shortly behind her.  Manuela Ngo Tonye Nyemeck (58.37) and Briana Johnson (59.45) wrapped up MSU's showing in the one-lap event.
 
In the mile, Jasmine Crawford (5:09.41) was the first MSU runner across the finish line where she placed 11th.  Delaney (20th) and Taylor Holtz (25th) completed the race inside the top-25 with times of 5:17.54 and 5:24.55. 
 
Talia Emerson clocked her best 60-meter hurdles time in the prelims, crossing at the 9.11 mark.
 
In her first of two distance races on Saturday, Jordyn Capra led the trio of Bears in the 3,000-meter run, improving on her time from the Pitt State Invitational (10:53.32) by running a 10:46.48.  Lindsey Biesemeyer and Natalie Clayton made their 2020 debuts with respective times of 11:25.56 and 11:58.91.
 
"With conference up next, we will have to execute on a stage that several of our athletes haven't been on before," said Fife.  "We'll use these next two weeks to focus on the preparation and expectations going into the league meet."
 
For more information on the Missouri State track and field team, visit MissouriStateBears.com or visit the team Twitter @MSUBearsTrackXC and Facebook.