Meet Results
PITTSBURG, Kan. – Tamera Rhode's first-place finish in the 300-meter dash highlighted the Missouri State Track and Field team's participation at the Crimson & Gold Invitational here Saturday, as the Bears kicked off their 2022-23 with several promising performances.
Rhode, a transfer from Central Arkansas, began her sprinting career for the Bears with a bang, ending the day at the top of the podium after racing a time of 39.17 seconds. The top finish came against a competitive field made up of 62 athletes in the event.
"We had a very productive day," said head coach Jordan Fife. "I'm proud of the energy and effort all around. We thought that a pre-break meet would be beneficial for our team and they took advantage of the opportunity."
Calandra Henry also started her indoor season off strong for MSU's sprinters, finishing in second place in the 60m. Her time of 7.52 seconds was a lifetime best, beating her former personal record of 7.53 seconds which she raced at the 2022 Missouri Valley Conference Indoor Championships. Also in the 60-meter, Nakaja Weaver raced a time of 7.53 seconds, beating her 2022 mark of 7.58 seconds, to finish 15th out of the event's 101 competitors.
Charity Obazughanmwen had a strong showing in her first meet of the season for the Bears as well, finishing eighth in the 200-meter dash out of a deep, 68-person field with a time of 25.29. Rachel Lacey placed 26th (26.44) in the event while Whitney Farrington (26.74), Manuela Ngo Tonye Nyemeck (26.90) and O'Shayla Muldrow (27.55) finished 40th, 43rd, and 53rd, respectively.
In the 400-meter dash, Meghan Halstead placed 14th with a time of 1:00.03, edging out her former lifetime best of 1:01.53 raced at the Arkansas Qualifier last season.
On the distance side of things, Edna Dar's experience led the team in the one-mile run. The senior raced a time of 4:59.06, narrowly missing the podium in fourth place. Mary Margaret Harris (5:24.85) and freshman Katie Griffin (5:35.06) also recorded top-30 finishes, ending the day in 19th and 27th, respectively, out of the field of 44 racers. Harris' mark was a personal best, beating her previous-best time of 5:34.18 which she raced in the second meet of the 2022 season.
In the 5,000-meter run, Margo Nea's time of 18:59.61 was good for 25th place in her first time competing in the indoor event.
The Bears also found success in the jumps, with Rachel Lacey leading the way in the long jump open with a mark of 5.29 meters. In the long jump invitation, Brooke Jenkins recorded a distance of 5.14 meters, while also earning a 7th-place finish in the triple jump invitational, jumping to a mark of 11.67 meters, just .03 short of her lifetime best in the event.
MSU finished the day with a win in the 4x400-meter relay, with the Bears' top team of Dar, Rhode, Obazughanmwen and Henry racing a time of 3:49.13 to cap off the team's first meet of the season.
The Bears will get a month off before their next outing as the team travels to Kansas State for the annual DeLoss Dodds Invitational on Saturday, January 21.
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