MANHATTAN, Kan. – After its month-long hiatus over the holiday break, the Missouri State track and field team resumed its season at the annual DeLoss Dodds Invitational here over the weekend.
The Bears, competing against athletes from Kansas State, Northwestern Oklahoma and Oral Roberts, were propelled by several top finishes across the board.
"It was a very productive meet for us coming off the break," said head coach Jordan Fife. "We jam packed a lot of events in a very short meet. This experience will definitely be valuable as we go through the rest of the season."
MSU's sprinting core helped lead the way at the invitational, as Calandra Henry, Charity Obazughanmwen and Tamera Rhode earned top finishes. Racing in the 60-meter dash, Henry clocked a time of 7.53, narrowly missing her lifetime best of 7.52. Also, in the 60-meter, Felicity Watkins and Nakaja Weaver narrowly missed the top three, finishing in fourth and fifth with times of 7.96 and 8.01. In the 400-meter, Obazughanmwen raced a time of 59.06, finishing atop the podium, with teammates Manuela Ngo Tonye Nyemeck (1:01.34) and Whitney Farrington (1:01.35) in succession behind her.
The Bears' success extended to the 200-meter dash, as Henry and Rhode finished in second and third place, respectively. Henry's time of 24.68 was a career best for the senior sprinter, after racing a time of 24.74 at the 2022 Missouri Valley Conference Indoor Championships. Rhode finished the race with a time of 25.62 seconds. In the 600-yard run, Rhode earned her second first-place finish of her Bears' career, finishing the event with a time of 1:26.99. Victory Ifah took second in the event, racing a 1:33.46.
Edna Dar led the Bears distance efforts on Saturday, earning two first-place finishes. In the 1,000-meter, Dar ended the race with a time of 2:55.91, just shy of her lifetime best of 2:55.02. In the one-mile run, the Toronto, Ontario, native's podium topping time was 5:02.64.
Ashley Rolewicz finished behind Dar in the 1,000m, with a time of 3:00.03, while Mary Margaret Harris and Katie Griffin rounded out the top five with respective times of 3:19.60 and 3:23.06. In the mile, Rolewicz finished in fourth with an 11-second personal record of 5:05.73.
Rounding out the Bears on the distance side of things, Margo Nea earned a second-place finish in the 3,000-meter run, racing a time of 10:49.51. Natalie Clayton finished fourth in the event with a time of 10:54.78, a lifetime best for the senior.
MSU's success also extended to its field events, with Brooke Jenkins' long-jump mark of 5.60 meters earning her first place. Rachel Lacey and Weaver finished in fourth and sixth place, respectively, with distances of 5.18 and 4.90 meters.
In the high jump competition, DaeLin Switzer recorded a height of 1.58 meters, finishing fourth, while Chelsey Brown's pole vault mark finished third.
To end the day, the Bears' 4x400-meter relay team made up of Obazughanmwen, Dar, Henry and Ngo Tonye Nyemeck took second place, with a combined time of 4:03.50.
The Bears will continue their season next week at the Pittsburg State Invitational in Pittsburg, Kan.
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