Marshall Track and Field placed 44 athletes, nine of them in the top-three, at the James Madison University Invite at Sentara Park in Harrisonburg, Virginia on Friday, April 12, and Saturday, April 13.
Keith Roberts, the director of track and field, said the team fought hard despite the weather and showed what they could do.
“I thought it was a good day for us,” he said after the meet on Saturday. “We had some good finishes on both the men’s and women’s sides. Despite it being windy, I thought our team really fought through the elements and showed what they are capable of.”
Two first-place finishes highlighted the competition for the Herd at a meet with nine top-three finishes and 44 scoring results.
Lara Check, a sophomore from Australia, won the women’s javelin throw with a toss of 36.26 meters. Her top throw was one meter further than teammate and second-place finisher Chloe Cahill, who threw the javelin a distance of 35.10 meters.
The meet was one for the record books for Check, who on top of her win in the javelin, set a new personal record in the 200 meter dash and was the top collegiate finisher in the long jump.
Her 200 meter dash was good for 18th place in the event with a time of 25.61 seconds. In the long jump, she jumped a distance of 5.91 meters and was the top collegiate finisher, placing second overall behind athlete Sha’Keela Saunders who beat Check with a jump of 6.39 meters.
The other Marshall win came from senior Mikah Alleyne who won the women’s 400 meter hurdles with a time of 1 minute and 0.53 seconds, about one second ahead of second place. This time ranks her fourth in the Sun Belt Conference. She is about three seconds behind first place in the event.
Sophomore Niyah Mitchell placed third in the 400 meter hurdles. She was three seconds behind Alleyene, running a time of 1 minute and 3.35 seconds.
In the women’s 200 meter dash, freshman Dezire Gee placed second with a time of 24.65 seconds. She was just 0.05 seconds behind JMU’s Kaia Putman, who won the event with a time of 24.60 seconds.
Freshman Hannah Toth was second in the women’s 1500 meter run with a time of 4 minutes and 50.30 seconds. She beat conference foe Kristin Giordano from JMU by just 0.68 seconds.
In the women’s 3000 meter steeplechase, freshman Taylor Spencer placed third with a time of 11 minutes and 40.69 seconds.
In the women’s high jump, Alycia Rivera was third with a height of 1.66 meters. She cleared the height on her second try and scratched out attempting 1.69 meters.
Junior Rebecca Merritt placed third in the women’s discus with a throw of 46.63 meters. She made this throw on her second attempt and was five meters ahead of the closest conference opponent. She also placed second in the women’s hammer throw with a toss of 53.79 meters on her first throw.
Following the meet, Roberts said that it’s time for his team to show off who they are with championship season quickly approaching.
“As the season progresses I am starting to see the people who have been focusing throughout the year separate themselves in regards to performance at the meets,” he said. “Championship season is right around the corner. It’s time for us to show who we are and what we are about.”
