Fifth-year senior Abby Herring shattered the previous school record in the indoor 5k run by over a minute on the first day of the Marshall Invitational on Friday, Feb 9.

Herring, who has been running for Marshall for five years now, said she felt pretty good going into the second half of the race.

“It was really good. I went out harder than I wanted to,” she said, “but I banked a ton of seconds so going into the second half I wasn’t too phased.”

With a time of 16 minutes and 21.09 seconds, Herring broke the previous school record, 17:22.38, set by Sydney Smith last year.

Head coach Caleb Bowen, who has coached Herring for the past five years, didn’t expect when he recruited her just how great she would be.

“When I recruited her, I did not expect that at all,” Bowen said. “After her sophomore year, I saw it could happen.”

As of the end of her race, Herring is number one in the Sun Belt in the 5k by about 46 seconds.

Along with Herring, Kylee Mastin broke the 800-meter run school record with a time of 2:10.61. This time broke the school record she set just a week ago, 2:11.31. 

The women’s distance program is one of the best in the Sun Belt. From the 800-meter run to the 5k, the Herd has at least one athlete in the top three with Herring being number one in both the 3k and 5k.

Junior Ronnie Saunders won the men’s 1-mile run with a time of 4:07.03, a new personal best.

Additionally, Marshall had a meet-high 11 individual victories.. There was also a relay victory for the Herd; the men’s 4×400 meter team of Ethan Bowens, Isaiah Harper, Joshua Roush and Isaiah Valentine won with a time of 3:21.17.

The track team continues action at the Sun Belt Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships starting Monday, Feb. 19, in Birmingham, Alabama.