INDIANOLA, Iowa – The Omaha track & field team got a pair of top-10 performances in the field events to highlight competition at the Kip Janvrin Open on Friday at Simpson College.
Sheridan Rodriguez won the high jump with a mark of 5-07, a season best and a height that ties her with three other athletes for 10th all-time in school history.
In the same event,
Kaitlin Hellbusch was third, tying her lifetime best with a jump of 5-03.
Carrie Simonson put up the ninth-best long jump mark in school history with a mark of 18-02 which was good for third. It also shattered her previous lifetime best by more than 15 inches.
"This was a different type of meet than we have had all season with a longer day and more waiting around," said head coach
Chris Richardson. "That can be a challenge when your body isn't used to it, but we still had some great performances.
"Having two people crack the top-10 list in the same day and some strong 5K's made for some exciting events."
On the track, the Mavericks got a number of strong performances in the 5,000 meters.
Joanna Topham led a group of six Mavericks, finishing 15th with a team season best and lifetime best time of 18:29.26.
Maya Nachtigal put up a lifetime best at 18:31.30, running one spot behind Topham.
Dani Howard shaved time off her lifetime best with a time of 19:32.96 while
Zoe Christenson (20:03.72),
Emily Robles (20:05.56) and
Jesse Ixta (20:13.01), like Topham, all ran the event for the first time this season.
In the 200 meters, Simonson reset her lifetime best with a time of 25.74 to finish eighth.
Scarlett Hill was right behind in ninth with a time of 25.91.
Nina Cuevas was 15th in a time of 26.54, just off her lifetime best.
Two other Mavericks just missed posting new lifetime bests.
Chloe Sabatka was 10th in the 400 meters in a time of 1:03.57, and
Vanessa Gunderson was fourth in the 400 meter hurdles in a time of 1:07.35. Both times were within .2 seconds of their current PRs.
In other field events,
Kennedy Powell set her lifetime best in the triple jump with a leap of 35-11 ½, putting her third. The mark was nine inches beyond her previous best.
Lori Vedder took third in the javelin with a throw of 111-03 while
Lucy Turner took seventh with a lifetime best of 103-05, more than 13 feet beyond her previous PR.
The Mavericks will have a week off before returning to action at the South Dakota Tune Up on Friday, May 7. It will be their final meet before the Summit League Outdoor Championships.
