Qualifying Mark and Event Wins Highlight T&F Weekend

MAGNOLIA, Ark. – Southeastern stepped up its efforts in the second competition of the outdoor track and field season, seeing a national qualifying mark, four new school records, eight event championships and 57 top-10 finishes at the Dan Veach Invitational hosted by Southern Arkansas in Magnolia, Ark.
 
Macayla Needham would turn in the first national qualifying mark of the season when she hurled the shot a school record 14.48 meters to win the event.
 
Samantha Wallis turned in second-place finish with a toss of 12.14 meters.
 
Needham would add a second school record mark when she picked up an event win in the hammer throw with a mark of 48.99 to break the record for the second-straight week, while SE athletes followed in third, fourth, fifth, and sixth places.
 
The 4x400 meter relay team of Jayda Williams, Karissa Nixon, Caylee Conley, and Charisma Lacy-Ray would put together a time of 47.82 to finish second in the event and set a new school record.
 
The record run continued as Makensi Greenwood shattered her personal record and school record clocking a 2:14.84 in the 800 meter to lead SE to a 1-2-3 sweep in the event as Madison Rowe followed in 2:22.14, with Kaitlyn Cedillo next at 2:22.34. All women were below the previous school record set last year, while SE had six runners finish in the top 10 in the event.
 
The first track event of the day was the Steeplechase and the Storm opened its winning ways right out of the gate as Alexis Longoria posted 12:34.29 to win the event while Arden Kesterson was third in her first ever run at the event with a time of 12:55.91.
 
The final event of the day for SE, the 5,000 meter run, saw a 1-2 finish for SE as Yazmin Reyes took home the event in 20:18.04 with teammate Sarah Coblentz second with a time of 20:24.75.
 
In the Jumps, Jayda Williams and Kenzli Warden finished first and second in the event leaping 5.23m and 5.16m respectively. Kendal Fellegy and Jada Johnson were fourth and sixth overall in the event. In the Triple Jump event, Jayda Williams had the longest Jump of her career leaping 11.62m to win the event.
 
The Storm would follow by taking the top two spots in the javelin. Wallis won the event with a throw of 31.99 meters which is her farthest throw this season, while Emma Berry finished second with a throw of 28.75 meter.
 
The women's 1500m saw five athletes finish top 10 in the event, with Savannah Sandoval leading the charge finishing fourth with a time of 5:14.84, while Ashlynn Pitts, competing in the event for the first time in her career, crossed the line in 5:16.50 to finish fourth.
 
The women's 400m had three women entered in the event and all finished in the top 5 with Kendal Fellegy leading the charge with a personal best run to finish 2nd clocking 59.49. Caylee Conley and Amore Armstrong were fourth and fifth respectively.
 
The women's 100m event had three women entered with Nixon finishing second with a time of 12.38 and Williams third with a time of 12.42. Charisma Lacy-Ray finished sixth in the event clocking 12.70.
 
In the women's 200m event, SE had four runners entered with all placing in the top 10. Nixon won her heat in 25.71 to finish fourth overall, while Fellegy was fifth with a time of 25.78. Caylee Conley checked in sixth at 25.80 and Armstrong was seventh, clocking a 25.94.
 
The women's 400m hurdles event featured Lily Helgren, she finished 2nd clocking 1:13.71, a personal best.
 
The Last throwing event of the day, the women's discus, saw top 10 finishes for five-of-six throwers entered.  Berry led the way in fourth with a toss of 34.27 meters. Isabella Drane followed in fifth with 34.14m, with Keitian Bell sixth with 34.09m, Wallis eighth with 33.10m, and Katy Newsom ninth with a personal best throw of 32.59m.