SE Closes Regular Season with Big Runs at Arkansas

DURANT, Okla. – Southeastern set six school records, posted four NCAA Division II qualifying marks, and added 16 top-10 finishes at the John McDonnell Invitational hosted by the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, Ark.
 
The meet was the final regular season meet of the season as the Savage Storm will now set their sights on the Great American Conference Championship meet which is set for May 1-3 in Magnolia, Ark.
 
The 4x100m team of Jayda Williams, Kendal Fellegy, Karissa Nixon, and Caylee Conley got things going with the first new record after stopping the clock at 47.50, nesting the previous school record set two weeks ago at University of North Texas.
 
In the 400m, Madison Rowe turned in the fastest time in school history stopping the clock at 55.48, shaving almost three seconds off her previous lifetime best in the event. This time for Rowe was an NCAA DII provisional qualifying mark the national championships.  Kaitlyn Cedillo was the second fastest SE runner in the field with a time of 57.68, just six days after breaking the 60-second barrier for the first time in her career. Amore Armstrong rounded out the field clocking a season best 61.30.
 
The 100m school record was again lowered by Nixon as she clocked an impressive 12.16 for a lifetime best performance in the event. Conley was second fastest in the field for SE with a time of 12.26 for a lifetime best performance. Jayda Williams was next with a mark of 12.47.
 
The records continued as Makensi Greenwood lowered her 400m hurdles school record with a time of 1:01.83 to finish fifth overall in the event, and her time currently ranks 22nd in the Nation.
 
Jada Johnson placed her name in the record books for the women's triple jump event, leaping 11.45m to finish 3rd overall in the event.
 
Last new record of the day was the 4x400m relay where the quartet of Greenwood, Rowe, Cedillo, Conley turned in a time of 3:47.18 to finish eighth overall in the event. Conley again had the fastest split as the anchor with a time of 55.65. Their time was also an NCAA DII Provisional Qualifying mark, passing the national qualifying standard of 3:49.10 to go to nationals.
 
The 3000m event saw Alexis Longoria dip below the 12-minute barrier for the first time this year with a season best performance of 11:47.94, while Arden Kasterson had a personal best performance clocking 12:20.13 seconds.
 
In the 800m, Ashlynn Pitts had a personal best performance, clocking 2:23.38 to win her heat while Kesterson also turned in a lifetime best effort, crossing the line in 2:26.71.
 
In the 200m, Conley was the fastest in the field for SE with a personal record performance of 24.97, while Rowe also in a personal best at 24.98. Nixon rounded out the top three Storm runners in the event with a PR of 25.03.
 
The 1500m personal bests for SE athletes as Alexis Longoria led the way with a 5:02.72, followed by Genevi Martinez at 5:11.82, Savannah Sandoval at 5:12.04, and Ashlyn Vasquez 5:16.77.
 
In the Field events, Emma Berry placed third in the women's discus with a toss of 36.93 meters.
 
Macayla Needham turned in the best finish in the hammer throw with a toss of 44.78 meters, followed by Samantha Wallis at 42.41 meters and Marianna Mendez 38.78.
 
In the Shot Put, Needham finished second overall with a throw of 14.59 meters, again surpassing the national qualifying standard in the event.