MSSU women's track places fifth at MIAA Championships

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

Kearney, Neb. -- The Missouri Southern women's track and field team finished fifth in the final day of the 2018 MIAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, hosted by the University of Nebraska-Kearney.

The Lions finished fifth in the final standings with 75 points. Pittsburg State won the team title with 191 points, followed by Lincoln with 95 and Central Missouri with 93.5. Fort Hays State was fourth, followed by Southern, Northwest Missouri, Nebraska-Kearney, Southwest Baptist, Washburn , Lindenwood, Emporia State, Central Oklahoma and Missouri Western to round out the team totals.

Jasmine Deckard placed fourth in the finals of the 100m dash with a provisional time of 11.54, breaking the MSSU school record in the process. The time was just .04 off of an NCAA AQ and currently ranks sixth-best in Division II. Deckard then added a fifth-place finish in the 200m with a provisional time of 23.93 that also broke a school record in the event. That time ranks tenth in Division II currently.

Destiny Akannam was fourth in the 400m with a provisional time of 54.83. Ashlee Kuykendall placed fifth in the 5k with a time of 18:29.19, while Sierra Wells was 10th, Julianna Determan was 13th, Sarah Usher placed 16th and Gabriel Hill was 19th. Janna Hautala was 9th in the 3k steeplechase.

Rachael Ray was eighth in the 400m hurdles with a time of 1:05.10, while the 4x100m relay team of Ray, Deckard, Ashlynn Vanatter and Kristen Koch placed seventh in a time of 47.70. The 4x400m relay team of Ray, Koch, Kelsey Evans and Vanatter was eighth with a time of 3:58.07.

Wynter Nekola and Allie Heckemeyer placed fourth and fifth, respectively in the high jump with identical provisional heights of 5-06. Heckemeyer then turned around and hit an NCAA AQ in the triple jump, breaking a 24-year old school record with a distance of 42-06.25 to earn All-MIAA status.

Katie Skelton was tenth in the hammer with a distance of 150 feet.

In all, the Lions had three All-MIAA performances and two champions at this year's Championships.

All-MIAA Athletes
Allie Heckemeyer - Heptathlon (Champion), Triple Jump
Emily Presley - Pole Vault (Champion)