Women's Recap: Aggies Score Big "Points" With 1-2 Finishes In 400, 100 And 100 Hurdles

By Lori Shontz for DyeStat

Kim Spir photos

RESULTS/VIDEOS

Texas A&M senior Kennedy Wade didn’t arrive to the starting blocks with a specific plan to run the 400 meters Saturday at the Oregon Team Invitational. 

“My race strategy was to win,” she said, smiling.

Her strategy was effective – Wade won in 53.42 seconds, just ahead of her teammate Jaydan Woods, who was second in 53.52. And it seemed like it was a strategy for her entire team.

The Aggies ran away with the women’s team title by winning six of the 11 events. They finished 1-2 in the 400, the 100 hurdles and the 100, and they added victories in long jump and discus and the 4x400 relay.

While the meet was officially unscored because of NCAA rules, it used “fan scoring” to give the meet a team feel, with unofficial team points on the scoreboard in Hayward Field and on the Big Ten Network broadcast. The teams were able to enter two athletes in each of 11 events.

Texas A&M scored 222.5 points, unofficially beating Oregon by 40 points. The Ducks scored 182.5 points, followed by Oklahoma State with 156, Kansas State with 148, Wichita State with 127, Utah with 103 and Oregon State with 90.

“It brings me back to high school, how they would give a point system, and if the team wins, there would be a fun little thing,” Wade said. “My coach had plaques stacked up in the corner because we won so many meets. I think it’s cool. I’m glad they’re bringing it back.”

Sometimes, the Aggies dominated. Abigail Martin’s winning discus throw, 184-11 (56.37m), was about 15 feet farther than runner-up Tamaiah Koonce of Kansas State.

Sometimes, they won narrowly. Sofia Iakushina won the long jump by less than an inch over Shalom Olotu of Kansas State, 20-0.50 to 19-11.75.

On the track, The Aggies took control in the sprints, with Jasmine Harmon winning the 100 hurdles in 13.22, nipping her teammate Jaiya Covington, the NCAA indoor 60-meter hurdle champ, by .01 second.

Camryn Dickson won the 100 in 11.27, followed by teammate Jasmine Montgomery in 11.33.

And the team cruised to a victory in the 4x400, with Wood, Dickson, Montgomery and Wade running a 3:31.54, beating runner-up Oklahoma State by more than four seconds.

Oregon, as expected, was stronger in the longer events.

Klaudia Kazimierska continued her return from a hip injury that sidelined her for the indoor season with a victory in the 1,500. She made her move with 200 to go and went on to win in 4:07.28, comfortably ahead of her teammate, Mia Barnett, who finished second in 4:08.75.

Silan Ayyildiz unleashed a strong kick down the frontstretch to win the 800 with a PR of 2:03.11, and Juliet Cherubet, who transferred to Oregon in January, won the 5,000 in 15:28.86.

“The transition hasn’t been easy, but I’m happy that I’m coming back to normal,” Cherubet said. “So right now, I’m ready to deliver.”

Cherubet said she transferred because “I wanted to run as a team,” and she said Oregon’s facilities and coaches were the reasons she felt comfortable there.

Kansas State won two field events: Sharie Enoe cleared all four heights she attempted on the first try to win the high jump in 5-11.25 (1.81m), and Jaycee Schroeder won the shot put with a throw of 52-0 (15.85m).