JACKSONVILLE, Ill. - The No. 1 Washington University in St. Louis women's track and field team traveled to compete in Illinois College's Hilltop Classic, Friday, February 16. The meet served as a final tune-up for the University Athletic Association Indoor Championships next weekend. Out of 16 scored events, WashU won nine. No teams scores were recorded.
The Bears competed alongside Greenville University, Illinois College, Westminster College (Mo.), State Fair Community College, Knox College, Monmouth College, Fontbonne University, Eureka College, University of Illinois-Springfield, University of Missouri-St. Louis, and Truman State.
Friday's Top Finishers:
60 Meters:
- WashU took three of the top four spots in the 60-meter dash
- Jasmine Wright won the event with a time of 7.77
- Maya Davis finished right behind Wright, posting a runner-up mark of 7.83
- Nicole Stewart secured fourth (7.88)
200 Meters:
- Gemma Pleas, the lone Bear in the event, earned a seventh-place finish with a time of 27.07
400 Meters:
- The Bears welcomed the first six finishes in the 400-meter event
- Emma Kelley claimed the event title as she clocked in a time of 56.02, two and a half seconds clear of the rest of the field
- Kylie Spytek notched runner-up with a mark of 58.30
- Cate Christopher (58.84) took third, while Julia Coric (59.57) registered fourth
- Gayle Henderson (59.60) and Elizabeth Wagner (1:00.99) garnered fifth and sixth, respectively
800 Meters:
Mile:
3,000 Meters:
- Avery McCammon cruised to the 3,000-meter title as she clocked in a time of 10:30.76, four seconds clear of the field
- Alexandra Blake took second with a mark of 10:34.73
- Avery Nason recorded a time of 10:45.54, good for fourth
60 Meter Hurdles:
- WashU grabbed the top three marks in the 60-meter hurdles
- Lauren Gay secured the event win with a time of 8.95
- Charis Riebe notched second (9.47)
- Holland Kantar earned a time of 9.64 to snag a third-place finish
4 x 400 Relay:
Distance Medley Relay (DMR):
High Jump:
Pole Vault:
Long Jump:
- Ebun Opata registered second in the long jump with a leap of 5.49m
- Maya Davis notched a jump of 4.96m, good for fourth
Triple Jump:
Shot Put:
Weight Throw:
NCAA Division III Top-20 Marks (2023-24 season):
60 Meters:
200 Meters:
400 Meters:
- Emma Kelley – 1st – 55.29 - Illinois College Hilltop Invite
800 Meters:
4 x 400 Relay:
- Spytek Stewart, Echols, Kelley – 3rd – 3:50.46 - Midwest ELITE Invitational
- Spytek, Christopher, Henderson, Kelley – 12th – 3:51.85 - Friday Night Spikes #3
- Spytek, Christopher, Schultz, Kelley – 17th – 3:53.43 - IWU I55 Tri
- Spytek, Christopher, Stewart, Kelley – 19th – 3:53.82 - IWU Keck Select Invitational
Pole Vault:
Triple Jump:
- Ebun Opata – 4th – 12.12m - IWU Keck Select Invitational
Shot Put:
- Jenae Bothe – 5th – 14.24m - Friday Night Spikes Opener
WashU All-Time Top-10 Marks from Friday:
400 Meters:
Mile:
The Bears will travel to the Big Apple for the highly anticipated UAA Indoor Championships, Saturday-Sunday, February 24-25. Saturday's action will begin at 9 a.m. ET, while Sunday will begin at 10 a.m. ET. New York University will serve as the host institution, with the events being held at The Nike Track & Field Center.
