Story by Justin Gatson, Contributing writer
Jabreuna Brimlett, freshman from Popular Bluff, Missouri, throws a javeline in the home meet March 4.
Murray State traveled to Bowling Green, Kentucky last weekend for the Western Kentucky University Relays and had 10 top-eight finishes.
Freshman sprinter Tamdra Lawrence competed in the 100-meter dash, finishing in fifth place with a time of 12.03 seconds. Lawrence also competed in the 200-meter dash, placing sixth with a time of 24.86 seconds. Sophomore sprinter Anna Curlin placed seventh in the 400-meter dash, finishing with a time of 57.22 seconds, a new personal best.
Junior mid-distance runner Tia Weston competed in the 800-meter dash, finishing ninth with a time of 2:15 and ranking ninth all-time at Murray State. Sophomore distance runner Vallery Korir competed in the 1,500 meters, taking fourth place with a time of 4 minutes, 39 seconds.
Freshman hurdler Jabreuna Brimlett ran a time of 14.11 seconds in the 100-meter hurdles, placing second.
Freshman pole vaulter Emily Heil vaulted a new personal best, staking her claim with the third best score in Murray State history. Heil cleared a vault of 3.42 meters. Freshman thrower Christina Meinhardt threw a new personal best in the shot put with a throw of 12.83 meters. Her throw ranks the eighth all-time in Murray State history. Sophomore high jumper Taylor Horton tied for seventh, clearing a height of 1.55 meters.
Senior long/triple jumper Jill Jachino competed in the triple jump, making a jump of 11.44 meters, which placed seventh.
The 4×100 meter relay team of freshman sprinter Jocelyn Payne, Brimlett, Curlin and Lawrence finished with a time of 48.32 seconds, placing sixth.
Senior distance runner Ali Hester ran as an unattached runner (a competitor with no relation or affiliation with the university) in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, finishing with a time of 10 minutes, 59 seconds. Hester’s time would have been ranked third fastest all-time at Murray State if eligible. Sophomore distance runner Rebekah Priddy also competed in the event, finishing with a time of 11 minutes, 2 seconds, placing her fourth in this event. Priddy’s time ranks third fastest in Murray State history.
With the season winding down and OVC Championship only a month away, Head Coach Jenny Swieton said in an interview earlier this month she is very confident in her team and expects them to continue to improve.
Swieton said she isn’t afraid of the competition from the bigger schools that are scheduled for the remaining meets this seasons, believing the Racers place being right beside this top competition.
“They need to know – and they already know – that they belong,” Swieton said.
The Racers have steadily improved throughout the indoor and outdoor season and continue to top their own personal records and even some school records along the way. But Swieton is confident that the Racers still have a lot left in them this season to continue exceeding their best.
“We haven’t pushed them as hard in practice as we had before in the previous years and I think it’s worked for them,” Swieton said.