CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Michelle Higgins led the SIUE track and field team by winning the triple jump at the 31st Annual Joey Haines Invitational Saturday.
The junior leaped 38 feet, 7.5 inches to claim the top spot. She also placed second in the 100 hurdles with a personal-best time (14.89 seconds) and sixth in the 100 meters (13.08).
"It was a good meet," said SIUE Head Coach Kareem Jackson. "The throwers came out and competed, and the distance runners are getting their feet back under them after indoors."
The Cougar throwers put on an impressive showing with 10 finishes in the top 10 led by Colleen McDonough's third-place performance in the hammer (158-11). The junior also finished sixth in the shot put (44-11), which ranks third all-time at SIUE.
Kristin Wykoff and Elizabeth Hampl reached the top 10 in three events each. Wykoff placed fourth in the discus (139-3), seventh in the hammer (147-5), and 10th in the shot put (41-9.75). Hampl finished fourth in the javelin (114-4), fifth in the hammer (152-5), and ninth in the shot put (42-1.25).
Jessica Long recorded a pair of top 10s in the discus (121-1) and the hammer (113-10) placing seventh and 10th, respectively.
A trio of runners placed in the top 10 in the 1,500 meters led by Aftan Noon's runner-up time of 4 minutes, 36.04 seconds. Ioana Citireag (4:46.75) and Claire Brown (4:57.83) finished sixth and ninth, respectively.
"Aftan had a really good day, and Ioana had a huge personal record to set the stage for the rest of the day," added Jackson.
Jatavia Wright, the reigning Ohio Valley Conference Track Athlete of the Week, turned in three fifth-place finishes coming in the 100 meters (12.77), 400 hurdles (1:09.86), and the long jump (17-5.5).
Kaya Senaya finished fourth in the 400 meters in a personal-best time of 58.07, and Dede Lofton was close behind in seventh at 59.18.
Hilary Conrad had a pair of fourth-place results on the day in the 100 meters (12.73) and the 200 meters (25.20).
Megan Petty (2:22.65) and Lacey Hainline (2:28.41) both set personal bests in the 800 meters finishing fifth and eighth, respectively.
The 4x400 relay team of Lofton, Conrad, Citireag, and Senaya finished second in a time of 3:55.05 to close the day for SIUE.
"We are really looking forward to WKU next weekend the kids are excited to get a chance to run there."
The Cougars will compete next April 14 at the Hilltopper Relays hosted by Western Kentucky.
