EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. – SIUE track and field claimed three more Ohio Valley Conference individual titles as well as a relay title at the 2014 Outdoor Championships Saturday.
Elizabeth Hampl, Braxton Klavins, and Jatavia Wright added to SIUE's list of winners after La'Derrick Ward and Julian Harvey earned individual victories in day one of the Championships. The men's 4x400m relay team also ran for gold by besting Tennessee State by less than a second.
SIUE, playing host to the OVC Outdoor Championships for the first time in school history, made a strong showing at Korte Stadium in the team competition. The Cougar men placed third of seven teams overall with 116 points while the SIUE women finished sixth of 11 teams with 74 points.
"For our men to get third place was outstanding," said SIUE Interim Head Coach Eileen McAllister. "We had a few bumps in the road today but overall it was an amazing meet and a great experience."
Southeast Missouri claimed the men's and women's team titles. The men edged Eastern Illinois 207-194.5 while the women topped Austin Peay 141-133.5.
Hampl's win in the hammer throw was an OVC-record throw of 200 feet (60.97m) as well as a new record for the Cougars. She broke the old record set by Murray State's Tonia Pratt by more than 23 feet. Hampl also took sixth place in the shot put.
"She was finally able to hit her goal of 200 feet which was exciting," said SIUE Assistant Coach Scott Block.
Klavins was a double winner on Saturday at the 200m and the 400m. He and teammate Ahmad Evans went 1-2 in the 200 with Klavins winning by 0.22 seconds in 21.18.
Klavins took the 400 in 46.43 with Evans adding a fourth-place finish for the Cougars.
Wright won the triple jump for the second straight season and leaped even farther in her victory this season. Her leap of 41-10.75 (12.77), also a school record, bested Austin Peay's Kaylnn Pitts by 5.5 inches. Wright added a seventh-place finish in the 100m hurdles.
Ward, the winner in the long jump Friday, added a silver medal in the triple jump with an outdoor best of 49-11.25.
Derek Drew turned in a season best in the 400m hurdles with a fourth-place finish in 53.82.
Jamil Mashni scored for the second straight day with his fourth-place finish in the shot put. He tossed for 53-2.25.
Clint Kleim scored for the Cougars with an eighth-place finish in the 5,000-meter run (15:14.30).
"We had people raise up when they needed to," said Block.
Claire Brown took the bronze in the 5,000m run in a time of 17:33.07. That was nearly 40 seconds faster than her previous best.
Jasmine Johnson was the first Cougars to score for the day with a sixth-place finish (4,099 points) in the heptathlon.
Johnson, who sang the National Anthem in the pre-event ceremonies, reached the awards stand with a third-place finish in the 400m hurdles in 1:01.76. She was the seventh-fastest qualifier in the preliminary heats.
Teammates LaDonna Caston (1:02.50) and Ciara Turner (1:08.06) also scored in the 400m hurdles with fifth and eighth, respectively.
Kirby Hale picked up sixth in the 800 with a 2:15.69.
Jessica Oranika took eighth in the 200 in 25.29
"Everything about the meet was top-notch, including the facility to the competition level to the energy level," added Block.
"This is only the beginning," said McAllister. "We have bigger goals. We obviously have athletes competing more this season. We're looking forward to seeing what the next couple of weeks bring. We want to get some more All-Americans."
