BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – SIUE track and field closed out the final day of the Ohio Valley Conference Indoor Track and Field Championship on Thursday at the Birmingham Crossplex. The day was highlighted by Claire Bushur's second-place finish in the women's shot put.
The women finished the Championship in sixth place, collecting 41 total points. The finish marked the women's best performance in a decade (fifth in 2014). The men collected 13 points for ninth.
"Super proud of this group for continuing to grind through this season," Head Coach Marcus Evans said. "We had several top five performances and PR's popping up all throughout the two days."
Throws:
Bushur's 14.24m throw in the women's shot put earned the senior in second place. Her mark was good for a new PR and ranks fifth in program history. Alexis Hutchins placed fourth at 13.65m. Maryiah Menicucci earned sixth at 13.27m while Stephanie Montenegro finished 12th at 12.28m.
Luke Hatten led the men in the shot put with a 14.87m toss, good for a PR and eighth place. Grant Milbrath took 10th at 14.77m, also good for a career best toss.
Jumps:
Freshman Drew Tucker finished sixth in the men's high jump with a 1.97m mark. His leap was good for a season best mark. Caden Belcher collected 11th at 1.92m.
Sheena Cumberbatch recorded an 11.20m mark in the women' triple jump for 11th overall. Nyah Williams took 14th at 11.15m, good for a PR.
In the men's triple jump, Connor Bouman placed 16th at 12.29m.
Sprints and Hurdles:
Vashanti Reynolds earned seventh overall in the women's 60m hurdle finale with an 8.99 time. Taylor Lehman ran for the Cougars on the men's side, crossing the finish at 8.67 for eighth place.
Kaylee Allen picked up seventh in the women's 60m dash with a 7.78 mark. Senior Kailah Carter earned sixth in the women' 400m finals, posting a 57.07 time.
Mid-Distance and Distance:
Mia Loafman represented SIUE in the women's mile, crossing the finish line at 5:24.18. On the men's side, D'Andre Watson finished 25th at 4:32.81 while Tyler Guthrie took 28th with a 4:40.82 tick.
Gabrielle Horton earned fifth in the women's 800m at 2:15.11. The junior's time was good for an indoor PR.Her time ranks fifth in program history.
Kaitlyn Walker led the Cougars in the women's 3,000m with a 10:37.84 mark. Riley Doyle finished 25th at 11:29.71. For the men, Zach Walters finished 19th at 8:44.49, good for a new PR. Roland Prenzler took 22nd at 8:50.79 while Jackson Edwards finished 29th at 9:14.87.
Relays:
The women's 4x400m relay team of Kailah Carter, Sheena Cumberbatch, Gabrielle Horton, and Kaylee Allen finished sixth at 3:56.89.
Up Next:
SIUE track and field will begin its outdoor slate of the season on Friday, Mar. 29 at the Joey Haines Invitational in Cape Girardeau, Missouri.
"We are hoping to continue our trajectory into the outdoor season," added Evans "We aren't satisfied yet. Our coaching staff is excited to see our student-athletes learn from this and keep climbing up the rankings. We have hunger to elevate our performances to help us fight for championships in the future."
Stay connected with the Cougars all season long by following @SIUETrackandField on Instagram and @SIUETrackField on X.
