February 23, 2010

Lady Tiger track and field team captures conference and region titles

Finishing with seven conference and region champions this past weekend in Manhattan, the Cowley College women’s track and field team captured its first conference and region titles since 2007.

Cowley head coach Mark Phillips, who was named the Region VI Men’s and Women’s Indoor Coach of the Year, was proud of the Lady Tiger’s accomplishments.

“This is truly an amazing group of young ladies,” Phillips said. “Their level of commitment from top to bottom is why we did what we did.”

Cowley finished a staggering 54.5 points (206.5-152) better than second place Coffeyville in the conference, and 23.5 points (153.5-130) better than Butler in the region.

Continuing her amazing sophomore season, Robin Ray (pictured) was named the Region VI Female Athlete of the Meet. Ray was the conference and region champion in the mile run (5:15.18) and 3,000-meter run (10:26.75). She was also the conference champion in the 5,000-meter run (18:41.39), while placing second in the region.

“She just keeps running amazing,” Phillips said.

Fellow sophomore Cecilia Burley placed second in the conference and region behind Ray in the 3,000-meter run (10:42.11), and was second behind Ray in the conference in the mile run. Burley also ran as part of the conference and region champion 4x800-meter relay team.

“That is quite the one-two punch we have with Robin and Cecilia,” Phillips said.

Cowley’s Katie Gillmore not only broke her school record in the pole vault, her vault of 12-feet-2 ½ inches broke the Region VI meet record, which was previously held by multiple national champion Erica Culver from Johnson County.

“I don’t think most people know how high of a vault that is, to break the region record took an incredible performance,” Phillips said.

Freshman Leigh Ann Omarkhail also shined at the meet as she was the conference and region champion in the 1,000-meter run and ran as part of the 4x800-meter relay team.

“Leigh Ann went out and took the (1,000-meter) race from the beginning,” Phillips said.

Lady Tiger sophomore Marvia Lewin, who finished second behind Omarkhail in the 1,000-meter run and joined her on the 4x800-meter relay team, won the 800-meter run with a time of 2:21.70.

Freshman Val Bland from Arkansas City rounded out runners on the conference and region winning 4x800-meter relay team.

Richelle Farley, who joined the team only after deciding to redshirt during the basketball season, was the conference and region champion in the 60-meter hurdles (9.22) and the pentathlon (2,840 points).

Farley was one of many Cowley athletes that competed in multiple events at the meet.

“To perform at the level they did in multiple events at one meet is an incredible accomplishment,” Phillips said.

With the cancellation of the Tiger Last Chance home meet on Thursday, the Lady Tigers’ national qualifiers will prepare to compete at the NJCAA National Indoor March 5-6 in Charleston, IL.

“This is a great stepping stone for us to take momentum into nationals,” Phillips said.

Jayhawk East team scores: (1) Cowley, 206.5; (2) Coffeyville, 152; (3) Johnson County, 142.5; (4) Highland, 133.5; (5) Allen County, 61.5; (6) Neosho County, 38; (7) Kansas City, 11.

Region VI team scores: (1) Cowley, 153.5; (2) Butler, 130; (3) Barton County, 113.5; (4) Coffeyville, 81; (5) Johnson County, 59; (6) Highland, 53; (7) Allen County, 50; (8) Colby, 45; (9) Hutchinson, 34; (10) Cloud, 33; (11) Neosho County, 23; (12) Kansas City, 4.

Results:

• 60-meter dash — Lamonica Johnson, 8.40, 12th in conference and 19th in region.
  
• 200-meter dash — Johnson, 28.59, 15th in conference and 24th in region.
  
• 400-meter dash — Cinnamon Striplin, 1:09.68, eighth in conference and 17th in region.
  
• 600-meter run — Cassy Kendrick, 1:50.03, fifth in conference and 10th in region; Bailey Hawkins, 1:51.56, sixth in conference and 11th in region; Purity Cheriuyot, 1:59.61, 10th in conference and 16th in region.
  
• 800-meter run — Marvia Lewin, 2:21.70, conference and region champion; Val Bland, 2:29.11, second in conference and third in region; Kendrick, 2:36.66, sixth in conference and 11th in region.
  
• 1,000-meter run — Leigh Ann Omarkhail, 3:07.19, conference and region champion; Lewin, 3:08.92, second in conference and region; Bland, 3:15.97, fourth in conference and region.
  
• Mile run — Robin Ray, 5:15.18, conference and region champion; Cecilia Burley, 5:24.53, second in conference and third in region; Omarkhail, 5:27.56, third in conference and fourth in region.
  
• 3,000-meter run — Ray, 10:26.75, conference and region champion; Burley, 10:42.11, second in conference and region; Elly Adamson, 12:17.29, sixth in conference and 10th in region.
  
• 5,000-meter run — Ray, 18:41.39, conference champion and second in region; Hawkins, 19:37.67, second in conference and fifth in region; Cheruiyot, 20:14.10, fifth in conference and 10th in region.
  
• 60-meter hurdles — Richelle Farley, 9.22, conference champion and third in region; Katie Gillmore, 10:37, eighth in conference and 17th in region; Striplin, 10.64, 10th in conference and 19th in region.
  
• 4x400-meter relay — Cowley “A”, 4:29.64, fourth in conference and seventh in region.
  
• 4x800-meter relay — Cowley “A”, 9:43.41, conference and region champion.
  
• Distance Medley Relay — Cowley “A”, 14:06.72, third in conference and fifth in region.
  
• High jump — Farley, 4-11, fourth in conference and sixth in region; Kate Scott, 4-9, fifth in conference and seventh in region.
  
• Pole vault — Gillmore, 12-2 ½, conference and region champion, Region VI record school record; Bland, 8-6 ¼, fifth in conference and 11th in region.
  
• Triple jump — Farley, 32-11 ¼, fourth in conference and sixth in region.
  
• Shot put — Cearra Reddig, 38-11 ½, fourth in conference and fifth in region; Whitney Green, 31-8 ½, 11th in conference and 19th in region; Ruthann Ralstin, 30-2 ¼, 12th in conference and 22nd in region.
  
• Pentathlon — Farley, 2,840 points, conference and region champion; Scott, 1,743 points, seventh in conference and 14th in region.
  
• Weight throw — Reddig, 42-7, sixth in conference and 14th in region; Ralstin, 41-7 ¼, eighth in conference and 16th in region; Green, 38-9, 13th in conference and 22nd in region.