May 11, 2010

Lady Tiger track and field team captures outdoor conference and region titles

Led by six conference and region champions, the Cowley College women’s track and field team finished as the conference and region champions at the Region VI/Jayhawk Conference meet held Thursday through Saturday in Overland Park.

The meet was quite the turnaround from last year when the Lady Tigers placed sixth in the region.

“Our group of young ladies that were freshmen last year were very motivated,” said Cowley head coach Mark Phillips, who was named the Region VI Women’s Outdoor Track Coach of the Year. “We also had a wonderful group of freshmen come in and follow the sophomore leadership.”

This makes a clean sweep for the Lady Tigers as they have won cross country, indoor track and field and outdoor track and field Region VI and Jayhawk East Conference Championships. 

“We had no idea it would be this kind of year,” Phillips said. “I can not say how ecstatic I am for these young ladies.”

Sophomore Robin Ray, who was named the Region VI Female Track Athlete of the Meet during the indoor season, was named the Region VI Female Track Athlete of the Meet during the outdoor season as well. Ray broke the conference and region record as well as the school record, while winning the 10,000-meter run with a time of 37:41.15.

“We had Robin running for points not to break a record,” Phillips said. “Her performance was incredible.”

Fellow sophomore Katie Gillmore not only broke the conference and region record in the pole vault (12-1 ½), she also broke the stadium record, which was previously set by Jenna Blaubaugh (12-0) during the 2003 season. Interestingly enough, Mark Phillips served as Blaubaugh’s coach during that season.

Gillmore finished as the conference and region champion in the pole vault at all four championship meets held over the past two seasons.

Richelle Farley was the conference and region champion in the 100-meter hurdles (14.65) and the heptathlon (4,020 points).

“She did the maximum number of events and was successful in everything she did,” Phillips said.

Val Bland also had a big meet as she was the conference and region champion in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. Bland’s time of 11:53.50 in the event was a school record as well as a conference and region record.

Bland also teamed with Marvia Lewin, Jessica Dyer, and Leigh Ann Omarkhail to win the 4x800-meter relay (9:55.95).

With the weather issues for this week the Tiger Last Chance meet on Thursday has been cancelled. Cowley will now prepare to compete at the NJCAA National Outdoor championships in Hutchinson May 20-22.

“We feel good about where we are at heading to nationals,” Phillips said. “We think we can be in the top-five if we have the kind of meet we did at our region meet.”

Results:

• 100-meter dash — Tiffany Wilcox, 12.53, fifth in conference, ninth in region; Lamonica Johnson, 12.96, ninth in conference, 16th in region.
  
• 200-meter dash — Wilcox, 26.30, sixth in the conference, 13th in the region, national qualifier.
  
• 400-meter dash — Cassy Kendrick, 1:06.86, fifth in conference, 15th in region, national qualifier.
  
• 800-meter run — Marvia Lewin, 2:17.08, conference champion, third in region, national qualifier; Leigh Ann Omarkhail, 2:28.54, fourth in conference, sixth in region; Jessica Dyer, 2:28.86, fifth in conference, seventh in region.
  
• 1,500-meter run — Robin Ray, 4:53.07, conference champion, second in region, national qualifier; Cecilia Burley, 4:59.89, second in conference, third in region, national qualifier; Purity Cheriuyot, 5:00.58, third in conference and fourth in region, national qualifier.
  
• 5,000-meter run — Ray, 18:15.66, conference and region champion, national qualifier; Burley, 18:23.57, second in conference and region; Cheriuyot, 18:46.22, third in conference, fifth in region.
  
• 10,000-meter run — Ray, 37:41.15, conference and region champion, region/conference/school record, national qualifier; Burley, 40:27.92, second in conference, fourth in region, national qualifier; Elly Adamson, 40:47.46, fourth in conference, sixth in region, national qualifier.
  
• 100-meter hurdles — Richelle Farley, 14.65, conference and region champion, national qualifier.
  
• 400-meter hurdles — Cinnamon Striplin, 1:12.99, fifth in conference, 10th in region, national qualifier; Val Bland, 1:15.52, seventh in conference, 13th in region, national qualifier; Kendrick, 1:21.26, eighth in conference, 16th in region, national qualifier.
  
• 3,000-meter steeplechase — Bland, 11:53.50, conference and regin champion, region/conference/school record, national qualifier; Omarkhail, 12:01.80, second in conference and region, national qualifier.
  
• 4x100-meter relay — Cowley (Johnson, Farley, Lewin, Wilcox), 49.92, second in conference, fifth in region, national qualifier.
  
• 4x400-meter relay — Cowley (Lewin, Wilcox, Dyer, Omarkhail, 4:08.96, third in conference, fifth in region, national qualifier.
  
• 4x800-meter relay — Cowley (Lewin, Dyer, Bland, Omarkhail), 9:55.95, conference and region champion, national qualifier.
  
• High jump — Farley, 5-1, fourth in conference and region, national qualifier; Kate Scott, 4-7, eighth in conference, 11th in region, national qualifier.
  
• Pole vault — Katie Gillmore, 12-1 ½, conference and region champion, region/conference/school record, national qualifier; Allison Hoover, 10-0, third in conference, fifth in region, national qualifier.
  
• Long jump — Farley, 16-8, fifth in conference, sixth in region, national qualifier.
  
• Shot put — Cearra Reddig, 34-7, seventh in conference, 11th in region, national qualifier; Ruthann Ralstin, 31-1 ¾, 10th in conference, 17th in region, national qualifier; Annalisa Jauregui, 29-11 ½, 12th in conference, 20th in region, national qualifier.
  
• Discus — Reddig, 102-5, eighth in conference, 16th in region, national qualifier; Ralstin, 95-9, 11th in conference, 19th in region, national qualifier; Stephanie Hope, 87-8, 13th in conference, 22nd in region, national qualifier.
  
• Hammer — Reddig, 121-1, seventh in conference, 14th in region, national qualifier; Ralstin, 114-11, 10th in conference, 18th in region, national qualifier; Hope, 110-8, 12th in conference, 21st in region, national qualifier.
  
• Javelin — Jauregui, 93-1, ninth in conference, 20th in region, national qualifier; Scott, 89-0, 10th in conference, 21st in region, national qualifier.
  
• Heptathlon — Farley, 4,020 points, conference and region champion, national qualifier.
  Jayhawk East Team scores: (1) Cowley, 200.5; (2) Coffeyville, 174; (3) Johnson County, 155.5; (4) Highland, 97; (5) Allen County, 71; (6) Neosho County, 40; (7) Kansas City, 14; (8) Fort Scott, 5.
  Region VI Team Scores: (1) Cowley, 147.5; (2) Butler, 109.5; (3) Coffeyville, 103.5; (4) Barton County, 102; (5) Johnson County, 83; (6) Hutchinson, 78.5; (7) Allen County, 59; (8) Cloud County, 57; (9) Highland, 49; (10) Colby, 34; (11) Neosho County, 25; (12) Kansas City, 6; (13) Fort Scott, 1.