BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The App State women's track and field team capped competition at the Sun Belt Indoor Championships with a third-place team finish on Tuesday. The Mountaineers scored 82 points and saw eight podium finishes across six events, recording their best team finish since winning the Sun Belt title in 2016.
Senior
Jasmine Donohue, who scored 24 points for the Mountaineers, was named the Women's Top Meet Scorer. Donohue was the Sun Belt champion in the women's 5,000 meters, runner-up in the women's 3,000 meters, and bronze medalist in the women's mile.
"I'm extremely proud of how these women performed over these last two days, especially the distance group under the guidance of women's distance coach
Annie Richards," said director of track & field/cross country
Damion McLean. "The athletes showed a lot of heart that we've been missing in the past few years, but it's a good movement that we need to have going into the outdoor season."
Donohue stopped the clock at 9:43.26 to secure silver in the women's 3,000 meters, and was followed by fellow seniors
Lauren Johnston and
Emma Russum, who placed third (9:44.25) and fourth (9:47.09), respectively. Johnston's finish earned her a second trip to the podium after she had secured silver as the anchor of the women's distance medley relay team on Monday.
Donohue also captured bronze in the women's mile, stopping the clock at 4:47.67 for a personal best. She remains second in the App State all-time list for the event. Johnston took fourth in the event with a time of 4:52.94.
Freshman
Lilly Nichols landed on the podium with a second-place finish in the women's pole vault, recording a clearance of 4.18m (13' 8.5"). Nichols holds the App State, Sun Belt, and Polish U20 records after clearing a height of 4.26m (13' 11.75") on Jan. 17 in Blacksburg, Va. Junior
Ava Studney and graduate student
Noelle Meeker tied for sixth with clearances of 3.73m (12' 2.75").
The Mountaineers also saw a second-place finish in the women's 4x400-meter relay after the quartet of sophomore
Nicole Wells, junior
Addison Ollendick-Smith, freshman
Ja'Naya Linder, and sophomore
Jayla Adams stopped the clock at 3:45.19. Wells and Ollendick-Smith had also helped the Mountaineers to a second-place finish in the women's distance medley relay (DMR) on Monday. Individually, Ollendick-Smith placed sixth with a personal best of 2:11.13 in the women's 800-meter finals. Her time moved her to second in the App State all-time list.
Sophomore
Kendall Johnson placed seventh with a time of 7.51 in the women's 60-meter finals. On Monday, Johnson broke the App State women's 60-meter record with a time of 7.42 to qualify for the finals. The previous program record of 7.44 was set in 2005 by Jennifer Claud.
Monday Rewind
Donohue clinched the conference title with a first place finish in the women's 5,000 meters, stopping the clock at 16:40.61. Russum finished second in the event, stopping the clock at 16:41.66 to join Donohue on the podium. The women's distance medley relay team of freshman
Savannah Moore, Wells, Ollendick-Smith, and Johnston also earned silver medals after recording a time of 11:35.52 to place second.
In the women's long jump, freshman
Jahaila Wright landed ninth with a leap of 5.61m (18' 5").
Up Next
The App State men's and women's outdoor track and field season will start with the Myrtle Beach Invitational in Myrtle Beach, S.C. on March 14-15. The Mountaineers will then return to Boone to host the Mountaineer First Chance meet on March 21.
Final Team Standings
1.Texas State – 108 points
2. Southern Miss – 93 points
3. App State – 82 points
4. Arkansas State– 66 points
5. Louisiana – 56 points
6. Georgia Southern – 53 points
7. Marshall - 52 points
8. Coastal Carolina – 47 points
9. Georgia State – 33 points
T10. James Madison – 23 points
T10. Troy – 23 points
12. South Alabama – 19 points
13. ULM – 6 points
Sun Belt Top Meet Scorers
Women's:
Jasmine Donohue, App State – 24 points
Men's: Jacob Pyeatt, Arkansas State – 22 points
