Murfreesboro, Tenn. - With much of the squad riddled with the flu throughout the week, the Western Kentucky University track and field team took an abbreviated squad to the Murphy Center Saturday to compete in the Middle Tennessee Invitational.
The teams collected several field event victories on the day. The Lady Toppers swept the top three places in each of the throwing events, with Laura Igaune winning the weight with a toss of 60-10.75, while Monteka Flowers was the top finisher in the shot with a put of 45-0.50. Sharika Smith tied for runner-up honors in the long jump with a lea pof 19-6.75.
For the Hilltoppers, Toms Andersons took home top honors in the long jump with a leap of 23-5.25. Alex Miller and Evan Pitt took home victories in the vertical jumps, with Miller clearing 6-2 in the high jump and Pitt clearing 13-0 in the pole vault. The male throwers took the top-four positions in the weight, led by a winning throw of 54-8 by Buddy Price. Brad Wright led the way in the shot, recording a season-best put of 46-6.25 to take runner-up honors.
On the track, Smith finished third in the 55-meter dash with a time of 7.11 seconds. Shaycoya Myers was fifth in the 55-meter hurldes with a clocking of 8.41 seconds. In the men's 55-meter dash, Kagisho Kumbane and Cailean Robinson finished second and third, with times of 6.46 and 6.53, repectively.
In a final tune-up before the Sun Belt Conference indoor championships February 27-28, the teams will take a three-way split next weekend. Select distance runners will travel to Seatle for the Huskie Classic, select sprinters, jumpers and throwers will travel to Allendale, Mich., to compete in the GVSU Big Meet, while the remainder of the team will return to MTSU for the Valentine Invitational.
