WINSTON SALEM, N.C. - The CIU women's track and Field continued the early portion of their indoor season with their first meet of 2024 at the Mondo College Invitational, where the squad competed against teams of all levels, including NCAA Division I & II, NAIA, and NCCAA. Emma Johnson represented the track team well in her first meet as a Ram, with two podium finishes and a NAIA national qualification.
On the track, Emma Johnson was the sole Ram to compete in the 60m hurdles finals with a third-place finish, clocking in at 8.98 to qualify for NAIA*, NCCAA*, and AAC*. Ane' Peasley (9.62, NCCAA, AAC) and Morgan Johnson (9.70, NCCAA, AAC) also recorded top 20 prelim finishes. Emma Johnson collected another podium finish with her first-place performance in the 200m, with a time of 25.90 to qualify for NCCAA and AAC.
Morgan Johnson finished 6th place in the 60m qualifying race with a time of 8.06 to qualify for NCCAA and AAC, while Peasley finished shortly after with a time of 8.38. Emma Johnson (7.77) and Trinyty Gregory (7.81) represented CIU in the 60m prelim, both qualifying for NCCAA and AAC.
Lydia Willhite finished the 800m at 2:39.16 (AAC) and the women's 1-mile run at 6:07.77. Rosemary Reed finished 8th in the 800m at 2:34.53 (AAC) and collected a top-20 finish in the 1-mile run, clocking in at 5:57.05 (AAC). Emma Johnson, Peasley, Caroline Rimmer, and Morgan Johnson competed in the 4x400-meter relay with a time of 4:35.99. Jordan Wray finished with a time of 2:02.56 in the 600m race.
In the field, Kloey Pickens qualified for NCCAA and AAC with her fifth-place finish in the shot put with a distance of 12.35m. Coral Curry and Acoya Hunt reached distances of 10.30m and 10.28m in the same event to qualify for AAC.
Dazanni Hinton reached a distance of 15.05m (NCCAA, AAC) in the weight throw for a seventh-place finish, with Pickens right behind her at 14.85m (NCCAA, AAC). Pickens clocked in at 13.19m (NCCAA, AAC) in the same event. Acoya Hunt (11.74m, AAC) and Hannah Grace Sparks (11.41m, AAC) rounded out the competition for the weight throw.
What CIU Director of Track & Field Tim Thompson says: "It's Track season, baby! Today was a good day. Many athletes had lifetime-best performances in the season opener. Our newcomers and freshmen showed maturity and poise today. We added a few more qualifiers to the AAC, NCCAA, and NAIA championship meets. Dario Laing & Emma Johnson made their mark on the track with NAIA qualifying performances in the 60m hurdles. We are excited about what this season holds! Our program is prepared and embracing the journey."
Up Next: The Rams stay close to home as they travel down the road to the University of South Carolina for the Carolina Invitational next weekend, on Jan. 19- Jan. 20.
*Readers guide:
NAIA: National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (Indoor Track & Field Championships / Feb. 29 - Mar. 2)
NCCAA: National Christian College Athletic Association (Indoor Track & Field Championships / Feb. 9 - Feb. 10)
AAC: Appalachian Athletic Conference (Indoor Track & Field Championships / Feb 15 - Feb. 16)
