Canyon, Texas - Fresh off stellar All-American performances at the NCAA Indoor National Championships,
Ashley Barrett and
Patreece Clarke carried their momentum into the outdoor season, leading the New Mexico Highlands Cowgirls at the West Texas Relays on Saturday.
Barrett, who dazzled indoors, continued her strong form in Canyon, setting a new NMHU record in the 100-meter dash. Barrett blazed to a an 11.50 mark to move into the top five nationally. The sophomore sprinter returned later in the meet with a 23.73 in the 200-meter dash to rank in the top-ten nationally in the the event.
Clarke, another standout from indoor nationals, also made her presence felt - winning the 100-meter hurdles in a nation-leading time of 13.50.
The Cowgirls' strong showing did not stop with Barrett and Clarke.
Kacian Powell also displayed her national-caliber speed while
Rujeko Munetsi made an historic breakthrough.
Powell shattered her previous collegiate best in the 200-meter dash, clocking a blistering 23.84 seconds. That time catapulted her to No. 9 in the nation, marking a significant milestone in her collegiate career.
Freshman sensation Munetsi blazed to a lifetime best of 11.82 seconds in the 100-meter dash. This marked the first time in her career that she has dipped below the coveted 12-second mark, propelling her into the top 20 on the national performance list. Munetsi later returned to the track, posting a solid 24.53 seconds in the 200-meter dash.
The Cowgirls' dominance in the 200-meter dash is undeniable, as Barrett, Powell, and Munetsi now hold the top three spots on the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) performance list.
The Cowgirls were also impressive in the field events.
Senior
Chisom Obioha took over the top spot on the RMAC performance list with a 5.66m (18'-7") mark in the long jump and
Rojrika Campbell moved to #2 in both the high jump (1.56m/5'-1 1/2") and triple jump (11.55m/37'-10").
The Cowgirl duo of freshman throwers --
Nizhoni Apodaca and
Zaivein Bowen each made the finals in strong throws fields. Apodaca placed sixth in both the discus (38.04m/124' 10") and shot put (11.18m/36'-8") while Bowen placed eighth in the discus with a career - best of 33.94m (111'-4") and narrowly missed the hammer throw final.
More Highlights from the West Texas Relays:
Amoya Jameison placed fourth in the 400m (57.59) and also ranks fourth on the RMAC performance list.
Onanda Lowe raced into the RMAC top six with a 12.32 in the 100m.
Jewels Leslie battled windy conditions to grab 2nd in the 5000-meter run (adjusted 19:45) and move into the RMAC top-ten.
The Cowgirls will take a small squad to the Chuck Haering Invitational at CSU-Pueblo next week before returning to full strength at the Masked Rider Open hosted by Texas Tech on April 4th.
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