Wilson, Women’s 4×4 Qualify at Last Chance Meet
William Penn Women's Athletics
Columbia, Mo.–Several members of the William Penn track and field teams were more than grateful for one last chance at earning a spot to compete on the big stage and they showed their gratitude with national-qualifying performances at the Missouri Collegiate Challenge Friday.
Statesmen long jumper Jalen Wilson (Fr., Desoto, Texas, Duncanville HS) and the Lady Statesmen 4×400-meter relay team of Fatoumata Samura (Fr., Bronx, N.Y., Dewitt Clinton HS), Alexis Swinney (Fr., McKinney, Texas, McKinney HS), Shaniece Dishmon (Fr., Harvey, Ill., Thornton Township HS), and Sade Myers (Fr., Honolulu, Hawaii, Radford HS) were both opportunistic as they qualified for the NAIA National Championships in their respective events.
Wilson placed third in the long jump with an NAIA ‘A’ standard mark of 23-4. The jump also set a new school record, breaking Royce Clay’s length of 23-0.75 from 2010.
The 4×4 group brought its best showing of the year as well with a runner-up finish in a ‘B’ standard time of 4:04.40. The squad snaps its own school record.
Hurdlers Sam Taylor (Fr., Eddyville, Eddyville-Blakesburg HS), AJ Michael Rachford (Fr., Agency, Cardinal HS), and Audre Harris (So., Junction City, Kan., Allen CC) also gave it one more try and competed well, just not well enough.
Taylor broke his own school record by taking sixth in the men’s 60-meter hurdles with a time of 8.56 seconds (old time was 8.57 seconds). Rachford was right behind him in seventh at 8.89 seconds (8.78 in the prelims).
Harris was sixth in the women’s 60-meter hurdles (9.42 seconds). Samura ran individually as well and also finished sixth in the 200-meter dash with a time of 26.75 seconds.
Gabriel Green (Jr., Anniston, Ala., Anniston HS) entered Friday having already qualified in the 60 and 200-meter dashes, so he was just seeking more competition.
The junior won the 200 in a time of 22.16 seconds and was third in the 60 at 7.00 seconds.
Next: Green, Wilson, and the 4×4 of Samura, Swinney, Dishmon, and Myers will all travel to Geneva, Ohio March 1-3 for the NAIA National Championships.
