Multiple Seniors Claim First at EIU Early Bird

Friday, December 11

Charleston, Ill.

All Day

Southeast Missouri State University

EIU Early Bird Invitational

Photo by: Marc Mahnke

12/12/2015 12:19:00 AM | Track and Field

CHARLESTON, Ill. - The Southeast Missouri track & field teams opened the 2015-16 indoor season Friday at the EIU Early Bird Invitational, hosted by conference rival Eastern Illinois.

Ayonna Cartwright started her senior season by claiming first place in the 60m dash (7.63). Kayla Heidelberg, Chelsea Miller and newcomer Sidne' Williamson all took part in the preliminary heats but did not qualify for the final.

Heidelberg and Williamson finished 16th and 17th respectively in the 200m dash. Senior Cheyanne Tunti earned the top finish for the Redhawks in the event, taking ninth with a time of 26.25. Fellow senior Macy Ritter finished with a time of 26.70 seconds, earning 13th place. Ritter also took part in the 60m hurdles, earning a time of 9.92 seconds and finishing 14th.

Freshman Miya Dorsey made her Southeast debut in the 400m dash, claiming third with a time of 59.65.

Jovannie Spears joined Cartwright, Dorsey and Tunti to take third in 4x400 meter relay (4:01.77)

Williamson made another appearance in the long jump, earning second place with a mark of 18'0.25". Junior Chante Mosby opened her 2015-16 campaign earning fifth in the high jump (5'2.5"). N'Kia Jones was the lone Redhawk to compete in the triple jump, earning third with a mark of 36'9.5".

In pole vault, senior Haley Holton claimed fourth (10'11.75") while Heidelberg made another appearance by placing 10th (16'5.75").

Senior Kayla Gutierrez took first in the weight throw with a near record breaking throw of 65'6.75". Gutierrez set the record at 65'7" in 2014 at the Redhawks Invitational. Aaliah Herron took seventh in the event with a mark of 47'8.5". Herron and Guiterrez also competed in shot put, placing third (44'10.25") and fourth (44'9"), respectively. Sophomore Paden Wachter and Freshman McKenna Baker also saw action in both the weight throw and shot put.

For the men, sophomore Jordan Barber started his season with a third-place finish in the 400m dash, posting a time of 49.63. Newcomer James Kosbar began his track & field career by placing fifth in the mile run (4:32.19).

Freshman Dalton Huffman tied senior Jacob Kent in fifth place in the high jump, both achieving a mark of 6'4".

In the long jump, Kent posted a mark of 22'11.25", earning a tie for first place. Junior Duncan Ross joined Kent in the event, finishing 13th (18'11.75").

Senior Christian Locke was able to capture first in the pole vault, comfortably winning with a mark of 16'6.75". Austin Barousse and Tyler Jourdan also competed in the event, finishing third (13'11.25) and fifth (13'5.25"), respectively.

Senior Jason Walker captured first in the weight throw, setting a personal record with a mark of 54'4". Walker also earned eighth in the shot put, posting a throw of 45'8.5".

Ross also competed in the shot put, placing 13th (33'6"). Freshmen Stephen Zagurski and Alexander Sleenhof also made their debuts in both shot put and the weight throw. Sleenhof took sixth in shot put (46'6.25") while Zagurski placed fifth in the weight throw (50'2.5")

The Redhawks return to action after the holidays in Columbia, Missouri at the Missouri Invitational on Jan. 15.