MAGNOLIA, Ark. – In a dominant performance, the Harding women's track and field team won its fourth Great American Conference championship at the GAC Meet, hosted by Southern Arkansas.
Harding coach Don Hood received his first GAC Coach of the Year award.
Harding compiled a staggering 324.5 points, topping second-place Oklahoma Baptist by 91.5 points. The Lady Bisons also won in 2016, 2017 and 2019 but its highest point total from those meets was 213 points in 2019.
Harding won 11 events and were especially strong in the field events, winning the pole vault, triple jump, shot put, discus, hammer and javelin.
Below is a summary of Harding's scoring results from Saturday:
- Long Jump
- Harding scored 17 points
- Jenna Akins – 2nd place – 8 points – 5.39m (17-8.25)
- Tied second-best long jump by an HU athlete at the GAC Championship
- Krisman Eakin – 4th place – 5 points – 5.25m (17-2.75)
- Lauren Shell – 5th place – 4 points – 5.23m (17-2)
- Shot Put
- Harding scored 31 points
- Cara Mason – 1st place – 10 points – 13.97m (45-10)
- NCAA Provisional
- GAC Championship Meet Record
- Longest shot put toss by an HU athlete at the GAC Championship
- The third HU athlete to win the shot put at a conference championship … other two were Carrie Blodgett at the 1991 AIC Meet and Angie Fouts at the 1995 AIC Meet
- Cooper Monn – 2nd place – 8 points – 13.72m (45-0.25)
- Liz Fouts – 3rd place – 6 points – 13.07m (42-10.75)
- Tessa TeGrootenhuis – 5th place – 4 points – 12.79m (41-11.50)
- Kaylee Hausam – 6th place – 3 points – 12.39m (40-7.75)
- High Jump
- Harding scored 22.5 points
- Pole Vault
- Harding scored 25 points
- Sierra White – 1st place – 10 points – 4.02m (13-02.25)
- NCAA Provisional
- School Record
- GAC Championship Meet Record
- Highest clearance by an HU athlete at a GAC Championship
- Fourth HU athlete to win a conference championship in the javelin … the last was Emily Shell at the 2018 GAC Meet
- Jordan Morse – 2nd place – 8 points – 3.62m (11-10.50)
- Sarah Gautreaux – 3rd place – 6 points – 3.62m (11-10.50)
- Lindsey Parker – 8th place – 1 point – 3.02m (9-10.75)
- Triple Jump
- Harding scored 18 points
- Mariah Miller – 1st place – 10 points – 12.10m (39-8.50)
- NCAA Provisional
- School Record
- GAC Championship Meet Record
- Best mark by an HU athlete at a GAC Championship
- Third HU athlete to win a conference championship in the triple jump … the other two were Caroline Embry at the 2016 GAC Meet and Emily Shell at the 2018 GAC Meet
- Jenna Akins – 2nd place – 8 points – 11.19m (36-8.50)
- 4x100 meter relay
- Harding scored 10 points
- Johnson, Clerima, Eakin, Reinert – 1st place – 10 points – 47.65
- Second-best HU relay time at the GAC Championship
- HU's second straight victory in the 4x100 relay at the GAC Championship … HU won in 46.26 in 2019
- 1,500 meters
- Harding scored six points
- Kinga Szarzynska – 3rd place – 6 points – 4:39.12
- Second-best time by HU athlete at the GAC Championship
- 100-meter hurdles
- Harding scored one point
- Natalie Toney – 8th place – 1 point – 15.59
- Fourth-best time by HU athlete at the GAC Championship
- 100 meters
- Harding scored 11 points
- Briana Johnson – 1st place – 10 points – 12.10
- Fifth-best time by HU athlete at the GAC Championship
- Sixth HU athlete to win 100 meters at a conference meet … third straight GAC championship by an HU athlete (also Chelsea Howard in 2018 and 2019)
- Ashley Reinert – 8th place – 1 point – 12.63
- 400 meters
- 800 meters
- Harding scored 12 points
- Kinga Szarzynska – 1st place – 10 points – 2:17.88
- Fourth-best time by HU athlete at the GAC Championship
- Eighth HU athlete to win the 800 at a conference meet
- Szarzynska also won the 2018 GAC championship in the 800
- Briana Hall – 7th place – 2 points – 2:24.15
- 400-meter hurdles
- 200 meters
- 5,000 meters
- Harding scored five points
- Nieves Megias – 4th place – 5 points – 18:21.34
- Third-fastest time by HU athlete at the GAC Championship
- 4x400-meter relay
- Harding scored eight points
- Toney, Szarzynska, Eakin, Clerima – 2nd place – 8 points – 3:58.26
- Third-fastest HU relay time at GAC Championship
