SHAWNEE, Okla. — Harding University's women's track and field team finished second at the Great American Conference Championship in Shawnee, Oklahoma, with several strong performances, scoring 189.5 points. Oklahoma Baptist won the meet with 225 points, and Ouachita Baptist was third with 144.5 points. It was Harding's fourth straight second-place finish at the GAC meet.
The three-day meet concluded Friday at Oklahoma Baptist.
Harding's women's team had several notable finishes. Junior Josie Parks won the 1,500 meters in 4:40.27, becoming the first Harding runner to win the event since 2016. Junior Dinah Winders placed second in the same race (4:40.81) and fifth in the 5,000 meters (18:01.53).
Harding's team of Tetiana Kharashchuk, Leila Ngapout, Kewes Gomes, and Jerlana Williams won the 4x100-meter relay in 46.74 seconds, the program's fourth conference title in the event and first since 2021. The 4x400 relay team of Lisa Retailleau, Omolara Ogunmakinju, Jayden Bowman and Tetiana Kharashchuk also won, with a time of 3:49.71. It was the first time Harding's women won the 4x400 relay since 1994.
Junior Lisa Retailleau also won the 800 meters in 2:11.02, Harding's first championship in the 800 meters since 2022.
In the 100 meters, sophomore Leila Ngapout placed second in 11.89 seconds, and freshman Jerlana Williams was third in 11.90 seconds. Ngapout also placed second in the 200 meters (24.73 seconds), while Williams was seventh (25.39 seconds). Freshman Kewes Gomes placed seventh in the 100 meters in 12.41 seconds.
Freshman Tetiana Kharashchuk placed second in the 400 meters in 54.14 seconds, and freshman Jayden Bowman was eighth in 58.73 seconds.
In field events, sophomore Hanna Onufriieva won the triple jump with a mark of 12.55m, her second straight GAC championship in the event. Senior Kiera Blankinship placed second in the high jump, clearing 1.72 meters, and sophomore Ally Cheek placed third, clearing 1.66 meters. Sophomore Brylee Stewart placed fourth in the discus with a throw of 42.04m.
Other team scores: Southern Arkansas 80, Northwestern Oklahoma 53.5, Southeastern Oklahoma 39, Southern Nazarene 37, Southwestern Oklahoma 22, Arkansas Tech 17, East Central 7.5.
