NEW ORLEANS – Following a historic weekend that saw two school records fall at the Arkansas Qualifier, the Harding women's indoor track and field team made a massive jump in the national rankings, climbing 23 spots to No. 28 in the latest USTFCCCA NCAA Division II National TFRI released Tuesday.
The No. 28 ranking is the highest of the season for the Lady Bisons, who had been ranked No. 51 in the previous week's index. The surge was fueled by elite performances in Fayetteville that significantly improved the team's national standing.
Leading the charge are senior Hanna Onufriieva and sophomore Tetiana Kharashchuk, both of whom now hold No. 6 national rankings in their respective events. Onufriieva shattered her own school record in the triple jump with a leap of 12.43m (40-09.25), while Kharashchuk clocked a blistering 54.10 in the 400-meter dash. Both marks are considered locks for the upcoming national championships.
Sophomore sprinter Jerlana Williams also bolstered the team's point total, ranking No. 15 in the nation in the 60-meter dash after resetting the program record with a time of 7.47. She is joined in the top 15 by the Distance Medley Relay team of Kaia Bieker, Jayden Bowman, Kharashchuk, and Josie Parks, who currently sit at No. 15 with a time of 11:47.97.
Other Lady Bisons holding national top-30 marks include:
Pittsburg State remains the No. 1 ranked women's program in Division II, followed by Grand Valley State and West Texas A&M.
With the regular season in the books, the Lady Bisons now turn their attention to the postseason selection process. The official championship fields for the NCAA Division II Indoor National Championships will be posted by the NCAA by 5 p.m. Central Time on Tuesday, March 3.
