SEARCY, Ark. – Freshman Roselyn Spencer delivered a historic performance Friday, shattering a school record to win the heptathlon and lead the No. 6-ranked Harding women's track and field team on the second day of the Harding Multi and Bryan Phillips Invitational.
Spencer, a native of Paris, Texas, finished the seven-event competition with 5,240 points, eclipsing the previous Harding record of 4,884 points set by Jenna Akins in 2024. Spencer's total comfortably surpassed the NCAA Division II provisional qualifying standard and marks one of the premier multi-event scores in the nation this season.
The Path to the Record
Spencer led from start to finish, opening the competition Thursday with a facility-record high jump of 1.69m (5-06.50). She maintained her momentum through Friday's final three events:
Spencer led a deep field of Lady Bisons in the multi-event. Sophomore Carly Tucker finished sixth overall with 4,650 points, followed by Kiera Bartlett in seventh (4,199) and Celeste Puga in ninth (3,997). Southern Nazarene's Abriel Thrash finished second overall with 5,156 points.
Hammer Throw Recap
While the multi-athletes took center stage, the hammer throw circle provided another display of elite power. Central Arkansas dominated the event, sweeping the top five positions.
UCA junior Joia Perry took the individual title and set a new Ted and Marcie Lloyd Track Complex facility record with a massive throw of 59.18m (194-02). She led a Sugar Bear contingent that saw four athletes clear the 52-meter mark.
Freshman Hannah Omosigho led the Lady Bisons in the circle, finishing 10th overall with a mark of 42.25m (138-07). Fellow Lady Bisons Brylee Stewart (15th, 34.55m), Adelaide Goss (16th, 33.84m), and Krimson Fager (17th, 33.81m) also competed for Harding.
Up Next
The Bryan Phillips Invitational continues Saturday with a full slate of individual track and field events. Action is scheduled to resume at 10:30 a.m. with the women's javelin, while running events are slated to begin with the 3,000-meter steeplechase at 2:30 p.m.
