Troy University Athletics
Trojans Finish Sixth at Championships
3/1/2009 6:00:00 AM | Track & Field
JONESBORO, Ark. - The Troy University women's indoor track and field program finished sixth overall in the Sun Belt Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships hosted by Arkansas State University. The finish was one position higher than the Trojans were picked, as they were picked to finish seventh by a poll of the conference coaches the week prior to the championships.
Troy mustered 51.50 points, finishing 11 points ahead of ULM in seventh place. Western Kentucky claimed the Sun Belt Conference Indoor Track and Field Championship with 142 points.
Although the Trojans did not win the championship overall, junior Tiphanie Baker left her mark in the conference this weekend. Baker claimed the individual championship in the 20-lb. weight throw in fine fashion. Not only did she win the championship, she set a new school record and a new championship record at the same time with a throw of 17.95 meters (58'10.75"). The mark broke the previous championship record of ULM's Destiny Montemayor set last season. Baker won the event by 0.40 meters over Montemayor.
Stephanie Yawn and Monique Jordan both competed in the event, with Yawn finishing 23rd with a throw of 11.84 meters (38'10.25"); while Jordan did not register a result.
Senior Agata Cichoszewska also won a medal on the day, a silver medal in the triple jump after jumping 12.90 meters in the preliminaries earlier in the morning. The senior jumped a distance of 12.98 meters (42'7"), setting a new school record, and bettering her NCAA provisional mark this season. She finished second to Middle Tennessee's Sarah Nambawa, who recorded a jump of 13.10 meters (42'11.75").
Ariel Cazavos and Naquita Rowe each competed in the triple jump, with Cazavos finishing 15th with a jump of 10.43 meters (34'2.75") and Rowe finishing 16th with a jump of 10.18 meters (33'4.75").
The duo of Baker and Cichoszewska were not the only athletes to medal, as sophomore Latoya Ragland returned after a year hiatus to finish second in the 55-meter hurdles. She finished second to Lauren Wiggins of North Texas with a time of 8.01 seconds, while Wiggins won the event with a time of 7.96 seconds.
In other events featuring Troy student-athletes, Erika Fyrvall finished 20th in the 5000 meters with a time of 19:36.83. Other runners in the event included Jenean Corcoran and Anastacia Limo; with Corcoran finishing 25th with a time of 19:56.06 and Limo finishing 26th with a time of 19:59.36.
Meanwhile, the 4x400-meter relay team finished just outside the top three with a fifth-place finish. The members of the team were Cavazos, Cichoszewska, Rowe and Shay Matthews; finishing with a time of 4:04.45.
The Trojans will now prepare to send some student-athletes to a Last Chance Meet next weekend in preparation of receiving a bid to the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships in two weeks. Others will begin preparation for the outdoor season which begins in two weeks at the BSC Invite, hosted by Birmingham-Southern.
