Jan 24, 2021

Missouri Western, Northwest Missouri State finish strong at Northwest Open

Posted Jan 24, 2021 6:53 PM
Northwest's Caelon Harkey competes in Saturday's Northwest Open at Hughes Fieldhouse. Photo courtesy of BearcatSports.com.
Northwest's Caelon Harkey competes in Saturday's Northwest Open at Hughes Fieldhouse. Photo courtesy of BearcatSports.com.

St. Joseph Post

The Northwest Missouri State and Missouri Western men’s and women’s track teams wrapped up competition in day two of the Northwest Open in Hughes Fieldhouse on Saturday.

Missouri Western recap

The Griffons had two event winners as junior Jordan Garr captured the men's shot put title and junior Hanna Williams won the 600-yard run.

It's the second straight shot put crown for Garr after winning at Washburn last week. The St. Joseph native and Central alum threw a NCAA Division II provisional mark of 16.72 meters (54-10.25 feet) and won the event by over three feet.

Garr also finished eighth in the weight throw with a personal best throw of 15.67 meters (51.05-00 feet).

Williams ran the 600-yard for the first time this season and broke her own Northwest Open meet record with a time of 1:25.30. She set that record in 2019.

Also on the women's side, Mid-Buchanan alum Bailey Gilbert followed up her Pentathlon victory Friday night with a second place finish in the long jump (5.37 m, 17-07.50 ft) and the women's 4x400 meter relay also finished second on Saturday with a time of 3:57.40.

The Griffon track & field teams will travel to Pittsburg State next weekend as they'll compete at the MIAA Challenge on Saturday, January 30.

Northwest Missouri State recap

Ally Hammond had another strong individual showing as she placed fourth in the 60m dash before taking gold in the 60m hurdles.

Bailey Blake and Kaylee Harp took second and third place, respectively, in the 600-yard dash, while Delanie Dykes won the 800m run in a new meet record time of 2:17.99.

Caroline Cunningham brought home a win of her own, taking gold in the 3,000-meter run with a new meet-record time of 10:14.07.

The women's 4x400m relay team of Aliyah Simmons, Blake, Tiffany Hughey, and Addie Palser also won the event in a new meet-record time of 3:53.23.

On the men’s side, Gavyn Monday nearly had provisional qualifying times in the 60m dash (6.88s) and 200m dash (21.65s). Monday’s 200m time ties teammate’s Caelon Harkey time for third best in Northwest history.

Harkey took third in the 400m dash in an NCAA Division II provisional qualifying time of 48.29 seconds. RJ Williams was just off provisional qualifying time in the 400m dash as well with his time of 49.07 seconds.

Abdelrahim Mahgoub (1:52.76) and Jake Norris (1:52.90) each met NCAA Division II provisional qualifying time in the 800m run as they finished second and third in the event respectively. Those times rank sixth and seventh in Northwest history.

Blake Morgan won the high jump for the second time this season with a meet record jump of 6-09.50 (2.07m). Reece Smith won the 3000m run in dominating fashion as he set new school and Hughes Fieldhouse records with his time of 8:18.35, as well as meeting NCAA Division II provisional qualifying time.

The men's 4x400-meter relay team of Harkey, Prince Griffin, Mahgoub, and Monday won the event as well in a time of 3:14.04. That time set a new meet record, met NCAA Division II provisional qualifying time, and currently sits at third in Northwest history as well.

Among performances from Friday’s portion of the meet, both men’s and women’s distance medley relay teams met NCAA Division II provisional qualifying times. The men’s team set meet and school records with their time as well.

The Northwest men’s distance trio of Mike Lagat (14:58.34), Jacob Nkamasiai (14:58.58), and Fedrick Kipyego (15:01.80) also swept gold, silver, and bronze finishes in the 5000m run.

The Bearcats are back in Hughes Fieldhouse next Saturday, Jan. 30 for the Herschel Neil Invite.