MT Women Take 25th at NCAA Outdoor T&F Championships

Wednesday, June 8

Eugene, OR

Middle Tennessee

NCAA Championships

Photo by: Josh Padilla

6/11/2022 8:17:00 PM | Men's Cross Country and Track & Field, Women's Cross Country and Track & Field, Track & Field/Cross Country

By: Braydin Sik, MT Athletic Communications

EUGENE, Ore. – The Middle Tennessee men's and women's track and field teams showed out on the national stage for the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Interim Head Coach Keith Vroman led the women to a 25^th-place finish at the meet, the first time the women's team has placed in the top-25 at the outdoor meet, and just the second time they've ever placed at nationals.

Graduate student Abigail Kwarteng closed out her one season of eligibility with the Blue Raiders with a second-place finish in the women's high jump. She battled with Texas A&M's Lamara Distin who finished the year as the indoor and outdoor champion. Kwarteng tied her Ghana national record and program record height of 1.92 meters to earn First Team All-American honors.

Graduate student Esther Isa also earned a First Team All-American nod for her top-eight finish in the women's triple jump, months after earning Second Team All-American for her indoor performance. Isa reached her best mark on the day of 13.24 meters on her third jump.

Graduate student Eusila Chepkemei continued to show why she was the best coming out of the C-USA Championships, earning First Team All-American in the 1500 meter and All-American Honorable Mention in the 5000 meter. Chepkemei started the day with an eighth-place finish in the women's 1500-meter run with a program-record time of 4:11.44. In the 5000 meter she took 19^th with a time of 16:01.65, which is around 10 seconds shy of her program record set earlier this season. Eusila ends the year with three All-American nods which is the most a Blue Raider has earned since 2007.

Sophomore Omauyowvi Erhire finished the season with a 14^th-place finish and Second Team All-American honors in the men's high jump. Erhire is the first Blue Raider to earn All-American honors in the high jump, doing so a day before Kwarteng also earned her nod. The Delta, Nigeria native finished with a mark of 2.15 meters, .03 meters away from his season best of 2.18 meters.

Junior Alaba Akintola was unable to make it to the finals for the men's 100-meter and 200-meter dashes but finished the season with Second Team All-American nods in both events. All-together his three All-American nods tie Chepkemei with the most this season, and also are the most a Blue Raider has had since 2007. In the 100-meter semifinals Akintola took 16^th overall with a time of 10.25 seconds. In the men's 200-meter semifinals he took 12^th with a time of 20.44 seconds, just barely missing out on the finals.

Quoting Interim Head Coach Keith Vroman
"It's been a long year so far with a lot going on," said Coach Vroman. "It was an amazing week at the NCAA Championships and a great way to finish the season. Everyone gave it their all and the women's team finishing 25th is one of the best finishes we've had in years. With all the emotions throughout the last several months, the athletes performed at a high level all season. We love you Coach Hayes."

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