Roberts medals twice; Tech sends eight into Saturday finals on day two of OVC Outdoor Championship

Roberts medals twice; Tech sends eight into Saturday finals on day two of OVC Outdoor Championship

By Layne Weitzel, TTU Sports Information

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Friday was a crucial day for Tennessee Tech at the 2018 OVC Outdoor Track & Field Championship.

The Golden Eagles needed to finish business from the meet's opening day on Thursday, do well in their Friday finals and position themselves well enough in the prelims to be able to score points in various track finals on Saturday.

Overall, Tech took advantage of those opportunities and currently sits in fifth in the team race with 33 points. However, just six points separate the Golden Eagles and leader SIUE with one day of competition to go.

Today, Khemani Roberts claimed two medals and 14 points for Tech with her podium finishes in the heptathlon and high jump. The junior finished off the heptathlon with the long jump, javelin and 800m run, finishing in fourth or better in all three events. She ended the event in second place with a total of 5,214 points.

Roberts placed third in the high jump later on Friday with a mark of 1.73m/5'8".

Eshe Robinson claimed ninth place in the heptathlon with a personal record of 4,115 points.

Na'Scottisha Drummond also scored three points with her sixth-place finish in the high jump, tying her season-best mark at 1.65m/5'5".

After today's prelims performances, Tech will make eight appearances in five different track finals on Saturday.

D'Airrien Jackson and Na'Asha Robinson each advanced to two events' finals. Jackson finished first in both the 400m dash and 400m hurdles, breaking her own school record with a time of 59.37 in the hurdles.

Robinson will make it a 1-2 punch for Tech in the 400m dash, finishing second overall in the prelims to move on to Saturday. She will also be the top seed in the 200m dash with a qualifying time of 23.51.

Lisa Wickham and Ceirra Tate will each race in the 100m dash final as the 2- and 3-seeds after a pair of personal records (11.60 and 11.82 respectively) in the prelims. Tate will also move on in the 200m dash with a new personal record of 24.27.

Micayla Rennick was the final Golden Eagle to advance to Saturday's finals, finishing fifth in the 800m prelims with a time of 2:12.61.

COMING UP
On Saturday, Tech will close the conference meet with the 400m dash, 400m hurdles, 100m dash, 200m dash and 800m run finals; triple jump; 4x100m relay; 1500m run; shot put; 5000m run; and 4x400m relay. Events will begin at 11 a.m. CT.
 
RESULTS  from FRIDAY, MAY 11
 
long jump (heptathlon)
Khemani Roberts – 5.49m/18'¼"; 3rd place overall
Eshe Robinson – 5.06m/16'7¼"; 10th place overall – new personal record
 
javelin (heptathlon)
Khemani Roberts – 33.09m/108'7"; 3rd place overall – new season-best
Eshe Robinson – 29.41m/96'6"; 5th place overall – new personal record
 
800m run (heptathlon)
Khemani Roberts – 2:31.59; 4th place overall
Eshe Robinson – 2:51.53; 10th place overall – new personal record
 
heptathlon
Khemani Roberts – 5,214 points; 2nd place overall
Eshe Robinson – 4,115 points; 9th place overall – new personal record
 
high jump
Khemani Roberts – 1.73m/5'8"; 3rd place overall
Na'Scottisha Drummond – 1.65m/5'5"; 6th place overall – ties season-best
Eshe Robinson – 1.55m/5'1"; 16th place overall
 
100m hurdles (prelims)
Eshe Robinson – 15.63; 17th place overall
Khemani Roberts – DNF
 
400m dash (prelims)
D'Airrien Jackson – 53.42; 1st place overall (qualifies for Saturday's finals) – new season-best
Na'Asha Robinson – 53.88; 2nd place overall (qualifies for Saturday's finals)
 
long jump
Khemani Roberts – 5.81m/19'¾"; 7th place overall
Raven Smith – 5.64m/18'6"; 10th place overall – new personal record
Na'Scottisha Drummond – 5.53m/18'1¾"; 13th place overall – ties personal record
Eshe Robinson – 5.08m/16'8"; 17th place overall – new personal record
 
100m dash (prelims)
Lisa Wickham – 11.60; 2nd place overall (qualifies for Saturday's finals) – new personal record
Ceirra Tate – 11.82; 3rd place overall (qualifies for Saturday's finals) – new personal record
Teauna Anderson – 12.15; 9th place overall – new personal record
 
800m run (prelims)
Micayla Rennick – 2:12.61; 5th place overall (qualifies for Saturday's finals)
Madison Stremler – 2:19.15; 11th place overall – new season-best
Anna Cooper – 2:24.97; 19th place overall – new personal record
Courtney McCowan – 2:30.95; 25th place overall – new personal record
 
400m hurdles (prelims)
D'Airrien Jackson – 59.37; 1st place overall (qualifies for Saturday's finals) – new school record
 
200m dash (prelims)
Na'Asha Robinson – 23.51; 1st place overall (qualifies for Saturday's finals)
Ceirra Tate – 24.27; 3rd place overall (qualifies for Saturday's finals) – new personal record
Teauna Anderson – 25.51; 17th place overall
 
RESULTS from THURSDAY, MAY 10
 
100m hurdles (heptathlon)
Khemani Roberts – 14.64; 3rd place overall
Eshe Robinson – 14.88; 6th place overall – new season-best
 
high jump (heptathlon)
Khemani Roberts – 1.73m/5'8"; 1st place overall
Eshe Robinson – 1.49m/4'10½"; tied for 7th place overall
 
shot put (heptathlon)
Khemani Roberts – 11.17m/36'7¾"; 4th place overall
Eshe Robinson – 9.72m/31'10¾"; 8th place overall – new season-best
 
200m dash (heptathlon)
Khemani Roberts – 24.62; 2nd place overall
Eshe Robinson – 27.79; 13th place overall – new personal record
 
10,000m run
Micayla Rennick – 36:15.72; 1st place overall
Purity Sanga – 37:23.75; 5th place overall
 
TEAM STANDINGS
1. SIUE (39 points)
2. Jacksonville State (37.5 points)
3. Eastern Illinois (35 points)
4. Southeast Missouri (34 points)
5. TENNESSEE TECH (33 points)
6. Belmont (30 points)
7. Murray State (29 points)
7. Eastern Kentucky (29 points)
9. Tennessee State (23 points)
10. Austin Peay (22.5 points)
 
TENNESSEE TECH'S TITLES
10,000m run (Micayla Rennick) – 36:15.72
 
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Photo by Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information