By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Tech indoor track and field program heads back to Birmingham, Ala. to conclude the 2022-23 campaign, competing at the Ohio Valley Conference Indoor Championships at the Birmingham CrossPlex Wednesday and Thursday.
OVC Indoor Championships Information
Feb. 22-23, 2023 – Located at the Birmingham CrossPlex in Birmingham, Ala. Wednesday's action will kick off with combined events at 9:00 a.m. CT, field events at 12:00 p.m., and running events at 2:40 p.m. Thursday will begin with combined events at 9:00 a.m., field events at 11:00 a.m., and running events at 12:30 p.m.
What to Watch For
Tech finished off the regular season with impressive work at the Samford Open. Kendall Medders produced well for the purple and gold, placing fourth in the high jump among 29 competitors. The junior cleared a height of 1.58 meters (5'2.25") for her top-five finish.
Rookie Sidnee Stanton continued her impressive first season with the Golden Eagles, turning in an eighth-place performance in the long jump with a distance of 5.51 meters (18'1.0"). Following close behind, senior Anya Akili lept to a ninth-place showing behind a mark of 5.45 meters (17'10.75").
Stanton returned to work for another top-10 finish, this time placing eighth in the triple jump behind a leap of 11.42 meters (37'5.75"). Jalena Curbeam contributed a 10th-place showing in the event, producing a mark of 11.37 meters (37'3.75").
On the track side of things, junior Helen Pacurariu-Nagy fired a runner-up showing in the 3,000-meter run, finishing just two-hundredths of a second behind the winner. The distance runner clocked in with a time of 10:14.81.
The Golden Eagles swept the podium in the 5,000-meter run, with Maddie Lone pacing the group with a first-place showing of 18:46.94. Freshman Ava Costello captured second place behind a time of 19:00.55 while third place went to fellow rookie Lauryn Jackson with a time of 19:13.55. Emma Bradford also earned a top-10 ranking, finishing seventh at 19:42.90.
Sophomore Amara Nwajagu sprinted to a podium finish in the 400-meter dash, crossing the line at 56.83. Rookie Malika Coutain also performed at a top-10 level, placing eighth among the 48 racers with a time of 58.72.
Up Next
The Golden Eagles will have a month to prepare for the outdoor track & field campaign, kicking off the season at the Raleigh Relays Mar. 23-25 in Raleigh, N.C.
Photo by Thomas Corhern
