Moon Township, Pa. – The RMU track & field team opened the 2022 Horizon League Outdoor Track & Field Championships Friday at the Elaine Lehigh Track & Field Complex in Rochester, Mich., on the campus of Oakland University.
RECORDS ARE MADE TO BE BROKEN
Fifth-year
Yessie Valencia, looking to cap her penultimate season in style, got off to a roaring start Friday. In the discus, Valencia claimed gold, establishing a #HLTF Outdoor Championships record in the event thanks to a toss of 50.73 meters (166'5"), a new personal best. The distance, which ranks second in the RMU outdoor record book, broke the old Horizon League standard of 49.58 meters (162'8") and helped the Colonials score 10 points. It marks the second consecutive year an RMU student-athlete finished first in the discus at the #HLTF Outdoor Championships, as fifth-year
Estelle Katende won the crown last season. Katende finished sixth in the event Friday thanks to a throw of 41.50 meters (136'2").
JAVASCRIPT
Also in the throws during Friday's opening day of competition of the 2022 #HLTF Outdoor Championships, freshman
Zoee Gologram finished fourth, posting a toss of 35.86 meters (117'8"), a new personal record. Gologram posted the top distance in the event by a rookie and scored five points for RMU.
HEPTATHLON
Junior
Lauren Chappell opened action in the heptathlon Friday, compiling 2,643 points while competing in the 100-meter hurdles and the 200-meter dash on the track as well as the high jump and shot put in the field. She claimed fourth in the shot put for 554 points with a throw of 10.38 meters (34'0.75"), a personal record. Chappell's highest point total came in the 100-meter hurdles, as her time of 15.85 seconds helped her accrue 733 points. She also finished with a time of 26.85 seconds (724 points) in the 200-meter dash as well as leap of 1.51 meters (4'11.50") in the high jump for 632 points.
TRACKLIST
In the preliminaries of the 1,500-meter, freshman
Maddie Kinton earned her first action in the Horizon League Outdoor Championships, posting a time of 5:28.93.
UP NEXT
RMU continues the 2022 #HLTF Outdoor Championships Saturday, May 7. The long jump of the heptathlon begins at 9:30 a.m., while field events begin at Noon with the shot put. On the track, action gets underway at 3:15 p.m. with the 100-meter hurdles. Coverage on ESPN+ begins at 3:00 p.m.
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