Mankato, Minn. --- The Minnesota State women's track & field team played host to the Mark Miller Invitational Friday evening. The Mavericks proved to be the class of the field as they finished the meet in first with a total score of 249.5.
Sophomore Ja'Cey Simmons was the class of the field in the 60m dash as she took home the top spot with a time of 7.59. This ties her previous provisional mark and sets her 19th in the nation. Minnesota State took home the top two spots in the 200m dash with sophomore Rose Cramer winning with a time of 24.67 which is a provisional mark.
In the 400m dash, freshman Rachel Jaworski finished second with a time of 1:01.04. Freshman Marissa Ellenbecker finished second in the 800m dash with a mark of 2:19.72. Sophomore MaKenna Thurston went on to finish fourth in the 1000m with a time of 3:00.39.
In the mile run event, junior MacKenzie Gaherty finished third in the event with a time of 5:19.19. The 60m hurdles saw senior MacKenzie Keune finish in the third spot with a time of 9.03.
The high jump saw senior Taylor Elliott set a NCAA provisional mark with a height of 1.72m (5' 7.75''). This performance currently sits tied for 11th in the country. The Mavericks took home the top two spots in the pole vault, with freshman Paige Hickson finishing first with a height of 3.65m (11' 11.75'').
In the long jump, Minnesota State finished one, two, three in the event with all three athletes setting NCAA provisional marks. Sophomore Makayla Jackson won the event, breaking her previous best, with a distance of 6.15m (20' 2.25'') setting a school record that she already held. With this performance it currently has her fourth best in the country. Kary Petricka finished second with a jump of 6.01m (19' 8.75'') for sixth best in the nation.
Freshman Stella Neophytou topped the charts in the triple jump with a NCAA provisional mark of 11.80m (38' 8.75''). Senior Brea Perron was victorious in both the shot put and weight throw with tosses of 14.55m (47' 9'') and 19.99m (65' 7'') both are NCAA provisional marks. With her performance in the weight throw Perron currently sits third in the country right behind Minnesota State's Katie Taylor.
The Mavericks return to action next Friday and Saturday as they play host to the NSIC Indoor Championships in Myers Field on the campus of Minnesota State University, Mankato.
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