ALLENDALE, Mich. --- The Minnesota State women's track and field team finished the 2022 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships in third place with 57 team points after three days of competition at Grand Valley State University. On the final day, the Mavericks earned three national championships in the 4x100m relay, 100m hurdles, and the 100m dash. This is the fifth time in program history that the Mavericks have finished within the top-10 as a team at the NCAA Championships. The third-place finish is also the best team finish in program history surpassing a seventh-place finish in 2010 as the best mark.

In the shot put, senior Brea Perron earned first team All-American honors in the event with a fifth-place finish in event with a heave of 50' 1.75'' (15.28m). This is the second time in Perron's career that she has earned All-American honors in this event at the outdoor championships. Senior Katie Taylor finished sixth in the event with a mark of 49' 3'' (15.01m). Taylor also earned first team All-American status with this performance. For Taylor this is the second time she has earned All-American honors in this event at the NCAA Outdoor Championships.

The Mavericks earned their first national championship of the day in the 4x100m relay with a time of 44.29 edging out the second-place finisher, West Texas A&M, by 0.02 seconds. The team of Makayla Jackson, Denisha Cartwright, Ja'Cey Simmons, and Rose Cramer became the first relay team to claim the title in team history. All four of the athletes earned first Team All-American honors for their efforts in capturing the national championship.

Denisha Cartwright followed up her performance in the 4x100m relay with the second national championship for the Mavericks in the 100m hurdles. Cartwright earned the national title with a time of 13.35. This is the second time in her career that Cartwright has earned first team All-American honors in the event. She finished third in the 2021 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships. This is also the first time a Maverick has captured a national title in the event in program history.

Makayla Jackson captured a national championship of her own in the 100m dash with a mark of 11.66. Jackson earned her second first Team All-American honor of the day with this victory. This is the first time in Jackson's career that she has earned both a national title and first Team All-American status in the event. Jackson also becomes the first Maverick to win a national championship in the event. Cartwright finished seventh in the event with a time of 11.94 earning first Team All-American honors.

In the final event of the day for Minnesota State, Cartwright and Jackson competed in the 200m dash. Cartwright finished fourth in the event with a mark of 23.55 and Jackson finished eighth with a time of 23.95. Both Cartwright and Jackson earned first All-American honors in the event.

During the three-day event, the Mavericks earned three national titles in three events and 14 first & second Team All-American honors in total.


 

-30-