SSU women's track and field uses consistent, group-wide effort to sit second in RSC Championship Meet Standings following Day 1
RIO GRANDE, Ohio -- Throughout the 2025 season, the women's track and field program has continued to stay true to its principles while also expanding its overall participation reach in events all in one fell swoop.
Those facts showed throughout the opening day of the River States Conference Championship Meet Friday -- as 13 different women combined to score a total of 56 points to put the Shawnee State women's track and field program in second place out of the 10-team conference field following Day 1 of the two-day event, which is being held at The Stockmeister Track and Field at the University of Rio Grande.
Out of the 13 individuals who scored points Friday, a total of nine of them finished in a top-three position, ensuring each all-conference status as a result. Their efforts went a long way toward ensuring Shawnee State's status as a serious contender for the 2025 River States Outdoor Track and Field Conference Championship heading into the second and final day, as the Bears sit just six points back of conference meet leader Midway (62 points) and are a point-and-a-half ahead of third-place Rio Grande heading into the final day of the meet.
A total of six teams, including the Bears, Eagles and RedStorm, along with Indiana-Kokomo, Indiana-East and Brescia, sit within 21.5 points of each other heading into the final day of the tightly-contested meet.
Individual performances
Jaina Bailey, who has been a leader from a point-scoring perspective for Shawnee State all season long, enjoyed yet another terrific day in the hammer throw, producing a personal best throw of 47.2 meters -- or 154 feet, 10 inches, to produce a Second-Team All-RSC performance after posting a personal best that was a foot and seven inches better than her previous PB in the event.
Behind Bailey, three additional Second-Team All-RSC performances followed as Olivia Cisco consistently supplied pressure in the lead pack before finishing second in the 10,000 meter run with a 40:29.04, while Haidyn Wamsley supplied a five-foot, three-inch high jump to place second as well. The 4-by-800 meter relay unit -- which consisted of the quartet of Jessica Elick, Kirsten Evans, Sydney Reed and Amanda Salmons -- added in a 10:00.23 to place second as the experienced group closed strong, jumping from fifth place to second on the final lap.
A long distance runner and a jumper added in two Third-Team All-RSC performances on Day 1 -- as Beth Middleton's 41:20.64 nestled in right behind Olivia Cisco's finish while Makaela Lovely cleared five feet, one inch to place just behind Wamsley's jump in the event.
Following each of the above, Faith Kuhn enjoyed a masterful day, clearing her personal best not only once, but twice. Kuhn, who had thrown a personal best of 23.93 meters (78 feet, six inches) in the javelin, collected arguably her best day as a track and field athlete at Shawnee State, nabbing a 26.08 meter throw on her fourth attempt (85 feet, seven inches), then ramping it up in a major way to a 27.94-meter throw or 91 feet, eight inches on her sixth and final throw, placing fifth in a terrific showing.
Wamsley, who posted a 15-foot, nine-inch long jump, and Natalie Brammer, who timed in at 31:56.52 in the 5,000 meter racewalk, each placed sixth to score three points each, while Ivy Gentry and Marli Marcum each placed in the points in the long jump and javelin throw, with Gentry notching a throwing mark of 15 feet, six-and-a-half inches and Marcum throwing a 78-foot, five-inch javelin to score a point as well.
"Many women stepped up and did their part," Conner Flynn, Shawnee State's Director of Cross Country and Track and Field, said. "The runner-up finishes from Cisco, Haidyn, Jaina, and the 4-by-800 meter relay team were huge, along with Beth and Makaela with podium performances. After a seventh-place team finish indoor, sitting second in the team standings after the opening day is great to see."
Additional
The women's track and field program at Shawnee State will be back in action for the second and final day of the River States Conference Championship Meet. Action commences at 11 a.m. at The Stockmeister Track and Field at the University of Rio Grande.
"We are pleased with our Day 1 and where we sit as of now," Flynn said. "We have many more opportunities on Day 2 to steal many points, we are excited to compete."
Full Day 1 results can be found at https://milesplit.live/meets/646977/events.
