Posted: Dec 03, 2021

Koala Women’s Track & Field Has Solid Showing in Season Opening Meets

The Basics

Event (s): Bast Cregger Invitational & CIU Rams Invitational

Location: Salem, VA & Columbia, SC

The Lead: The Columbia College (SC) women's indoor track & field team had several top finishes during opening weekend of the 2021-22 season. The Koala women competed at the Bast Cregger Invitational hosted by Roanoke College with the Racewalkers competing in the CIU Rams Invitational. The two-day Bast Cregger meet took place on Friday afternoon (Dec. 3) and all-day Saturday (Dec. 4) with over 45 individual and relay events. The CIU meet was a one-day event on Saturday, Dec. 4.

CIU Rams Highlights:

Four Racewalkers qualified for the 2022 NAIA Indoor Track and Field Nationals.
- Izabelle Trefts finished 2^nd (14:56.30)
- Jessica Heiser-Whatley finished 3^rd (16:37.00)
- Victory Heiser-Whatley finished 4^th (16:45.40)
- Shelby Winn finished 5^th (16:51.33)
Trefts set a school record which was previously held by her teammate Victoria Heiser-Whatley, 15:10.00 (2020)

Bast Cregger Highlights:

Five School Records Set
- Aleah Bromell broke her pervious school records in both the shot put and weight throw. In the shot put she threw a 12.54 and, in the weight-throw she threw a 14.73. Bromell's previous distances were 12.54 and 14.68, respectively.
- Akiah McMillan broke a four-year long record in the 300m Dash. She clocked a 48.52 in the race. The previous record, 50.12, was set by Courtney Lambert in 2017.
- Valeria Bogdanova ran a school best 1:24.52 in the 500 meters. Julisa Echeverria set the previous school record, 1:30.46 in 2018.

Top 10 Finishers:

200 Meters: 5^th Camara Middleton (26.63); 9^th Rekia Polk (27.18)
400 Meters: 8^th Grace Wright (64.01)
500 Meters: 3^rd Valeria Bogdanova (1:24.52); Esther Ekundayo (1:27.54)
800 Meters: 5^th Esther Ekundayo (2:34.06)
1000 Meters: 1^st Valeria Bogdanova (3:20.77); 6^th Kayleigh Lodge (3:40.44); 8^th Elana Preston (3:48.52); 10^th Ariana Pratt (3:53.53)
Mile: 5^th Makayla Hollifield (5:41.22)
5000 Meters: 5^th Makayla Hollifield (19:21.12)
Shot Put: 1st Aleah Bromell (12.80m); 3^rd Zaida Carson (11.74m); 9^th Darci Dawson (10.72m)
Shot Put: 4th Aleah Bromell (14.73 m); 10^th Zaida Carson (12.21m)
Indoor Pentathlon: Zykirah Davis (1924 points)

What's Next: The Koalas will take a break for the Holiday and return to action the weekend of January 14-15, when they participate in the Gamecock Open hosted by the University of South Carolina.