ALLENDALE, Mich. – Freshman
Taylor Ramsey (St. Louis, Mo./Hazelwood Central) and sophomore
Mackenzie Callahan (Minooka, Ill./Minooka) each hit Mid-American Conference Championship automatic qualifying standards as the Huskies competed in the GVSU Big Meet on Friday. Ramsey met the qualifying mark in the high jump, winning the competition at the Big Meet, while Callahan reached the time in the mile.
"Each week these Huskies are showing that they are fighters," said NIU Director of Track and Field
Connie Teaberry. "Their ability to rise to the competition is impressive. We have two weeks before conference (championships) and the improvements the staff is seeing are occurring at the right time. This is no time to settle, we expect them to continue improving and fighting."
In the high jump, Ramsey cleared 1.69m (5-6.5) to tie for the fifth-best mark in the MAC this season and win the competition at the GVSU Big Meet. Tabor Gleason of Grand Valley and Lauren Willow of Cedarville each cleared a mark of 1.64m to finish second in the meet.
Callahan crossed the line in 4:51.26 in the mile to reach the MAC qualifying standard with the seventh-fastest time in the conference this season. The Huskie sophomore finished sixth in the race on Friday, which was won by Emma Rafuse of Purdue Fort Wayne with a time of 4:45.25.
The Huskie 4x400-meter relay team of freshman
Kaitlyn Lewis (Liberty, Mo./Liberty), junior
Remy Amarteifio (Evanston, Ill./Evanston Township), junior
NeShay Curtis (St. Louis, Mo./McCluer South Berkeley) and freshman
Taylor Tilmon (Lake Villa, Ill./Lakes) turned in the fourth-fastest time in the conference this season at 3:46.68. The NIU quartet finished fourth in the meet, which was won in a facility record time of 3:39.15 by San Francisco State.
Amarteifio also had a second-place finish individually in the 60-meter hurdles. The NIU junior ran a time of 8.44 seconds in the final, just behind first-place Monisha Lewis of San Francisco State (8.21). Amarteifio was one of two Huskies in the final, along with freshman
Aniese Phillips (Fort Wayne, Ind./Wayne) who finished ninth in 9.08.
The Huskies also had a pair of sprinters in the final of the 60-meter dash, where sophomore
Syanne Johnston (St. Peters, Mo./Fort Zumwalt East) finished third with a time of 7.65 seconds, ninth-fastest in the MAC this season. Amarteifio was also in the final of the 60 meters, taking seventh in 7.75 seconds, Angelica Floyd of Grand Valley won the event in 7.53.
The Huskies will compete in the Eastern Illinois Friday Night Special next week, February 15, in their final meet before the conference championship.
60-meter Dash
3.
Syanne Johnston, 7.65 (finals), 7.71 (p)
7.
Remy Amarteifio, 7.75 (finals), 7.74 (p)
15.
Jazmyn Smith, 7.78
31.
Courtney Sockwell, 7.95
200-meter Dash
32.
Aniese Phillips, 26.28
400-meter Dash
13.
NeShay Curtis, 57.90
15.
Grace Harris, 57.93
800-meter Run
12.
Nora Finegan, 2:12.62
51.
Meagan Biddle, 2:29.04
Mile Run
6.
Mackenzie Callahan, 4:51.26
17.
Melissa Ricci, 5:00.92
28.
Hannah Ricci, 5:04.08
32.
Meagan Biddle, 5:06.70
47.
Mercer Mack, 5:22.88
51.
Brynn Bartlett, 5:28.53
52.
Maggie Cavanaugh, 5:28.82
3,000-meter Run
15.
Ericka Hibser, 9:48.64
22.
Vivian Overbeck, 9:57.49
39.
Daly Galloway, 10:38.80
60-meter Hurdles
2.
Remy Amarteifio, 8.44 (finals), 8.49 (pre)
9.
Aniese Phillips, 9.08 (finals), 8.92 (pre)
4x400-meter Relay
4.
Kaitlyn Lewis,
Remy Amarteifio,
NeShay Curtis,
Taylor Tilmon, 3:46.68
High Jump
1.
Taylor Ramsey, 1.69m
Long Jump
5.
Taylor Ramsey, 5.55m
Shot Put
14.
Fatima Stingily, 11.77m
16.
Taylor Ramsey, 10.99m
17.
Christina Wood, 10.05m
Long Jump Invite
7.
Jazmyn Smith, 5.47m
Triple Jump Invite
4.
Diamond Riley, 11.85m
