MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – Junior Ashley Tutt (Channahon, Ill./Minooka) won the 5,000 meters at the Mid-American Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships for the second consecutive season as the Huskies sit in fourth place after Friday's first day of the meet. 

"The athletes walked into the first day of competition thankful that we have this opportunity to compete at our conference championships," said NIU Director of Track and Field Connie Teaberry. "With that being said, they are doing everything to put points on the board or put themselves in a final to place points on the board Saturday.  

"Our first points on the board came from our long Jumpers, Jazmyn (Smith) had her season best jump to grab third, while Kenyae Majors found a way to nab sixth place jumping through an injury. Ashley Tutt ran her 5k with confidence and has given us the needed 10 points with a clear win. The distance medley (relay) could not have run a smarter race sealing the evening with a fourth place finish, concluding our solid first day finish."

Tutt came into the 5,000 as the favorite, holding the best time in the conference by over a minute and ranking in the top-20 nationally, and she collected the conference crown in the event for the second-straight season, crossing the line in 17:14.00 to earn 10 points for the Huskies. 

NIU had a pair of scoring performances in the long jump as junior Jazmyn Smith (Pinecrest, Fla./Gulliver Prep) took third and senior Kenyae Majors (Burlington, N.C./Hugh Cummings) finished sixth. Smith recorded a top mark of 6.00 meters, less than a tenth of a meter behind first-place Jacqueline Pokuaah of Akron (6.07m) while Majors' best leap measured 5.68m 

The quartet of sophomore Brooke Lytle (Waukesha, Wis./Waukesha West), junior Kaitlyn Lewis (Liberty, Mo./Liberty), freshman Julia Finegan (Palatine, Ill./Fremd) and senior Nora Finegan (Palatine, Ill./Fremd) scored five points for the Huskies with a fourth-place finish in the distance medley relay, clocking in with a time of 11:45.02. 

In qualifying heats, junior Kimone Hines (Hanover, Jamaica/Southern-New Orleans) booked a place in Saturday's finals in both the 60-meter dash and the 200-meter dash. Hines placed sixth in the 60 meters in 7.56 seconds, winning her heat, and was the top qualifier in the 200 with a time of 24.32 seconds. Hines is joined in the 200-meter final by freshman Skylynn Blue (Indianapolis, Ind./North Central) who ran a time of 25.16 seconds in Friday's qualifying round.

Three Huskies qualified for finals in both the 400 and 800 meters. In the 400, freshman Kennedy Crawford (Douglasville, Ga./Alexander) led the Huskies with a third-place finish in 56.81 seconds, sophomore Jahnetta Jones (Romeoville, Ill./Romeoville) qualified just behind in fourth in 56.84 and Lewis grabbed the seventh qualifying spot in 57.74. In the 800, senior Victoria Robinson (Lansing, Kan./Kansas State) led the Huskie trio with a third-place finish in 2:13.53. Senior Mackenzie Callahan (Minooka, Ill./Minooka) qualified fourth overall in 2:13.73 and freshman Janae Dean (Hoffman Estates, Ill./Hoffman Estates) qualified second out of heat two with a time of 2:15.78.

NIU also has a Saturday qualifier in the 60-meter hurdles as freshman Scout Regular (St. Louis, Mo./Incarnate Word Academy) qualified sixth with a time of 8.84 seconds. 

"I believe we have a record number of Huskies competing on the second day of competition with one unified goal in mind," said Teaberry. "Day two will not be easy but the ladies are up for the fight. The athletes are dialed in and that's all we can ask. If we can mimic today's efforts tomorrow, we will fare well."

Competition resumes on Saturday (Feb. 27) at 3 p.m. CT with the triple jump and track events are slated to start at 3:25 p.m. CT with the mile. 

Team Standings
1. Akron, 44
2. Central Michigan, 40
3. Eastern Michigan, 25
4. NIU, 24
T5. Kent State, 23
T5. Miami, 23
7. Bowling Green, 13
8. Ohio, 12
9. Toledo, 10
T10. Ball State, 7
T10. Western Michigan, 7
12. Buffalo, 6

60-meter dash
4. Kimone Hines, 7.56q (won heat one)
13. Skylynn Blue, 7.77
14. Jazmyn Smith, 7.79

200-meter dash
1. Kimone Hines, 24.32q (won heat five)
8. Skylynn Blue, 25.16q
10. Jahnetta Jones, 25.23

400-meter dash
3. Kennedy Crawford, 56.81q
4. Jahnetta Jones, 56.84q
7. Kaitlyn Lewis, 57.74q

800-meter run
3. Victoria Robinson, 2:13.53q
4. Mackenzie Callahan, 2:13.73q
10. Janae Dean, 2:15.78q

5,000-meter run
1. Ashley Tutt, 17:14.00
12. Sara Atkins, 17:51.99
17. Kaitlin Miller, 18:18.51

60-meter hurdles
6. Scout Regular, 8.84q

Distance Medley Relay
4. Lytle, Lewis, J. Finegan, N. Finegan, 11:45.02

Long jump
3. Jazmyn Smith, 6.00m
6. Kenyae Majors, 5.68m