OXFORD, Ohio – Junior Ashley Tutt (Channahon, Ill./Minooka) started the day with a title in the 10,000 meters and junior Jazmyn Smith (Pinecrest, Fla./Gulliver Prep) finished the day by taking the crown in the long jump as the Northern Illinois University women's track and field team opened competition at the 2021 Mid-American Conference Outdoor Championships. 

Led by Smith and Tutt's titles, the Huskies are tied for third with 30 points heading into Saturday's final day of the meet. Kent State leads the way with 36 points, Central Michigan is second with 33. 

"It was a pleasant surprise to end the day with a conference champion," said NIU Director of Track and Field Connie Teaberry. "Going in Jazmyn was fifth in the conference, but it shows her resilience to be able to put together a jump that was 0.01 (meters) from her season-best, in the cold and the rain, to get that win. It goes to show that you have to come do it on the day and she definitely did and got the win.

"With Ashley, you get to the point where you expect that greatness from her. She started the energy of the day and continues to show everyone what she is made of. The 10K is not an easy race, but she makes it look effortless, and makes every event she is in look effortless. It is a testament to her hard work and dedication as she adds another MAC title to her belt."

In the early hours of the morning, nearly four hours before another race will be on track, Tutt outdueled Toledo's Stephanie Sherman to take top honors in the 10,000 meters with a time of 34:39.86. Letting the rest of the field dictate the pace early, Tutt came from mid-pack halfway through the race, making her way to the front of the final kilometers. After passing Sherman, Tutt was unable to run away from the chasing Rocket but had enough in reserve to hold off any late charge from the Toledo runner, taking the title by less than a second (34:40.40). 

The win was Tutt's seventh MAC title, but her first in outdoor track and field. She has also earned individual MAC titles in cross country (2019), the mile indoors (2021), the 3,000 meters indoors (2020, '21) and the 5,000 meters indoors (2020, '21). She is the second Huskie to win the 10K, joining Kelsey Hildreth in 2015. 

As day one came to a close, Smith stood atop the podium in the long jump, bettering the field by more than six inches to earn NIU's first MAC outdoor long jump title. Jumping in rainy and colder conditions as the competition advanced, Smith posted her best mark of 6.05m (19-10.25) on her third attempt, measuring just one one-hundredth of a meter shy of her school record. Smith's top mark easily bettered second-place Nina Ward of Eastern Michigan (5.89, 19-4.00). Senior Kenyae Majors (Burlington, N.C./Hugh Cummings) posted five points for the team with a fourth place, and season-best, mark of 5.78m (18-11.75).

Elsewhere on the first day of the championship, sophomore Brooke Lytle (Waukesha, Wis./Waukesha West) scored three points with a sixth place in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, running a time of 10:49.69. In the javelin, junior Taylor Ramsey (St. Louis, Mo./Hazelwood Central) came into the meet seeded 15th but posted a season-best mark of 37.87m (124-3) to earn seventh and score a pair of points for the team. 

"It was one of those days where in some events we couldn't put it all together, but in other events, like the 800, everything got put together," said Teaberry. "This conference is no joke, pretty much everybody shows up, so sometimes even a season-best performance doesn't qualify or score points. Taylor did a great job in the javelin and Brooke did as well in the rain in the steeplechase. 

"Janae, Victoria and Mackenzie all qualifying in the 800 was definitely a high point. In some other events, like Mackenzie in the 1500 and Remy in the hurdles, we did what we had to do. I would also say, none of our downs were because the girls weren't trying or weren't focused, it just wasn't their day today." 

In prelims on the track, NIU posted three of the top-five times in the 800 meters as all three Huskies advanced to Saturday's finals. Senior Victoria Robinson (Lansing, Kan./Lansing/Kansas State) won heat one in 2:11.14, freshman Janae Dean (Hoffman Estates, Ill./Hoffman Estates) was second in heat two in 2:11.37 while senior Mackenzie Callahan (Minooka, Ill./Minooka) was third in heat one with a qualifying time of 2:11.32. 

Callahan also advanced in the 1,500 meters where she ran a time of 4:33.69 to move into Saturday's final. 

Seeded first in the 100-meter hurdles, senior Remy Amarteifio (Evanston, Ill./Evanston Township) maintained her status as the conference's top runner in the event with a time of 13.82 seconds, cruising to a heat two victory and a spot in the finals. 

Junior Kadeja Campbell (St. Ann, Jamaica/Southern-New Orleans) booked a spot in the 400-meter final with a season-best time of 55.02 seconds, finishing third in heat one of Friday's prelims. 

Saturday's second day of competition at the MAC Championship will begin for the Huskies at 11:30 a.m. CT with the shot put, NIU's first event on the track will be the 4x100-meter relay at 12:40 p.m. CT.

Team Standings (After Day One)
1. Kent State, 36
2. Central Michigan, 33
T3. Miami, 30
T3. NIU, 30
5. Toledo, 28
6. Eastern Michigan, 26
7. Akron, 21.5
8. Ohio, 11
9. Western Michigan, 9
10. Buffalo, 3.5
11. Ball State, 3
12. Bowling Green, 3

100-meter prelims
16. Jazmyn Smith, 12.36

400-meter prelims
7. Kadeja Campbell, 55.02
10. Kaitlyn Lewis, 56.22
12. Jahnetta Jones, 56.97

800-meter prelims
2. Victoria Robinson, 2:11.14
4. Janae Dean, 2:11.37
5. Mackenzie Callahan, 2:11.32

1,500-meter prelims
6. Mackenzie Callahan, 4:33.69
15. Nora Finegan, 4:39.98
19. Julia Finegan, 4:49.34

10,000-meter run
1. Ashley Tutt, 34:39.86
18. Sara Atkins, 37:49.67

100-meter hurdle prelims
1. Remy Amarteifio, 13.82
16. Scout Regular, 14.51

400-meter hurdle prelims
12. Kennedy Crawford, 1:03.43

3,000-meter steeplechase
6. Brooke Lytle, 10:49.69
19. Brynn Bartlett, 11:59.37

Javelin 
7. Taylor Ramsey, 37.87m (124-3)

Long Jump
1. Jazmyn Smith, 6.05m (19-10.25)
4. Kenyae Majors, 5.78m (18-11.75)
10. Diamond Riley, 5.50m (18-0.50)