OXFORD, Ohio – Junior Ashley Tutt (Channahon, Ill./Minooka) won the 5,000 meters as the Northern Illinois University women's track and field team finished competition at the Mid-American Conference Outdoor Championships on Saturday (May 8). As a team, the Huskies finished sixth at the meet, scoring 78 points, the fourth-most points in program history at a MAC Outdoor Championship.

"With everything that our student-athletes have been through, to win cross country, to win indoor and to get sixth outdoor, its not what we wanted but realistically it is probably where we were, giving that we were missing two bodies who are sitting at home that were major scorers indoors," said NIU Director of Track and Field Connie Teaberry. "I'm proud of the ladies and the job that they did, the perseverance that they had all year. 

"We will always strive for better results and we will bring more athletes in next year. We don't lose too many scorers this year, so we will be ready to go again next year, and we will have a good group to do that."

Tutt picked up her second conference title in as many days as she won the 5,000 meters in a time of 16:23.73. The first half of the race was run at a deliberate pace before the Channahon, Ill., went to the front near the midway point. Tutt was joined at the front by Toledo's Stephanie Sherman, who finished second to the Huskie in Friday's 10,000, but once again Tutt was able to maintain the lead, picking up her second title of the meet and the eighth of her Huskie career. 

In addition to her 5,000 and 10,000 titles at this year's MAC Outdoor Championship, Tutt is also the 2019 MAC Cross Country Champion and a five-time MAC Indoor Champion (2020: 3,000 and 5,000 meters, 2021: mile, 3,000 and 5,000 meters). 

"You can just keep saying it over and over again, that girl is a best," Teaberry said of Tutt. "She gives everything that she has for this team, she sacrifices, she is one that is totally bought into the program. She follows everything, from eating to sleeping to workouts, everything that Coach (Adrian) Myers gives her and that is the type of athlete that you are blessed to have in your program, you wish you could have 10 of them. We are so proud of Ashley and everything that she has done for us and we look forward to having her for two more years."

In the 100-meter hurdles, senior Remy Amarteifio (Evanston, Ill./Evanston Township) took second in 13.88 seconds. The top-three runners in the hurdles finished within 0.02 seconds of each other as Eastern Michigan's Alysse Wade won in 13.87, Amarteifio was second in 13.88 and Anasja Troutman of Ball State was third in 13.89.

NIU had another runner-up finish in the 1,500 where senior Mackenzie Callahan (Minooka, Ill./Minooka) ran a time of 4:26.19. Callahan hit the backstretch of the final lap in third before moving into second over the final 200 meters, finishing just behind Toledo's Petronela Simiuc (4:21.97). 

The Huskies came home third in both relays as the quartet of junior Jazmyn Smith (Pinecrest, Fla./Gulliver Prep), Amarteifio, junior Kaitlyn Lewis (Liberty, Mo./Liberty) and sophomore Jahnetta Jones (Romeoville, Ill./Romeoville) ran 46.57 second in the 4x100-meter relay. In the 4x400, Lewis, freshman Kennedy Crawford (Douglasville, Ga./Alexander), Jones and freshman Janae Dean (Hoffman Estates, Ill./Hoffman Estates) posted a time of 3:41.88.

Junior Kadeja Campbell (St. Ann, Jamaica/Southern-New Orleans) tied a school record in the 400-meter final, finishing seventh in a time of 54.51 seconds. Campbell's time tied the previous record set by Ashanti Hutton in 2015. 

The Huskies had a pair of scorers in the 800 meters as senior Victoria Robinson (Lansing, Kan./Lansing/Kansas State) took fourth in 2:09.34 and Dean claimed seventh with a time of 2:11.06. 

"We had a lot of athletes that maybe weren't slated to get points in the two days, but we still got sixth because those athletes stepped up, when some of our other athletes may have faltered," said Teaberry. "That's what track and field is all about, we will live to fight another day and will be bring it stronger next year."

Next Saturday, May 15, the Huskies will travel to Toledo for the Rocket Invitational, a last chance meet before the selections for the NCAA Preliminary Round. 

Team Standings
1. Kent State, 102
2. Eastern Michigan, 90
3. Miami, 89
4. Akron, 83.5
5. Toledo, 82
6. NIU, 78
7. Bowling Green, 74
T8. Ball State, 60
T8. Central Michigan, 60
10. Buffalo, 42.5
11. Ohio, 33
12. Western Michigan, 24

400-meter final
7. Kadeja Campbell, 54.51 

800-meter final
4. Victoria Robinson, 2:09.34
7. Janae Dean, 2:11.06
9. Mackenzie Callahan, 2:11.92

1,500-meter final
2. Mackenzie Callahan, 4:26.19

5,000-meter final
1. Ashley Tutt, 16:23.73

100-meter hurdle final
2. Remy Amarteifio, 13.88

4x100-meter relay
3. Smith, Amarteifio, Lewis, Jones, 46.57

4x400-meter relay
3. Lewis, Crawford, Jones, Dean, 3:41.88

High Jump
10. Taylor Ramsey, 1.63m

Triple Jump
8. Kenyae Majors, 11.90m
11. Kendal Only, 11.27m

Shot Put
17. Fatima Stingily, 11.44m 

Discus
18. Christina Wood, 40.09m