NORMAL, Ill. – The Northern Illinois University women's track and field team earn six event titles on Saturday (April 2) as the Huskies took part in Illinois State's Redbird Invite. NIU took top honors in the 100-, 200- and 400-meter dashes as well as the 100-meter hurdles, long jump and triple jump. 

"It was not the ideal weather conditions, but definitely ideal efforts and performances by the athletes regardless of the conditions," said NIU Director of Track and Field Connie Teaberry. "The staff was impressed with the athlete's composure and determination which lead to several events wins and personal best results that will move them up on the MAC list. They have been training hard and it is showing."

NIU was victorious in all of the sprints on Saturday afternoon. In the 100-meter dash, Jahnetta Jones (Romeoville, Ill./Romeoville) qualified out of the prelims with the fastest time of the day at 12.01 seconds, she then ran a time of 12.18 seconds in the final to better second-place Dominique Thomas of Milwaukee, who ran 12.25. 

Malia Watkins (Upper Marlboro, Md./Missouri State) took the top spot in the 200 meters, running a time of 24.91 seconds. Illinois State's Santoria Harris was second in 25.17 and Skylynn Blue (Indianapolis, Ind./North Central) gave NIU two of the top-three with a time of 25.43 to finish third. In the 400-meter dash, Roshell Rowe claimed the top spot with a time of 57.63 seconds, bettering a pair of conference foes, Emma Potter and Jenna Oriani of Ball State, in second and third. 

In the 100-meter hurdles, Scout Regular (St. Louis, Mo./Incarnate Word Academy) qualified second out of the prelims with a time of 14.21 seconds before crossing the line first in the final with a time of 14.40 seconds, bettering Loyola Chicago's Jayla Johnson, who was second in 14.55 seconds. 

NIU also won a pair of field events, including the long jump where Jazmyn Smith's (Pinecrest, Fla/Gulliver Prep) top mark of 5.99 meters gave her the title. Smith's best leap came on her sixth, and final, attempt of the competition to overtake Loyola Chicago's Melissa Parrella (5.92m) for the top spot. 

In the triple jump, Kendal Only (Huntley, Ill./Huntley) also vaulted to the top spot on her final jump of the competition. Only entered the final jump in fourth but measured 11.75 meters with her final attempt to move to the top of the standings ahead of second-place Danielle Taets of Illinois State (11.64m). 

Along with the six event victories, NIU also had a trio of second-place finishers as Grace Louis (Cincinnati, Ohio/Sycamore) took second in the 3,000-meter steeplechase (11:40.02), Kaitlin Miller (Rochester, Minn./Rochester Century) was second in the 5,000 meters (18:08.76) and the quartet of Smith, Watkins, Katrina Small (Atlanta, Ga./Arkansas-Pine Bluff) and Blue were second in the 4x100-meter relay (47.29). 


The Huskies will compete in-state again next weekend as they travel to Urbana-Champaign, for the Illini Classic on Friday and Saturday, April 8-9. 

100-meter Dash
1. Jahnetta Jones, 12.01q

100-meter Dash Final
1. Jahnetta Jones, 12.18

200-meter Dash
1. Malia Watkins, 24.91
3. Skylynn Blue, 25.43
9. Kaitlyn Lewis, 26.18
20. Dymier Jeffery, 27.80

400-meter Dash
1. Roshell Rowe, 57.63

800-meter Run
8. Brooke Lytle, 2:21.90
19. Kayla La Fontain, 2:28.26
22. Sara Atkins, 2:30.59

1,500-meter Run
10. Brooke Lytle, 4:44.43
19. Sara Atkins, 4:49.94
38. Emma Vorpagel, 5:02.78
41. Julia Finegan, 5:05.18
46. Meagan Biddle, 5:14.48

5,000-meter Run
2. Kaitlin Miller, 18:08.76
3. Hannah Ricci, 18:34.08
8. Joy Jackson, 19:18.00

100-meter Hurdles
2. Scout Regular, 14.21q
16. Taylor Ramsey, 16.15
20. Dymier Jeffery, 17.12

100-meter Hurdles Final
1. Scout Regular, 14.40

3,000-meter Steeplechase
2. Grace Louis, 11:40.02

4x100-meter Relay
2. Smith, Watkins, Small, Blue, 47.29

4x400-meter Relay
5. Finegan, Biddle, Vorpagel, La Fontain, 4:22.08

Long Jump
1. Jazmyn Smith, 5.99m (19-08.00)
5. Katrina Small, 5.49m (18-00.25)
7. Diamond Riley, 5.43m (17-09.75)
11. Dymier Jeffery, 5.23m (17-02.00)
13. Taylor Ramsey, 5.07m (16-07.75)
18. Kendal Only, 4.80m (15-09.00)

Triple Jump
1. Kendal Only, 11.75m (38-06.75)

Shot Put
14. Fatima Stingily, 11.00m (36-01.25)

Javelin
9. Fatima Stingily, 25.03m (82-01)