KALAMAZOO, Mich. – Jazmyn Smith (Pinecrest, Fla./Gulliver Prep) set a new school record in the long jump as the Northern Illinois University women's track and field team wrapped up the second day of competition at the Mid-American Conference Outdoor Championships on Friday (May 13). Smith claimed a second-place finish as she broke the school long jump mark for the second time this season. 

"Jazmyn (Smith) was ecstatic," said NIU Director of Track and Field Connie Teaberry. "Her last jump was actually a protest jump, which made it even more dramatic. They called it a foul, but I didn't think it was a foul, so I went to the games committee and asked them to review it. It came back that it was a fair jump, and that mark should also put her in position to go to the preliminary round of the NCAAs."

Smith and Kenyae Majors (Burlington, N.C./Hugh Cummings) combined to score 14 points with a two-three finish in the long jump. With her sixth, and final, jump of the competition, Smith recorded a mark of 6.15 meters (20-02.25), after the successful protest, to tie Akron's Jacqueline Pokuaah for the best mark of the day. Pokuaah earned the MAC title via tiebreaker with the better second-longest jump between the two as she second-best measured 6.04 meters to Smith's 6.02 meters. Smith broke her own school record of 6.08 meters set earlier this year at the Tom Jones Memorial (April 15). 

Majors claimed third with a season-best leap of 5.95 meters (19-06.25), coming on her third jump of the competition. 

"Five years for Kenyae (Majors) and this is her first medal," said Teaberry. "We are extremely proud of her, coming back for this fifth year (due to COVID), she had a great indoor season, great outdoor season, and for her to be clutch and PR outdoors to get third place and that medal, I am extremely proud of her." 

Another scoring performance on Friday came in the 3,000-meter steeplechase as Brooke Lytle (Waukesha, Wis./Waukesha/West) earned an eighth-place finish with a time of 11:05.09.

"That was a hard race," Teaberry said of the steeplechase. "They made concessions last night for the 10,000 with the weather, but they didn't for the steeple, and it was pretty hot out there. For Brooke to get that point is tremendous, you never know if one point can be the difference in the final standings."

Just as they did in the heats of the 200 meters on Thursday, Skylynn Blue (Indianapolis, Ind./North Central) and Malia Watkins (Upper Marlboro, Md./Missouri State) both punched their ticket to Saturday's 100-meter dash final. Blue ran the fastest time in the prelims, clocking in with a season-best time of 11.62 seconds to win heat one. Watkins won heat three with a time of 11.82 seconds. 

In the 100-meter hurdle prelims, Scout Regular (St. Louis, Mo./Incarnate Word Academy) moved comfortably into the final, winning heat three in a time of 14:01 seconds, her third-fastest time of the season. 

Jahnetta Jones (Romeoville, Ill./Romeoville) moved into the final in the 400 meters as she ran a time of 55.24 seconds, her fastest of the season and good enough to take the top spot in the second heat. 

"Skylynn (Blue) and Malia (Watkins) have been working hard all year, they have their sites set on MAC Championships and the (NCAA) first round," said Teaberry. "In our team meeting last night we talked about putting ourselves in position for finals and to not press, we didn't need anything special, just to do what they have done all year. Jahnetta (Jones) PR's in the 400, it was the perfect race for a prelim and Scout (Regular) was in a heat with a bigger wind but she ran a very technically sound hurdle race, her time doesn't reflect it because of the wind, but she will be ready for the final."

Due to expected weather, Saturday's final day of competition has been moved forward slightly. Field events will begin at 8 a.m. CT with the men's discus while track events are slated to start at 10:20 a.m. CT. The full, updated schedule can be found here. 

Team Standings (Eight of 21 Events Scored)
1. Kent State, 63
2. Akron, 40
3. Toledo, 38
4. Miami, 32
5. Eastern Michigan, 30
T6. Bowling Green, 28
T6. Central Michigan, 28
8. NIU, 20
9. Ball State, 14
10. Buffalo, 10
11. Western Michigan, 5
12. Ohio, 4

100-meter Dash Prelim
1. Skylynn Blue, 11.62
3. Malia Watkins, 11.82

400-meter Dash Prelim
2. Jahnetta Jones, 55.24
13. Roshell Rowe, 56.48
14. Kaitlyn Lewis, 56.69

100-meter Hurdles Prelims
3. Scout Regular, 14.01

3,000-meter Steeplechase
8. Brooke Lytle, 11:05.09
19. Grace Louis, 11:53.01

Long Jump
2. Jazmyn Smith, 6.15m (20-02.25)
3. Kenyae Majors, 5.95m (19-06.25)

Shot Put
21. Fatima Stingily, 11.32m (37-01.75)