SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Stella Oyebode (Ilorin, Nigeria) won the 60-meters, Emma Curry (Oakville, Ontario/Nelson) was first in the 800 meters and Precious Umukoro (Villarreal, Spain) claimed the triple jump title as the Northern Illinois University women's track and field team opened the season at Notre Dame's Blue & Gold Invitational on Friday (Dec. 5). 

"The first meet is under our belts and the staff is pleased with the efforts of our athletes," said Director of Track and Field Connie Teaberry. "Our team this year is made up of a lot of athletic stories from injuries the previous year to injury comebacks this year, surgeries, new events and coaches, yet the athletes arrive at practice to work each day and laid everything out on the track today. We can't ask for more. We will keep plugging away and improving on our technical issues, so each competition can show growth."

Oyebode took top honors in the 60-meter dash with a time of 7.61 seconds, winning the second of 10 heats in the 53-runner field. Oyebode was three one-hundredths of a second ahead of second-place Aniya Young (7.64) of Purdue Fort Wayne. 

Curry took first in the 800 meters, running a time of 2:18.78, to finish nearly three second ahead of second-place Laetitia Raoult of Valparaiso. 

NIU swept the top-three spots in the triple jump with Umukoro taking top honors with a leap of 11.67 meters (38-03.50), Umukoro's best mark came on her fourth attempt of the competition. Nicole Green (St. Louis, Mo./Mary Institute & St. Louis Country Day School) claimed second with a mark of 11.49 meters (37-08.50) and Aniya Barton (Lansing, Ill./Thornton Fractional South) took third with a mark of 11.39 meters (37-04.50). 

In the 60-meter hurdles, Kyla Motley (Palos Heights, Ill./Shepard) was edged for the top spot by nine one-thousandths of a second by Jaliyah Page of Purdue Fort Wayne. Both officially ran 8.94, but Page clocked in at 8.931 and Motley was 8.940. Brooke Jordan (Hephzibah, Ga./Cross Creek) and Miashlie Jean (Fort Lauderdale, Fla./Northeast) also earned top-10 finishes, claiming seventh and ninth, respectively. 

NIU had three in the top-five of the high jump with Arianna Calloway (Blue Springs, Mo./Blue Springs) leading the Huskies with a second-place finish. Calloway cleared the bar at 1.67 meters (5-05.75) on her first attempt, Jasmijn Raes (Amsterdam, Netherlands) cleared the same height on her second attempt to tie for third. Samira Rosenfeld (Schaumburg, Ill./Schaumburg) tied for fifth, clearing 1.62 meters (5-03.75). 

The Huskies also had three in the top-six in the long jump, led by Umukoro's third-place finish. Umukoro's best mark of 5.78 meters (18-11.75) came on her third attempt of the competition. Tod'Jai Ross (Kansas City, Mo./Ruskin) was fifth with a mark of 5.62 meters (18-05.25) while Motley was sixth, leaping 5.61 meters (18-05.00). 

NIU will return to action in the new year when the Huskies head to Ames, Iowa, on Friday, Jan. 16, for Iowa State's Bill Bergan Open. 

60-meter Dash
1. Stella Oyebode, 7.61
17. Brooke Jordan, 7.90
18. Esther Momalife, 7.90
23. Miashlie Jean, 7.98
34. Kyla Motley, 8.12
36. Faith Rouse, 8.16
43. Mariah Gonzalez, 8.30
44. Ari Christian, 8.40

60-meter Hurdles
2. Kyla Motley, 8.94
7. Brooke Jordan, 9.08
9. Miashlie Jean, 9.17
23. Kaiya Key, 9.66

200-meter Dash
8. Esther Momalife, 25.89
18. Stella Oyebode, 26.87
26. Faith Rouse, 27.34
29. Ari Christian, 28.06

400-meter Dash
14. Sanaii Vaughn, 1:02.51

800-meter Run
1. Emma Curry, 2:18.78

High Jump 
2. Arianna Calloway, 1.67m (5-05.75)
3. Jasmijn Raes, 1.67m (5-05.75)
5. Samira Rosenfeld, 1.62m (5-03.75)

Long Jump
3. Precious Umukoro, 5.78m (18-11.75)
5. Tod'Jai Ross, 5.62m (18-05.25)
6. Kyla Motley, 5.61m (18-05.00)
19. Kaiya Key, 4.95m (16-03.00)
20. Nicole Green, 4.95m (16-03.00)

Triple Jump
1. Precious Umukoro, 11.67m (38-03.50)
2. Nicole Green, 11.49m (37-08.50)
3. Aniya Barton, 11.39m (37-04.50)

4x400-meter Relay
6. Momalife, Jean, Rosenfeld, Curry, 4:02.38
9. Jordan, Vaughn, Chetty, Key, 4:11.50