Highlighting the day for the Bears was junior Leander Ernest.  Ernest added yet another conference title to her resume.  After setting the distance medley relay meet record yesterday, Ernest took the title in today’s 400-meter final.  She won the race with a time of 55.10 seconds.  Teammate Yaneika Malcolm placed seventh with a time of 57.76 seconds.

Ernest and Malcolm teamed up with Rashida Allen and Kindra Perkins on the 4x400-meter relay team that placed second in the finals.  Their time of 3:46.65 was a mere .15 seconds behind the winning pace.

In the 200-meter finals, Ernest and Allen finished second and third, respectively.  Ernest ran a 24.99 second race, while Allen was right behind her at 25.02 seconds.

Pasca Cheruiyot paced the Bears in the 3,000-meter run with a second-place finish.  She finished in a time of 9:44.83.  Freshman Terry Phillips placed fourth at 10:01.45, while senior Jamie Vest came in 14th at 10:16.32.  Other Bear finishes in the 3,000-meter run were:  Staci Nelson at 10:30.29, Andrea Marshall at 10:37.81 and Stephanie Harres at 10:40.87.  Marshall’s time was a personal best.

Senior Asher Kyger led the way for Missouri State in the mile run.  Kyger placed second with a time of 4:53.70.  Terry Phillips set a personal best in the event at 4:55.08, placing third.  Staci Nelson also finished in the top-10 with a ninth-place finish at 5:06.39.

Kyger also ran the 800-meter final.  She placed seventh with a time of 2:18.79.

Senior Alexandria Oembler reached the finals of both the 60-meter hurdles and the 60-meter dash.  In the hurdles, Oembler placed fourth at 8.79 seconds.  She ended up eighth in the dash at 7.87 seconds.  Teammates Shantel Llewellyn and Corteneé Boulard finished sixth and seventh, respectively.  Llewellyn tied her personal best at 7.74 seconds.

In the field, Mareneika Goffe set a personal best in the high jump finals.  She reached a height of 5-08.75 feet and finished second.  Her sister, Zaleika Goffe, tied a personal best at 5-04.25 in tying for sixth place.

Shawnté Middlebrook placed eighth in the triple jump.  She jumped to a 37-04.00 foot distance in the finals.

Jeláni Kelly set a personal best in the shot put.  Her distance of 42-00.75 feet was almost a full foot farther than her previous best.  She placed 11th in the finals.

Day One Finals Highlights

The Bears distance medley relay team of Staci Nelson, Kindra Perkins, Asher Kyger and Pasca Cheruiyot broke the Missouri Valley Conference meet record with a time of 11:42.69.  They won the event and scored 10 points for Missouri State.

In the 5,000-meter run finals, the Bears placed three runners in the top-eight.  Pasca Cheruiyot finished second with a time of 16:33.50, breaking the meet record in the process.  Terry Phillips was the next runner across the finish line, placing third with a time of 17:19.00.  Jamie Vest was the final Bear in the top-eight, finishing eighth at 17:43.44.

Shawnté Middlebrook placed eighth in the finals of the long jump.  Her distance of 5.61 meters (18-05.00 feet) scored another point for the Bears.

Jeláni Kelly set a personal best in the weight throw.  Her distance of 14.45 meters (47-05.00 feet) was more than three feet farther than her previous best.  She finished 14th in the event.

The Bears track and field team will be back in action on Friday as they travel to South Bend, Ind., to compete at the Alex Wilson Invitational.  Events begin at 5:00 p.m. on Friday at the Loftus Center.