Ladies Tie For Seventh At SCAC Championships

SAN ANTONIO, Texas - Colorado College held off a late challenge from Trinity University and stamped its name in the conference history book with the program's first-ever SCAC Women's Track & Field championship Sunday afternoon at Trinity University Stadium. Official Website | Day Two Results | Day Two Photos

Despite a DQ in the final event, the 4x400 relay, the CC women pulled away to earn a program-record 216 points - outpointing second-place Trinity University by 18.5 points and snapping their run of eight straight team titles.

Three individual titles on Sunday helped lead Colorado College to the title as Isabel Olson won the 5000 meters, Emma Fowkes the high jump and Kendall Accetta the 1500 meters.

Texas Lutheran junior Julissa Rodriguez, who took first place in the hammer, second in the javelin and third place in both the discus and shot put, totaled 30 points to earn 2024 Women's Athlete-of-the-Meet honors. It is the second career award for Rodriguez who earned a share of the honor at the 2022 championships, which were also held at Trinity.

FINAL STANDINGS

1. Colorado College - 216
2. Trinity - 197.5 
3. Texas Lutheran - 174.5
4. Southwestern - 92
5. St. Thomas - 78
6. Schreiner - 2
T7. Centenary - 0
T7. Dallas - 0

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Colorado College runners swept the awards stand for the third straight year in the 5,000 meters to set the tone for what was to come on Sunday. Junior Isabel Olson (watch post race interview) picked up gold in the event and crossed the line in a winning time of 17:52.52. Teammates sophomore Alison Mueller-Hickler and junior Elliot Singer finished second and third, respectively, in times of 17:56.67 and 18:04.62 to earn silver and bronze for the Tigers.
• In the first field event of the morning, Trinity swept the top three positions on the awards stand in the triple jump for the third consecutive year led by junior Joy Areola (watch post event interview) who defended her title for the second straight year with a conference record breaking leap of 12.06 meters (39' 6 3/4"). She is the fourth straight Trinity woman to win the triple jump and the eighth in the last nine years. She is also the first woman to win the event three straight years since Rhodes College's Jessie Hunt accomplished the feat in 2000, 2001 and 2002. Trinity first-year Ciandra Carrico finished second in this year's competition with a jump of 10.70 meters (35' 1 1/4") and junior Maddy Wietstruck was third with a leap of 10.29 meters (33' 9"). 
• After two straight years of finishing as runner-up at the conference meet, Southwestern senior Taylor Hubbard broke through (watch post event interview) and earned her first career gold in the javelin with a toss of 35.65 meters (117' 0"). Junior Julissa Rodriguez of Texas Lutheran placed second with a throw of 32.08 meters (105' 3") and sophomore Sydney Braun of Southwestern was third with her 31.86 meter (104' 6") effort.
• Colorado College senior Emma Fowkes (watch post event interview), a year after finishing as runner-up, earned gold in the high jump with an effort of 1.62 meters (5' 3 3/4"). It marked the fifth time in six years a CC Tiger has earned top honors in the event. Fellow senior and teammate April Kwan as runner-up with a clearance of 1.57 meters (5' 1 3/4") and sophomore Katelyn Brown of Texas Lutheran finished third with a best of 1.52 meters (4' 11 3/4").
• Texas Lutheran sophomore Kirsten Smith (watch post event interview) earned top honors in the discus, leading the field with a winning toss of 39.39 meters (129' 3"). First-year Rachel Bell of Trinity was second with a throw of 36.84 meters (120' 10") and TLU junior Julissa Rodriguez, who picked up her fourth medal of the meet, placed third with a toss of 35.43 meters (116' 3").
• St. Thomas first-year Peyton Walton picked up her first career gold medal with a win in the 100 meter hurdles (watch post race interview). She broke the tape at 14.95 and became the second straight freshamn from UST to win the event (following Ebonee Nation). Both Colorado College senior Emma Fowkes, who finished second at 15.23 and Texas Lutheran junior Taylor Norrell, who was third in 15.36, earned their second career all-SCAC honor in the event.
• Junior CC Gray of Trinity (watch post event interview), continued her steady climb in the 400 meter dash. After finishing third as a freshman and runner-up a year ago, Gray took top honors at this year's meet, finishing with a winning time of 56.89 - a new school record and the fourth-fastest time in SCAC championship history. Sophomore Clara Lippert of Colorado College placed second in a time of 58.22 and Trinity senior Hayley Huck was third in 58.33.
• For the second consecutive year, the title of "fastest woman in the SCAC" belongs to Trinity Murdock of Texas Lutheran (watch post race interview). The senior broke the tape in the 100 meters in a time of 12.11 - the third-fastest time in the history of the conference meet. A pair of St. Thomas runners followed as sophomore Trinity Provost was second in 12.36 and junior Ny'Cierra Hinton, who made her third consecutive appearance on the 100 meter award's podium, finished third in 12.54.
• Senior Kendall Accetta of Colorado College (watch post race interview) took top honors in the 1500 meters with a time of 4:39.14 and by doing so, effectively locked up the team trophy for the CC Tigers. Her performance was good for the fourth-fastest time in SCAC championships history and was her second career win in the event (2022). Her teammate, junior Isabel Olson, finished in second with a time of 4:39.30, and sophomore Breanna Steele of Southwestern was third in 4:40.29.
• The 2024 championship culminated with the 4x400 relay and the Trinity foursome of sophomore Lilly Broussard, junior CC Gray, first-year Annette Smith, and senior Hayley Huck closed out the meet for the homestanding Tigers with a first place in a time of 3:56.44 (watch post race interview) - the second-fastest time ever at the conference meet. St. Thomas finished second in 3:58.13 and Texas Lutheran was third in 4:04.34.