CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. — The second day of the Ohio Valley Conference Outdoor Championships saw a pair of weather delays – the second of which pushing the last three field events to Saturday – but didn't stop Little Rock from putting several athletes on the podium during a fast-paced day of competition at the Abe Stuber Track Complex on the SEMO campus.
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MEET RESULTS
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TEAM STANDINGS
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DAY 3 SCHEDULE
Heading into tomorrow's final day of competition, Little Rock is third in both the men's and women's team standings. The men have 50 points, a single point behind Eastern Illinois while SEMO has the lead with 95. The women have 30 points, nine back of second-place Eastern Illinois. SEMO also leads on the women's side with 72 points.
Field events will resume Saturday at 10 am with the men's high jump and women's long jump. Running finals will get started with the 4x100 relays at 12:30 pm.
TAKING THE PODIUM
Matthew Fox capped off his Little Rock career with his third OVC title in the men's decathlon,
Carolin Bielert took silver in the women's heptathlon,
Falon Short won silver in the men's long jump, and
Liberty Blackburn earned bronze in women's high jump. Decathlete
Patrick Young also took silver, ensuring Little Rock maintained its hold on the OVC multis.
Fox took his third straight decathlon title with a total of 7,262 points after finishing first Friday in the 110 hurdles, pole vault and javelin. His Little Rock career now includes a total of six OVC titles, including three straight indoor heptathlon golds. Young compiled 6,706 points to win silver, winning the discus on Friday and taking second in the 110 hurdles, javelin and 1500 meters.
Bielert totaled 4,743 points in her second-place heptathlon finish, setting a new personal best along the way. Her Friday performance included runner-up finishes in the 200 meters and long jump. Bielert missed the top spot by less than 200 points.
Blackburn also set a new personal best, clearing 1.69 meters (5-6.50) in the women's high jump to reach the podium and move from sixth to fourth in the program record book. Short took silver with a career-best jump of 7.42 meters (24-4.25) that moves him up to fourth in the Little Rock men's record book.
HEADING TO THE FINALS
Running preliminaries saw a large contingent of Trojans advance to Saturday's finals before weather postponed the last three field events of the day – women's discus, women's long jump, and men's high jump.
Aidan Edwards and
Tyler Moore advanced in the 110 hurdles while
Aaliyah Booker did the same in the 100 hurdles. In the 400 meters,
Juan Garza advanced on the men's side while
Majesty Omeye and
Zoa Adams advanced on the women's side. Four Trojans –
TaVieon Neal,
Morcellous Harris, Braden Bell, and
Nicari McGee – moved on to the finals of the men's 100 meters, and the duo of
Takia Palmer and Nevaeh Hill advanced on the women's side. In the 800 meters,
Devin Stevens advanced for the men while
Abby Machesky made the women's final.
PICKING UP POINTS
Several Little Rock athletes contributed to the Trojan team totals with finishes in the Top 8 for each event.
Madison Thomas (7
th in heptathlon) earned two points,
Morcellous Harris (5
th in men's long jump) earned four points, and
Nichole Thomas (6
th in women's high jump) took three points.
Preston Fuller earned two points after finishing 7
th in the decathlon.
