GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The William Carey Women's Indoor Track & Field tallied 238 points to capture their fourth consecutive SSAC Indoor Championship.
 
"With this year being considered a rebuilding year, our ladies proved that even in the face of challenges, greatness can be achieved," said Head Coach Ryan McKenzie. "Victory isn't just about crossing the finish line. It's also about overcoming every obstacle along the way. We knew this would be a tough two-day battle, but our athletes rose to the occasion."
 
"They embraced the mindset that we live by daily, "there's no hill too high for a stepper… you just have to step a little higher." And that's exactly what they did. I'm incredibly proud of this team for their resilience and determination in claiming the conference title. This marks our 4th indoor title in a row, and they've earned every bit of it."
 
"As I think of rebuilding, it's moments like this that reminds me that our foundation is strong, and with every victory, we lay the bricks for an even brighter future. The best is yet to come, and together, we will continue to build, grow, and rise to new heights."
 
On Friday, Syniah Sims, Jennifer Ezeoha, and Ja'Niya McDonald got things going in the 200m, posting times of 25.70, 25.85, and 26.03 to take fourth through sixth place. Ezeoha posted a time of 58.82 in the 400m to finish in third place with Aubrey Johnson taking seventh place.
 
In the 800m, WCU placed three inside the top five with Hannah Mitchell placing second with a time of 2:25. Blanca Conesa finished right behind Mitchell in third, posting a time of 2:26 with Auroura Latimer taking fifth with a time of 2:30.
 
In the final two track events on day one. Isabelle Wheeler grabbed the top spot in the 5000m with a time of 18:41 and the relay team of Mitchell, Latimer, Virginia Tirado, and Wheeler took first in the Distance Medley with a time of 13:32.
 
Moving on to the field events on Friday saw Fabiana Morales set a new SSAC Record in the prelims of the high jump with a mark of 1.65m and in the finals take first place with a mark of 1.62m. Kerrish Williams took fourth place with a mark of 1.57m with Fegor Clifford and Zaniyah Wilson taking fifth and seventh place.
 
Morales followed her first-place finish in the high jump with a first-place finish in the long jump with a mark of 5.78m. Williams took second in the long jump with a mark of 5.71m with Clifford posting a fourth-place finish with a mark of 5.59m. Also, finishing in the top ten was Wilson with a seventh-place finish.
 
On the final day of the championship, Salieci Myles posted a time of 7.63 in the 60m to finish in second place. Sims posted a time of 7.73 to take fifth with Zharia Bonner finishing in eighth place. in the 600m Clifford took third with a time of 1:40 while Latimer placed sixth.
 
In the 1000m, Mitchell posted a time of 3:18 to take third place and in the one-mile Conesa took first place with a time of 5:20 with Mitchell and Wheeler finishing in third and fourth place with times of 5:39 and 5:42.
 
Conesa and Wheeler went one two in the 3000m with times of 10:30 and 10:56 with V. Tirado placing seventh. Myles posted a time of 8:37 to find herself in second place in the 60m Hurdles with Aubrey Johnson taking fifth with a time of 11:43.
 
In the relays, the team of Ezeoha, Johnson, Morales, and Wilson posted a time of 4:00 in the 4x400 to take second with Mitchell, Latimer, Wheeler, and Conesa taking first in the 4x800 with a time of 10:36.
 
In the field events, the Lady Crusaders took the top five spots in the triple jump with Morales picking up her third first place finish of the championship with a mark of 12.56m. Clifford took second with a mark of 12.11m with Williams posting a mark of 11.20m. Wilson took fourth with a mark of 11.00m with Patrice Oatis finishing things off with a fifth place finish.
 
Next up for WCU is the NAIA Indoor Track & Field Championship being held February 27 – March 1 at the Alachua County Sports & Events Center at Celebration Pointe in Gainesville, Fla.