Thursday, May 12
Kalamazoo, MI
All Day
Ball State University
vs
Mid-American Conference Outdoor Championships
Photo by: Ball State Athletics
Griffith, Jones capture gold on final day of MAC Championships
May 14, 2022 | Track & Field
Griffith wins high jump, Jones wins 800-meter run
KALAMAZOO, Mich. – On the final day of the 2022 Mid-American Conference Outdoor Championship, the Ball State track and field team was highlighted by event wins by Charity Griffith and Kayla Jones. Griffith won the high jump at 1.76m, while Jones took the 800-meter run title in a time of 2:07.61 Saturday.
Griffith and Jones' titles were two of the three won by Cardinals over the week as Karlie Zumbro earned the heptathlon crown for the second consecutive year.
"The ladies competed, went out there and put forth a really good effort this week," head coach Adrian Wheatley said. "We had three champions between Karlie, Charity and Kayla, and it was awesome to see how they continued to compete. We also had a lot of first-time finalists and people who were on the podium for the first time as contributors to the team.
"Overall, I was pleased. We want more. As a group, we need to continue to keep pushing the envelope and keep working hard. If we do that, we're going to be in a position that we're excited about in the next couple of years."
As a team, Ball State picked up 40 of its 54 total points Saturday afternoon. The 54 team points was good for ninth overall.
Competing for the final time in a Cardinal uniform, Karleigh Conner joined Jones as point contributors in the 800-meter run. Conner placed eighth with a time of 2:15.22.
Jenna Oriani racked up points on her own in a pair of races after placing seventh in the 200-meter dash (24.47) and eighth in the 100-meter dash (11.95). Her 200-meter time was her first wind-legal sub-24.8 time of the season.
Zumbro contributed a fifth-place finish in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 1:00.45.
In the 400-meter dash, Alexis Thigpen and Payton Barlow placed seventh and eighth, respectively. Thigpen crossed the line in 55.44, while Barlow finished in 55.73. Emma Potter logged a ninth-place finish in her first career outdoor finals appearance with a time of 56.19.
The 4x100-meter relay team of Kennedy Batts, Oriani, Aaleiah Winford and Michelle Lehmann ran a season-best time of 45.94, good for fourth overall.
Wrapping up the competition, the 4x400-meter relay squad featuring Thigpen, Potter, Barlow and Jones crossed the line in 3:42.92, which was fifth best.
While final marks are being assembled across the country, individuals will receive notice if they have qualified for the NCAA Prelims next week. The NCAA East Prelims are set to take place in Bloomington, Ind., May 25-28.
Griffith and Jones' titles were two of the three won by Cardinals over the week as Karlie Zumbro earned the heptathlon crown for the second consecutive year.
"The ladies competed, went out there and put forth a really good effort this week," head coach Adrian Wheatley said. "We had three champions between Karlie, Charity and Kayla, and it was awesome to see how they continued to compete. We also had a lot of first-time finalists and people who were on the podium for the first time as contributors to the team.
"Overall, I was pleased. We want more. As a group, we need to continue to keep pushing the envelope and keep working hard. If we do that, we're going to be in a position that we're excited about in the next couple of years."
As a team, Ball State picked up 40 of its 54 total points Saturday afternoon. The 54 team points was good for ninth overall.
Competing for the final time in a Cardinal uniform, Karleigh Conner joined Jones as point contributors in the 800-meter run. Conner placed eighth with a time of 2:15.22.
Jenna Oriani racked up points on her own in a pair of races after placing seventh in the 200-meter dash (24.47) and eighth in the 100-meter dash (11.95). Her 200-meter time was her first wind-legal sub-24.8 time of the season.
Zumbro contributed a fifth-place finish in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 1:00.45.
In the 400-meter dash, Alexis Thigpen and Payton Barlow placed seventh and eighth, respectively. Thigpen crossed the line in 55.44, while Barlow finished in 55.73. Emma Potter logged a ninth-place finish in her first career outdoor finals appearance with a time of 56.19.
The 4x100-meter relay team of Kennedy Batts, Oriani, Aaleiah Winford and Michelle Lehmann ran a season-best time of 45.94, good for fourth overall.
Wrapping up the competition, the 4x400-meter relay squad featuring Thigpen, Potter, Barlow and Jones crossed the line in 3:42.92, which was fifth best.
While final marks are being assembled across the country, individuals will receive notice if they have qualified for the NCAA Prelims next week. The NCAA East Prelims are set to take place in Bloomington, Ind., May 25-28.
Players Mentioned
Sprints
/ Track & Field
Sprints/Hurdles
/ Track & Field
Distance
/ Track & Field
High Jump
/ Track & Field
Sprints
/ Track & Field
Sprints/Jumps
/ Track & Field
Sprints
/ Track & Field
Sprints
/ Track & Field
Sprints
/ Track & Field
Sprints
/ Track & Field
Multis/Hurdles
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