CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Hot off a great outing at the Bob Larsen Distance Invitational hosted by UCLA in Los Angeles, Calif., the Arkansas Tech women's track & field team once again put together another strong performance at the Joey Haines Invitational. The team competed in the 3000 meter steeple, 1500 and the 800 where they produced another week of marked improvement and personal bests adding to the growing collection of impressive finishes just over the opening three meets of the outdoor season for the second year program.
 

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FINAL RESULTS

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3000 METER STEEPLE
The Golden Suns opened the day with the 3000 meter steeple, which was the first time the program has competed in the event. Their performance looked like anything but their first time as they took home the top two spots. Calli Beshore finished first with an 11:16.55 time, while Mary Beth Bailey came in right behind her in second with an 11:20.58 to close out an elite first go at the steeple for Arkansas Tech. Conference rival Harding was among the squads in the event the Golden Suns managed to beat out.

Following their performance, Beshore and Bailey now sit atop the Great American Conference with the two best times for the steeple. The pair also break into to the top performances on the national level as Beshore now owns the 14th best time in the country for Division II, while Bailey follows close behind with the 16th best finish in the steeple.

1500 METER
Next up was the 1500 as Ashlynn Mays, Morganne Browning, Marcie Cudworth and Kaelyn Dobbins laced up to go for the Golden Suns. Mays was the first to cross the finish line for Arkansas Tech with a 4:50.39 time. Browning soon followed with a 4:58.18 overall finish. Rounding out the group for the Golden Suns in the 1500 was Cudworth's 5:01.23 finish, while Dobbins clocked in with a 5:03.08 time.

The 4:50.39 time from Mays moved her up high in the GAC rankings for the 1500 as the sophomore now sits with the second best finish in the conference as the Golden Suns continue to dominate the top of the leader boards.

800 METER
Finally, closing out the day for the Golden Suns was the 800 that saw Karina Maravillas, Felicity West and Natalie Jennings participate. The first to clock in for Arkansas Tech in the 800 was Maravillas with a 2:19.63 overall time, while West produced a 2:25.30 finish. Rounding out the group was Jennings who finished with a 2:46.53 time.

The Golden Suns find themselves climbing the GAC leader boards once again landing in the top three as the time by Maravillas in the 800 notches her the third best time in the conference for the event.

Head women's track & field coach Brock Hime is loving the confidence level the team is holding at the moment.

"Really happy with today. We came up here to get some turnover in the legs with shorter events and most are walking away with personal bests. The ladies are running with confidence and you can see it. Calli and Mary Beth opened up in the steeple today, that's probably an event they will run again. To debut in an event and land the best marks in the conference is exciting. Great day, fight on!"

UP NEXT
The Golden Suns have a week of rest ahead of them as their next meet won't be until Friday, April 15 where they will travel to Little Rock, Ark. to compete in the Little Rock Twilight hosted by the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.