APSU Sports Information
Clarksville, TN – Austin Peay State University track and field kicks off its bid for a conference title, Thursday afternoon, at the 2017 Ohio Valley Conference Outdoor Championships at Choccolocco Park in Oxford, Alabama.
Friday’s action features all track prelims, the final heptathlon events and high jump, pole vault, long jump and discus events, starting at 9:15am, while Saturday’s final day kicks off at 11:00am.
Seeking to defend her title in the pole vault, sophomore Savannah Amato hopes to lead Austin Peay to a sweep of the podium in Oxford. She leads the league at 4.03m (13-2.50), with teammate Dascha Hix in second (3.75m; 12-3.50).
Junior Gretchen Rosch hopes to break into the top-three and snare her first OVC medal; she ranks fourth (3.60m; 11-9.75), behind only Southeast Missouri’s Sierra Maddox. The women’s pole vault kicks off 3:00pm, Friday.
Both Kaylnn Pitts and Chancis Jones seek to medal in the jumps. After battling injuries last season, both have returned with a vengeance in 2017, ranking in the top-three in both the long and triple jump—Jones, who won the gold at the 2015 OVC Outdoor Championships, is second in the league in the triple jump (12.90m; 42-4.00), while Pitts is third in both events and hungry for her first career gold in conference competition.
Two high jumpers stand a chance at earning points for the Govs—sophomore Nia Gibbs-Francis ranks sixth in the league (1.67m; 5-5.75), while junior Keyondria Ross currently sits in ninth (1.64m; 5-4.50).
A pair of senior track standouts prepare for one final shot at OVC glory. In the 100m hurdles, Myiah Johnson broke the school record in her last meet at the Memphis Invitational and ranks third in the league (13.68) after pikcing up bronze in the event as a freshman and sophomore.
Terri Morris is also primed for her final run in the red-and-white. She ranks fifth in the 400m dash entering the event and also will compete in the 200m and aid the Govs in the relay events; she looks to add to the 11 medals she’s won during her Austin Peay career.
Garielle Netter stands a good chance of medaling in the event, ranking third in the conference heading into the championships (11.94), while Diamond Battle (sixth, 12.01) and Tymeitha Tolbert (ninth, 12.19) could give Austin Peay a trio of finalists in the event.
After earning bronze at the 2017 OVC Indoor championships, senior Christiana Harris hopes to go out with a bang for the Govs. Her 3,969 points accrued in the event at the Joe Walker Invitational ranks her sixth entering the meet.
A recap will be posted at LetsGoPeay.com following each day’s conclusion, while updates will be available on Twitter (@AustinPeayXCTF). LetsGoPeay.com will have on-the-ground coverage of Saturday’s final day of events.
