APSU Women’s Track and Field
Carbondale, IL – Austin Peay State University women’s track and field team had a noteworthy start to the indoor season, Friday, at the Saluki Fast Start, hosted at the SIU Rec Center.
Heading into the meet, head coach Doug Molnar was expecting to have a handle on his team’s progress from the fall training season. The results are in and Molnar’s team has high expectations.
“This is the best start, out of the gate, that we’ve had since I’ve been here,” Molnar said. “I was really impressed with where our long sprint group is; coach (Troy) Morris did a great job with that group over the fall.”
The sprinters were led by Cenitra Hudson’s ninth-place prelim finish in the 60-meter dash (7.91), which is less than four-tenths of a second off Sherlonda Johnson’s school record 7.68 time. Hudson’s mark was well improved from her 2010 personal best of 8.26.
Ashley Carson finished 13th in the 400-meter dash finals at 1:00.66, which was two seconds improved last season’s time. Chiamaka Obi placed second at 1:37.11 in the 600-meter dash and Leigha Tolliver and Carson finished seventh and eighth, respectively, in the 60-meter hurdles.
The 400-meter relay saw a pair of Lady Govs sprint groups finish inside the top six. The team of Carson, Obi, Candace Johnson and Alyxandra Pinkston ran at 4:02.35 to finish third. Hudson anchored the second team, along with Candace Cullors, Jasmine Moody and Taelor Slaughter, who finished sixth at 4:10.53.
In the field events, the Lady Govs were led by April Holman’s fourth-place finish in the high jump. Holman led three Lady Govs jumpers with a 5-03.00 height. As for the vaulters, Molly Basch reached a 3.08m height to finish seventh.
“The mile relay ran about seven seconds faster than what we opened up at last year,” Molnar said. “Obi was solid in the 600-meter dash, but the thing that surprised me the most was April Holman in the high jump. It was just an outstanding performance by her.”
