APSU Sports: Austin Peay Women’s Track and Field
Nashville, TN – Austin Peay State University women’s track and field team showed no rust at Saturday’s Ed Temple Invitational, hosted by Tennessee State. In its first meet in nearly a month, the Lady Govs had a number of impressive individual performances.
Austin Peay had two individual wins in the field and one on the track, Saturday. Senior transfer Jasmine Foster continued her early-season success with a victory in the shot put. Her 13.83m (45′ 4.5″) toss put her more than a foot past her closest competitor. Foster later finished sixth in the weight throw with a 14.42m (47′ 3″) mark.
In the pole vault, senior Nichole Bressner (3.35m) and junior Molly Basch (3.10m) finished first and second, respectively. Freshman Hannah Johnstono (2.20m) was fourth.
Senior Chantelle Grey won the 800m run – the same event she qualified for in last season’s NCAA East Preliminary Round – with a 2:16.30 mark. She blew away the competition, besting the field by nearly five seconds.
After barely qualifying for the finals of the 55m hurdles, senior Lauren Lyles shaved more than two-tenths of a second off her qualifying time and placed fifth – third among collegiate entrants – in the finals with a personal-best 8.33 run.
In sprint action, sophomore Erika Adams (personal-best 7.18, fifth) and freshman Breigh Jones (58.85, fourth) placed at the head of the field in the 55m dash and 400m dash, respectively. Jones, Grey, freshman Kymmalett Ross and junior Taelor Slaughter also earned a third-place finish in the 4x400m relay with a 3:59.58 mark.
“Overall, I was very pleased,” Molnar said. “We’ve got a lot of youth, so there’s still room to grow but this was a good starting point.”
The Lady Govs continue the season next weekend in Birmingham, AL, at the UAB Blazer Invitational.
