Posted: Feb 21, 2022

Tiger track and field teams place second in the conference

The Cowley College track and field teams attended the Region VI/Jayhawk Conference Indoor Championship meet Saturday and Sunday in Pittsburg, KS. The teams each had an individual Region VI champion and several Jayhawk Conference champions as both the men and women's teams placed second in the conference. The Lady Tigers also finished fourth in the region, while the men finished fifth.

The Tiger coaching staff knew going in that it would take everyone getting their marks to make a good team showing happen.

"Most year's these results would win conference," Cowley head coach Cameron Rieth said. "This is the most competitive the region has been, from top to bottom, since I started coaching."

Fort Scott took home the men and women's conference titles, while Cloud County was the region champion on the men and women's side.

Cowley sophomore Adrian Diaz-Lopez won his second straight indoor conference title in the mile-run and was also the region champion in the event.

"Adrian was coming off an illness and was still able to do big things," Rieth said.

The Lady Tigers' vaulting squad consisting of Arantxa Cortez (conference/region champion), Channa Hines (second), and Jacie Carson (third) scored a perfect 24 points in the conference.

"They all showed up and competed well," Rieth said.

The Cowley women's 3,000-meter squad consisting of Karissa Glover (conference champion), Kristen Wilson (second), and Delicia Boothe (fourth) scored a near-perfect 23 points.

The Tiger men's shot put squad registered the highest point total across the conference with 13 points. While, the Lady Tigers' weight squad was led by freshman Bernesha Knowles with the number one throw in the Jayhawk East Conference, and the team had the highest point total of 19 points.

Tiger freshman Diego Andres-Dougan continued his assault on the record books as he broke the 60-meter hurdle record with a time of 8.08. The record was previously set by Dominique Carrasco in 2017.

Also performing well was the Tiger men's and women's distance medley relay teams as they each placed first in the conference.

The Tiger track and field teams will head back to Pittsburg, KS March 3-5 to compete in the NJCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships.

"We hope they do the best they can and rise to the occasion," Rieth said. "For a lot of our athletes it will be there first time competing at nationals. We hope they don't back away from the big stage."

Cowley results:

NJCAA Division I National Qualifying marks hit

Karissa Glover - Women's 3,000m run

Santiago Nunez - Men's 3,000m run

Adrian Diaz-Lopez - Men's Mile

Luke Faulkner - Men's Pole Vault

Region VI Champions

Arantxa Cortez - Women's Pole Vault

Adrian Diaz-Lopez - Men's Mile

Jayhawk East Champions

Luke Faulkner - Men's Pole Vault

Adrian Diaz-Lopez - Men's Mile