Track and field teams pull off rare feat as both capture conference titles

For the first time since 2011, the Cowley College men and women's outdoor track and field teams captured Jayhawk Conference Eastern Division titles as they each placed first at the Region VI/Jayhawk Conference Championships held Thursday through Saturday in Garden City, KS.

"It took a team effort and everyone chipping in for us to capture both conference titles," Cowley head coach Cameron Rieth said.

The Tiger men were led by Diego Andres-Dougan breaking his own school-record in the 110-meter hurdles (13.92) and finishing as the conference and region champion in the event.

"Diego really put together an impressive race," Rieth said.

Other Tiger men to finish as conference champions were Santiago Nunez-Gonzalez in the 3,000-meter steeplechase (10:19.49), and Adrian Diaz-Lopez in the 5,000-meter run (15:31.95). Cowley had the top-three finishers in the men's 3,000-meter steeplechase.

Karissa Glover led the Lady Tigers by being named conference champion in the 1,500-meter run (5:13.72) and 5,000-meter run (20:07.94). She also ran as part of the conference champion 4x800-meter relay team (9:57.32) consisting of herself, Layla Ingalls, Asaris Dandicourt-Goire, and Abigail Pinnock.

Other Lady Tiger conference champions were Kristen Wilson in the 10,000-meter run (44:52.84), Lashae' Smith in the heptathlon (3,182 points), Shardenai Davis in the javelin (131-3), Kayla McClellan in the hammer (148-10), and Arantxa Cortez in the pole vault (10-10 ¼).

The Lady Tigers had the top-three finishers in the conference in the pole vault and hammer throw.

"Our throwers stepped up like they have done all season and helped a bunch," Rieth said. "It took everyone buying into what we were trying to do in order to win the conference titles."

Cloud County was the region champion on both the men and women's side, while the Lady Tigers placed third in the region and the Tiger men finished fourth.

The Tiger track and field teams will next compete at the NJCAA Division I Outdoor Championships May 19-21 in Hutchinson, KS.

"We will show up ready to roll," Rieth said. "We hope to stay healthy, keep getting better and get some people on the podium."