Track and field teams led by five All-Americans
The Cowley College men's and women's track and field teams recently traveled to Monroe, LA, for the 2024 Outdoor National championships to battle the nation's best in the junior college ranks as well as the heat and humidity of the south.
The program was able to come back to Arkansas City with five All-American performances. The weekend's big surprise was freshman Bree Rowe in the discus, where she had a massive personal best and garnered All-American honors by placing seventh. Most of the Tiger athletes that competed at the national meet were freshmen.
"Some of our squad had a tough weekend navigating the weather and the big stage," Cowley head coach Cameron Rieth said. "We looked our age in several events, but I think it was a great learning experience for all of our athletes that were able to compete. The level of competition at this meet is no joke and is only getting tougher and tougher each year, so we need to bring it whenever we get to the national meet."
Fellow Lady Tiger freshmen Cierra Gray and Kennedy Kizarr earned All-American honors as Gray placed sixth in the shot put and Kizarr finished seventh in the pole vault.
Tiger freshman Victor Morfin had the squad's top finish, as the All-American placed fourth in the high jump.
Julien Washington, the lone sophomore All-American, placed sixth in the hammer throw to become a two-time All-American for the Tigers.
"Seeing Julien accomplish that was great to see," Rieth said. "Then, seeing our four freshmen step up and compete was also impressive. It was a good trip overall, and we hate to see our sophomores move on, but we are excited to see them progress at their next school. We are already looking forward to our group for next year."
Other Tigers to do well at the national meet were Pedro Balenstini in the 3,000-meter steeplechase and the Lady Tigers' 4x800-meter relay team of Tavarie Campbell, Kayli Myers, Brittannia Willis, and Savannah Fischer.
Overall, the Tiger men placed 21st in the team standings. Meanwhile, the Lady Tigers finished in 27th place. The South Plains College men captured its fourth straight national title, while the New Mexico Junior College women's team won its second straight national championship.
Other Tiger men to compete at nationals were Garrah Bauer, Dagen Geier, Mason Bickle, Miquel Cruz, Jacob Creswell, Ranaldo Hanna, Riley Hunter, and Brett Clevenger.
Other Lady Tigers at the national meet were Kayli Myers, Mayce McDonald, Brianna Lee, Jamilet Bautista Infante, Dakota Dapper, and Riannon St. Clair.