Women’s track team ranked No. 1

“It feels great to break a school record, especially because we were so close last year,” Meghan Finney, sophomore of Almont, Colo., said.

“It’s like all our hardworking paid off.”

The women’s track and field team is ranked first in the Central Region of the RMAC because of its performance at the University of Colorado Invitational Meet last Saturday in Boulder, Colo.

According to the NCAA Division II Regional Team Index listings on Tuesday morning, Chadron’s women obtained a week total of 334.71 points.

“Our women have improved and can win conference. We’re ranked number one in the region since the first time I have been here,” Ryan Baily said, who was named Head Coach in 2010.

In the women’s 4×100 relay runners Finney, Hannah Lee, freshman of Elizabeth, Colo., Trae Patch, sophomore of Lingle, Wyo., and Monique Fair, sophomore of Denver, Colo., posted the fastest time in school history, placing fourth in 47.63 seconds. University of Northern Colorado, Division I, won the race in 46.87.

“In track and field we don’t take the Division I hype. It’s overrated. A mark is a mark and if you run well you can beat anybody,” Coach Ryan Baily said.

Several women’s throwers also placed high. Alyssa Norton, sophomore of Rushville, took third sailing the discus 147-5 feet while Sadie Waugh, sophomore of Paxton, trailed at 145-5 in fourth.

Norton also was sixth in the shot put and senior Jessica Horsley was fourth in the hammer throw at 178-3.

Freshman Jazmyn Webster, of Cheyenne Wyo., secured second place in both the long jump at 18-2 ½ and the high jump at 5-5 ¼ , while senior Julia Bayer of Stuttgart, Germany took third in the long jump at 17-9 ¼.

“When you’re competing you don’t think about whose DI or DII. Our marks show that we’re just as good or better and we take pride in that,” Webster said.

The men’s team is ranked fourth in the Region with 295.12 points and displayed stellar marks at the Boulder Invite as well.

Sophomore Karl McFarlane, of Montego Bay, Jamaica, beat numerous Division I athletes, placing first in the hurdles at 14.38 seconds. According to the CSC Sports Information website, his best time was posted Thursday at 14.20 during the South Dakota School of Mines Invite, which broke the school record he set last season.

The men’s 4×100 set the schools third best time in history. Keegan Parr, senior of North Platte, Neb., McFarlane, Brandon Segelke, redshirt freshman of Sidney, Neb., and Jake Gruver, senior of Cheyenne, Wyo., placed second at the meet posting a 41.20.

Chadron will head to the Colorado State-Pueblo Invitational next weekend.

“We will see some more Division I this weekend. We need to compete against the best to be the best,” Baily said.