Murray State University Athletics
Photo by: Murray State Sports Information
Racers Third - Love Dominates At OVC Track & Field Championship
5/5/2012 11:09:00 AM | Women's Track and Field
Results I Gallery
The Murray State women's track & field squad came home with a third place finish at the Ohio Valley Conference Championships at the Abe Stuber Complex in Cape Girardeau, Mo.
The Racers have shown big improvement under head coach Jenny Severns who praised her team's support of each other and superior effort.
“I couldn't be happier,” Severns said. “Every single person contributed this weekend. We were able to win points that we didn't think we would get. Our team as a whole supported each other. This third place finish is a huge improvement over the OVC indoors where we finished sixth and we improved two spots from fifth last year at the outdoors.”
At 2:13 p.m., shortly after MSU's Alexis Love crossed the finish line with a time of 11.28 in the 100m dash and became OVC champion, the word “Olympics” was mentioned. Not only was Love's time a personal best, it also qualified her to participate in the USA Olympic Trails this summer in Eugene, Ore. Love was just shy of former Racer Heather Samuel who still owns the OVC record at 11.24 in 1994.
“We told Alexis to just go into the OVC's and just worry about getting points for the team,” Severns said. “We knew she was capable of running the Olympic standard, but it's great to see her do that. Alexis has realized that with success there is a natural leadership role that comes with it and she has done that well.”
Love kept won going away with an OVC Championships record in the 200m run with a time of 23.33.
Love's big day was only part of the story for the Racers at the OVC Championships.
MSU freshman, Tonia Pratt, who had already won the discus on Friday, started Saturday with a win in the OVC hammer throw with a distance of 154 feet, while teammate Addie Paris took eighth place at 133 feet 4 inches. Pratt finished her run at the OVC Championship by placing third in the shot put with a throw of 46 feet 8 inches. She was one of three Racers in the shot final as Paris took seventh place with a throw of 40 feet 8 inches and Ashley Conway finished ninth at 40 feet 1 inch.
“Throwing is something that we had no points from last year,” Severns said. “We got 27 points from that group this year. Tonia was the highest scoring individual in the meet with 24 points and that's great for anybody let alone a freshman.”
The Racers had a splendid effort in the 4x100m relay when Sharda Bettis , Halie Holloway, Love and LaShea Shaw won the OVC championship in the event with a time of 45.63. Their time was also a new record for the MSU program.
Moments later, Bettis took second in the 100m hurdles with a run of 13.91, while Shaw took third at 14.29.
Other finishes for the Racers included: MSU's 4x400m relay team of Bettis, Holloway, Love and Natalie Pattin, who came home in fifth place with a time of 3:48. Abbie Oliver ran a 4:43 to finish eighth in the 1500m, while Brittany Bohn was 13th at 4:57.
The 5,000m run was a brutally difficult race in 91 degree heat. Rebecca Hbettamu placed seventh with a time of 18:43.
The Racers took third in the OVC Championships and gave league powers Eastern Illinois and Southeast Missouri a run for the title. EIU won the event with 179.5 points, with SEMO in second place at 170 and the Racers in third with 112, just ahead of fourth place Jacksonville State at 111. Eastern Kentucky (77), Tennessee State (55.5), Morehead State (16) and Tennessee Tech (8) rounded out the field.
The Murray State women's track & field squad came home with a third place finish at the Ohio Valley Conference Championships at the Abe Stuber Complex in Cape Girardeau, Mo.
The Racers have shown big improvement under head coach Jenny Severns who praised her team's support of each other and superior effort.
“I couldn't be happier,” Severns said. “Every single person contributed this weekend. We were able to win points that we didn't think we would get. Our team as a whole supported each other. This third place finish is a huge improvement over the OVC indoors where we finished sixth and we improved two spots from fifth last year at the outdoors.”
At 2:13 p.m., shortly after MSU's Alexis Love crossed the finish line with a time of 11.28 in the 100m dash and became OVC champion, the word “Olympics” was mentioned. Not only was Love's time a personal best, it also qualified her to participate in the USA Olympic Trails this summer in Eugene, Ore. Love was just shy of former Racer Heather Samuel who still owns the OVC record at 11.24 in 1994.
“We told Alexis to just go into the OVC's and just worry about getting points for the team,” Severns said. “We knew she was capable of running the Olympic standard, but it's great to see her do that. Alexis has realized that with success there is a natural leadership role that comes with it and she has done that well.”
Love kept won going away with an OVC Championships record in the 200m run with a time of 23.33.
Love's big day was only part of the story for the Racers at the OVC Championships.
MSU freshman, Tonia Pratt, who had already won the discus on Friday, started Saturday with a win in the OVC hammer throw with a distance of 154 feet, while teammate Addie Paris took eighth place at 133 feet 4 inches. Pratt finished her run at the OVC Championship by placing third in the shot put with a throw of 46 feet 8 inches. She was one of three Racers in the shot final as Paris took seventh place with a throw of 40 feet 8 inches and Ashley Conway finished ninth at 40 feet 1 inch.
“Throwing is something that we had no points from last year,” Severns said. “We got 27 points from that group this year. Tonia was the highest scoring individual in the meet with 24 points and that's great for anybody let alone a freshman.”
The Racers had a splendid effort in the 4x100m relay when Sharda Bettis , Halie Holloway, Love and LaShea Shaw won the OVC championship in the event with a time of 45.63. Their time was also a new record for the MSU program.
Moments later, Bettis took second in the 100m hurdles with a run of 13.91, while Shaw took third at 14.29.
Other finishes for the Racers included: MSU's 4x400m relay team of Bettis, Holloway, Love and Natalie Pattin, who came home in fifth place with a time of 3:48. Abbie Oliver ran a 4:43 to finish eighth in the 1500m, while Brittany Bohn was 13th at 4:57.
The 5,000m run was a brutally difficult race in 91 degree heat. Rebecca Hbettamu placed seventh with a time of 18:43.
The Racers took third in the OVC Championships and gave league powers Eastern Illinois and Southeast Missouri a run for the title. EIU won the event with 179.5 points, with SEMO in second place at 170 and the Racers in third with 112, just ahead of fourth place Jacksonville State at 111. Eastern Kentucky (77), Tennessee State (55.5), Morehead State (16) and Tennessee Tech (8) rounded out the field.
Indiana State VS Murray State | MVC Baseball Tournament | Game Highlights
Friday, May 22
Evansville VS Murray State | Women's Basketball Game Highlights
Saturday, February 28
Head Coach Rechelle Turner | Racer Basketball | 2/26/26 Post Game Press Conference
Friday, February 27
Thomas & Pena | Racer Basketball | 2/26/26 Post Game Press Conference
Friday, February 27
