Murray State University Athletics
Murray State
Kentucky
Rachel Hagans Breaks 41-year old school Long Jump Record
4/23/2022 8:27:00 PM | Women's Track and Field
Rachel Hagans made history as the Murray State track & field team performed in Lexington and Champaign
Murray State's Rachel Hagans was the top performer for the Racer women's track & field team at the Kentucky Invitational and the Illinois Invitational
At the UK Track & Field Complex in Lexington, Ky., Hagans shattered the Murray State long jump record that had stood for 41 years when she made a leap of 6.59m. Destined to compete in the NCAA Regional and maybe beyond, Hagans now has the eighth-best leap this outdoor season in NCAA D-I.
The previous record was set in 1981 by Allison Manley who had a long jump of 6.34m, but now Hagans has set the mark to where it may stand for another 41 years, unless she tops it herself before this spring season is finished.
🚨BREAKING NEWS🚨:@MurrayStateXCTF 's Rachel Hagans just SHATTERED the school LONG JUMP record with a 6️⃣.5️⃣9️⃣m.
— Murray State Sports (@MSURacers) April 22, 2022
She beat the previous record by 0️⃣.2️⃣5️⃣m, which stood for 4️⃣1️⃣ years!
It's also the 8️⃣th best jump in D1️⃣ this season!#WeAreRacers#TheRaceIsOn🏇🏇🏇 pic.twitter.com/p5iaW24kdc
Kayla Bell and Amirr Evans had a big day in the 800m event as the Racer pair moved up to first and second this season in the OVC with times of 2:08.34 and 2:08.35. Bell also had a fourth place showing in the 400m event. Amyah Davis placed fourth in the 400m hurdles.
Murray State's 4x100m relay team placed second with the best time in the OVC of 45.44. The team members are Hannah Malone, Teliyah James, JaKayla McSwain and Hagans.
Some of the Murray State distance runners competed at the University of Illinois. MSU's Dani Wright bested her PR in the 1500m by 4.7 seconds which is seventh all-time at MSU. Ruth Kimutai won her heat in the 5000m and had a gutsy finish in the final four laps.
"The energy and effort this weekend in Lexington was some of the best we have displayed this year," said Coach Adam Kiesler. "Not one event came and went with out someone moving up the OVC list. The competition all around was awesome which allowed us to really feel what OVC might be like in a few weeks. Overall the staff is very proud of the weekend and we look forward to building on this moving forward."
The Racers have one more event before the big one in the OVC Championship. MSU competes (April 29-30) at the Music City Challenge hosted by Vanderbilt in Nashville.
Murray State is proud to be the host institution for the 2022 OVC Men's & Women's Outdoor Track & Field Championships (May 11-13) at Roy Stewart Stadium & Marshall Gage Track in Murray, Ky.
About Murray State Athletics
Located in Murray, Kentucky, the athletics department of Murray State University is a NCAA Division I member and plays in the Football Championship Subdivision. The Racers have 15 programs including men's teams for baseball, basketball, cross country, football and golf and women's teams for basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, tennis, track & field and volleyball, as well as a mixed gender rifle team. Currently a member of the Ohio Valley Conference, the Racers will join the Missouri Valley Conference on July 1, 2022.
Players Mentioned
