EMPORIA, Kan. -- It came down to the final race.
Pittsburg State led West Texas State by 4.2 points going into the women’s 4x400-meter relay on Saturday at the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Welch Stadium. That meant the Gorillas had to finish within two spots of the Buffaloes to win the team championship.
West Texas State posted the fastest qualifying time one day earlier, and in the final, the Buffs won in 3 minutes, 32.18 seconds – the fastest time in D2 history.
The Gorillas’ quartet of Nikole Cozort, Isabel Abdouch, Kinleigh Hall and Mikah Edwards set a school record of 3:35.86. But they finished in fourth place – 0.20 seconds from third place – and the Gorillas wound up second in the standings 64-63.2.
“It was hard because the women did a phenomenal job,” PSU coach Kyle Rutledge said. “Top to bottom, how they competed. We weren’t even supposed to be that close. On the form chart, we were sitting at 48 points and West Texas was in the mid-70s. We knew if we got the ball rolling, we could be in the hunt.
“We were in a good position, and for the girls to be that close and to come up that short, it is heartbreaking. But I am so freaking proud of those women, how they competed to the very end. The 4x400 (relay), they gave everything they had, a school record there. The pole vault, the multis, you can’t be anything but proud of those girls.”
Earlier, the Gorillas picked up 11 points in the 100 hurdles as Zyra Shivers came in second with a personal-best 13.25 seconds and Kayvon Nubine was sixth in 13.53.
Jazmine Williamson also set a personal best, taking second in the high jump at 5-8.75, good for third place. Bethany Umbarger finished in a five-way tie for eighth place at 5-5.75.
The Gorillas’ 4x100 relay of Abdouch, Kiara Brown, Hall and Edwards were seventh in 45.78.
PSU’s Blakelee Winn finished her career in style, winning the long jump on Friday and taking second in the heptathlon with 5,898 points on Saturday.
“What a stud,” Rutledge said. “She is going to be sorely missed. You have a once-in-a-career like her, and you try and cherish those moments and enjoy it.”
The Gorillas accumulated 17 points in the pole vault as Breanne Peters captured the national championship, older sister Belle Peters took fifth and Cannon Booker was sixth.
“It was tough,” Rutledge said. “It started raining in the middle of the competition, but they stayed true to what they needed to do. They competed and got 17 points. Breanne Peters, a freshman, getting a national title. Her sister (Belle) was in there, and Cannon Booker jumped well. I’m really proud of all those girls and getting big points for the team. They kind of kick-started us along with the multis.”
Peyton Phillips finished fifth in the heptathlon with 5,352 points, giving the Gorillas 12 points in the event.
The Gorillas finished in the top-10 for the fifth consecutive year and logged their sixth top-5 finish in program history.
