Thursday, May 11
Denton, TX
All Day
Rice University
vs
C-USA Championships
Owls Crowned as 2023 Conference USA Champions
5/14/2023 10:44:00 PM | Women's Track & Field
DENTON – The Rice women's track and field team took the lead on Day 1 and never looked back as the Owls earned their first outdoor title since 2016 at the 2023 Conference USA Championships in Denton, Texas.
Rice's 187 points ranks third all-time in C-USA and are the most points for a team since 1998 (218.5, Houston). The Owls also completed a rare mark in track and field by scoring in each of the 21 events this weekend.
Head coach Jim Bevan was named the 2023 C-USA Coach of the Year following his team's incredible performance this weekend. Bevan has now won nine track and field conference titles (five outdoors).
The day was started by Erna Gunnarsdottir's second-place finish in the shot put while Elena Siemens took fourth in the pole vault. Savannah Simms and Ginnie Okafor provided a 2-3 punch for the Owls in the triple jump.
Mckyla Van der Westhuizen took silver in the javelin while Josie Taylor added another silver in the high jump. Eliza Kraule picked up additional points in the high jump with a seventh-place finish.
Alyssa Balandran provided the first event title of the day in the 1500m while Taigen Hunter-Galvan finished right behind in second. Amelie Attenborough added more points in the event with a fifth-place finish.
Lindsay Simms continued the shine this weekend after her second-place heptathlon performance by taking sixth in the 100m hurdles and later seventh in the 400m hurdles. Savannah Simms also placed in multiple events for the day with a bronze in the 400m hurdles. Arayna Mickles had a fourth-place finish in the 400m while Kennedy Gamble had a terrific showing with a bronze in both the 100m and 200m.
The 800m saw four Owls place with Balandran and Hunter-Galvan going 2-3 while Amelie Attenborough and Ava White finished fifth and seventh, respectively. Rice sealed the championship in the 5000m with Lina Spjut's second-place finish while Caitlin Wosika followed up her 10,000m title with a seventh-place showing.
Postmeet Reaction from head coach Jim Bevan:
"So extremely happy and proud of our team!! A true team performance with scoring in all 21 events! Very rare in track and field to be able to score everywhere. They were determined and competed above their heads. We had numerous lifetime bests and season bests. Whenever and wherever we were challenged, we responded!! Amazing! 187 points!! The highest point total by a Rice team and the most ever in C-USA in 25 years. What a way to finish our history in Conference USA, as champions!
RESULTS (Top 8 finishers)
4x100 Relay
5. L. Simms, Gamble, Bogan, Mickles – 46.14s
4x400 Relay
6. Mickles, Gamble, Hunter-Galvan, S. Simms – 3:50.70
100m
3. Gamble – 11.50s
100m Hurdles
6. L. Simms – 14.19s
200m
3. Gamble – 23.59s
400m
4. Mickles – 54.85s
400m Hurdles
3. S. Simms – 1:00.19
800m
2. Balandran – 2:08.05
3. Hunter-Galvan – 2:09.08
5. Attenborough – 2:11.94
7. White – 2:14.70
1500m
1. Balandran – 4:33.75
2. Hunter-Galvan – 4:34.11
5. Attenborough – 4:37.85
5000m
2. Spjut – 16:51.73
7. Wosika – 17:11.17
FIELD EVENTS
Shot Put
2. Gunnarsdottir – 16.96m (55-07.75)
Pole Vault
4. Siemens – 3.80m (12-05.5)
Triple Jump
2. S. Simms – 12.68m (41-07.25)
3. Okafor – 12.67m (41-07.00)
Javelin
2. Van der Westhuizen – 54.19m (177-09)
High Jump
2. Taylor – 1.79m (5-10.50)
7. Kraule – 1.65m (5-05.00)
Team Scores
1. Rice – 187
2. Charlotte – 146.5
3. UTSA – 111
4. UTEP – 95
5. MTSU – 70
6. FIU – 59.5
7. UNT – 57
8. UAB – 28
9. FAU – 25
10. WKU – 24
11. LA Tech – 14
UP NEXT
The Owls will be back in action in two weeks for the NCAA West Prelims in Sacramento, Calif.
Rice's 187 points ranks third all-time in C-USA and are the most points for a team since 1998 (218.5, Houston). The Owls also completed a rare mark in track and field by scoring in each of the 21 events this weekend.
Head coach Jim Bevan was named the 2023 C-USA Coach of the Year following his team's incredible performance this weekend. Bevan has now won nine track and field conference titles (five outdoors).
The day was started by Erna Gunnarsdottir's second-place finish in the shot put while Elena Siemens took fourth in the pole vault. Savannah Simms and Ginnie Okafor provided a 2-3 punch for the Owls in the triple jump.
Mckyla Van der Westhuizen took silver in the javelin while Josie Taylor added another silver in the high jump. Eliza Kraule picked up additional points in the high jump with a seventh-place finish.
Alyssa Balandran provided the first event title of the day in the 1500m while Taigen Hunter-Galvan finished right behind in second. Amelie Attenborough added more points in the event with a fifth-place finish.
Lindsay Simms continued the shine this weekend after her second-place heptathlon performance by taking sixth in the 100m hurdles and later seventh in the 400m hurdles. Savannah Simms also placed in multiple events for the day with a bronze in the 400m hurdles. Arayna Mickles had a fourth-place finish in the 400m while Kennedy Gamble had a terrific showing with a bronze in both the 100m and 200m.
The 800m saw four Owls place with Balandran and Hunter-Galvan going 2-3 while Amelie Attenborough and Ava White finished fifth and seventh, respectively. Rice sealed the championship in the 5000m with Lina Spjut's second-place finish while Caitlin Wosika followed up her 10,000m title with a seventh-place showing.
"So extremely happy and proud of our team!! A true team performance with scoring in all 21 events! Very rare in track and field to be able to score everywhere. They were determined and competed above their heads. We had numerous lifetime bests and season bests. Whenever and wherever we were challenged, we responded!! Amazing! 187 points!! The highest point total by a Rice team and the most ever in C-USA in 25 years. What a way to finish our history in Conference USA, as champions!
4x100 Relay
5. L. Simms, Gamble, Bogan, Mickles – 46.14s
4x400 Relay
6. Mickles, Gamble, Hunter-Galvan, S. Simms – 3:50.70
100m
3. Gamble – 11.50s
100m Hurdles
6. L. Simms – 14.19s
200m
3. Gamble – 23.59s
400m
4. Mickles – 54.85s
400m Hurdles
3. S. Simms – 1:00.19
800m
2. Balandran – 2:08.05
3. Hunter-Galvan – 2:09.08
5. Attenborough – 2:11.94
7. White – 2:14.70
1500m
1. Balandran – 4:33.75
2. Hunter-Galvan – 4:34.11
5. Attenborough – 4:37.85
5000m
2. Spjut – 16:51.73
7. Wosika – 17:11.17
FIELD EVENTS
Shot Put
2. Gunnarsdottir – 16.96m (55-07.75)
Pole Vault
4. Siemens – 3.80m (12-05.5)
Triple Jump
2. S. Simms – 12.68m (41-07.25)
3. Okafor – 12.67m (41-07.00)
Javelin
2. Van der Westhuizen – 54.19m (177-09)
High Jump
2. Taylor – 1.79m (5-10.50)
7. Kraule – 1.65m (5-05.00)
Team Scores
1. Rice – 187
2. Charlotte – 146.5
3. UTSA – 111
4. UTEP – 95
5. MTSU – 70
6. FIU – 59.5
7. UNT – 57
8. UAB – 28
9. FAU – 25
10. WKU – 24
11. LA Tech – 14
The Owls will be back in action in two weeks for the NCAA West Prelims in Sacramento, Calif.