Track/Field (updated): SMU repeats as AAC outdoor champions!

[DanFreibergerForHeisman]

SMU is in good position to win The American 2015 outdoor track championship through day three.

Current standings:

1- SMU 71
2- Memphis 46
3- Cincinnati 41
4- Connecticut 38
5- Tulane 30
6- East Carolina 25.50
7- Houston 20
8- South Florida 16.50
9- UCF 10
9- Tulsa 10
11- Temple 4

Lucija Cvitanovic won the heptathlon and Rayann Chin won the discus on day two.

SMU swept the steeplechase today with Karoline Skatteboe finishing first, Shanoah Souza finishing second, and Agnes Sjostrom finishing third.

Go Mustangs!

[DanFreibergerForHeisman]

SMU is the 2015 American Outdoor Track and Field Champion!

[Junior]

Great job!

[PonyPride]

From SMUMustangs.com:

SMU Repeats As American Athletic Conference Outdoor Champions
Mustangs Clinched Title With 131 Points

May 17, 2015

STORRS, Conn. -- The SMU women's track & field team repeated as American Athletic Conference Outdoor Champions on Sunday at the George J. Sherman Family Sports Complex in Storrs, Connecticut.

With 131 points, SMU finished six points ahead of host Connecticut (125 points). Cincinnati finished in third (117 points). For the team's performance, head coach Dave Wollman and his staff earned Coaching Staff of the Year honors.

"This was a complete team effort," said head coach Dave Wollman. "Every point that could have possibly been gotten out of this team was gotten. It's not often you get a perfect performance, but I would say this group of girls put together a perfect performance."

Tochi Nlemchi and Rayann Chin both landed on the podium in the shot put. Nlemchi finished second (15.56m) and Chin earned her second medal of the meet, placing third (15.28m). Freshman Jacquetta Cannon also competed in the shot put, finishing 14th (13.61m).

"Tochi and Ray getting second and third in the shot put was a big punch right when we needed it," said Wollman. "That was a big turning point for the girls."

In the 100-meter dash, Stephanie Kalu won the silver medal, finishing second with a time of 11.57. Also in the 100-meter, Craishia Washington just missed the podium, placing fourth in a new PR time of 11.77.

"Steph is the best sprinter to go to SMU," said Wollman. "She graduates with tremendous honors and we're very proud of her and what she has accomplished. She is the class of the sprint group. Craishia's performance was, perhaps, the most courageous. She entered the 100 ranked 15th and ended up finishing fourth. It was just a gutsy performance on her part."

Freshman Isabella Marten earned a pair of bronze medals on the day. Marten finished third in both the triple jump (13.12m) and high jump (1.73m). Lucija Cvitanovic also competed in the high jump, finishing 12th (1.62m).

"Bella is true competitor," said Wollman. "She hates to lose. She hates to underperform. She went from 17th-ranked to finishing third in the high jump. We won by six points and those are the six points."

In the 5,000-meter, Shanoah Souza earned her second medal of the meet. A night after winning the silver in the steeplechase, Souza grabbed the bronze in the 5,000-meter (17:02.79). Senior Caitlin Keen also scored points in 5,000-meter, crossing the finish line eighth (17:22.96). Karoline Skatteobe (9th, 17:24.79), Agnes Sjostrom (11th, 17:45.96) and Claire Trotter (14th, 38:56.87) also ran in the 5,000-meter.

"Coach [Cathy] Casey had a great plan for her," said Wollman. "She went out, got comfortable and then began picking people off. I think Shanoah ran beautifully with a lot of courage."

In the relay events, the 4x100 team opened up the day with a bronze-medal performance, as Rachel Scruggs, Stephanie Kalu, Shahira Ehiemua and Craishia Washington ran a career-best 44.75. Scruggs, Kalu, Washington and Holly Archer then ended the meet with a seventh-place finish in the 4x400 relay (3:43.54).

Archer also scored fourth-place points in the 1,500-meter, just missing the podium with a time of 4:31.44. Less than an hour later, Archer ran in the 800-meter, finishing eighth (2:18.98).

Up next for the Mustangs is the NCAA West Regional in Austin, Texas. The top 48 athletes in each event in the region are qualified to compete in Austin.

[DanFreibergerForHeisman]

Congratulations.

It got a little scary there when UConn looked like they might take the overall lead while dominating the 5000, but great to see SMU finish it off and win another championship!

[JoeKidd]

Congrats to our Lady 'Stangs in winning the outdoor T&F Conference Championship.