Searcy Celebrates Harding Women’s Track Team’s Weekend Success
Searcy — The Harding women’s outdoor track and field team had an action-packed weekend, showcasing their talent and determination at two different events across Arkansas. Competing at the renowned John McDonnell Invitational at the University of Arkansas on Friday, the Lady Bisons also sent another group to the Arkansas State Alumni Classic in Jonesboro on Saturday. Their efforts proved fruitful, as they racked up several impressive results and secured four NCAA Division II provisional qualifying marks.
At the McDonnell Invitational, freshman Tetiana Kharashchuk stood out by recording a season-best time of 53.27 seconds in the 400 meters, which earned her a provisional mark and an eighth-place finish overall. This performance puts her among the top 10 in Division II, stirring excitement for the possibility of an invitation to the national championships. Similarly, junior Lisa Retailleau also qualified provisionally in the 400-meter hurdles, securing second place with a season-best time of 1:00.23, which ranks 13th in the nation.
The field events highlighted strong performances, with junior Cadence Sansom achieving a season-best vault of 3.86 meters (12 feet, 8 inches) in the pole vault, placing 11th overall and ranking 24th nationally. Sophomore Hanna Onufriieva completed the provisional qualifiers with a stellar second-place finish in the triple jump, recording a mark of 12.39 meters (40 feet, 7.75 inches), good enough for ninth in Division II.
Other notable performances at the McDonnell Invitational included freshman Jerlana Williams, who finished 11th in the 100 meters with a time of 12.01 seconds, and the Harding 4×100-meter relay team placing eighth, completing the race in 46.88 seconds.
The success continued at the Arkansas State Alumni Classic, where freshman Kewes Gomes had a notable showing, finishing sixth in the 100 meters with a time of 12.33 seconds and achieving third place in the 100-meter hurdles at 15.01 seconds. Additionally, senior Kiera Blankinship finished second in the high jump, clearing 1.66 meters (5 feet, 5.25 inches).
As far as throwing events, the Lady Bisons saw strong placements as sophomore Carley Hall took sixth in both the shot put and discus, while freshman Kodi Belle DuBose impressed by finishing fifth in the discus and sixth in the hammer throw.
The Harding team is gearing up for their next challenge, as they prepare for the Great American Conference Championships, starting Wednesday in Shawnee, Oklahoma. With this weekend’s strong performances, the Lady Bisons look ready to make their mark in the upcoming competition.
