FINAL RESULTS
KALAMAZOO, Mich. -- In the final home meet of the season the Western Michigan track & field team won the Jack Shaw Invitational in convincing fashion. The Broncos scored 175.50 points to take the victory with Eastern Michigan edging out Northern Illinois for second place, 94-89.5.
The highlight of the day came in the first event. Sophomore Irene Cooper demolished a WMU and Kanely Track record in the hammer throw. Her throw of 194-feet seven-inches beat Kristi Ford's 2005 record of 187-6 and also improved her national ranking in the event. Kari Richards turned in a personal best in the hammer through as well, throwing 172-2 to finish in second place. Cooper also took first place in the shot put with a distance of 45-feet 10.5-inches and teammate Stephanie Mitchell finished right behind her with a throw of 42-6.
If not for a high wind ratings, freshman Ashley Hunault would have turned in a WMU record and NCAA Regional qualifying distance in the long jump. However, she still turned in a jump 20-feet 3.5-inches to take first place. Senior Joy Eloms finished in second place with a jump of 19-3.5 to take second place and Shelly Mathewson also turned in a jump of 17-feet. Eloms and Hunault switched places in the triple jump, with Elom's taking first place with a jump of 38-feet seven-inches and Hunault in second place with a mark of 37-feet 9.25 inches.
Alexis Brown tied a personal best in the high jump, with a first-place jump of five-feet seven-inches and teammate Danielle Brown finished tied for fifth place with a jump of five-feet one-inch.
Eloms also finished in first place in the 100-meter dash with a time of 11.76 and anchored the 4x100 relay team to a first place finish.
Senior Becky Horn attempted to break the Kanley Track record in the 400-meter dash but gusty winds slowed her down. However, she still finished in first place and finished 4.1-seconds faster than second place Coretta Evans from Norther Illinois.
Senior Kristi Powers finished in second place in the 800-meter run with a time of 2:18.48 and teammate Melanie Gilbert finished in fourth place.
Danielle Brown finished in first place in the 400-meter hurdles and was .01 seconds away from taking first place in the 100-meter hurdles, but was edged out by Eastern Michigan's Andrea Wheeler. Teammate Jennifer Sabra finished in third place in the 100-meter hurdles and Alexis Brown finished right behind Danielle (no relation) in the 400-meter hurdles.
Freshman Victoria Chatman took first place in the 200-meter dash with a time of 23.86 and qualified for the NCAA Regional Championships, with Eloms right behind her in second place.
Freshman Samantha Draney took in first place in the 1500 meter run with a time of 4:49.49 and Jenna Matthews finished in fourth place with a time of 4:55.30.
The Broncos head to Bloomington, Ind., to compete in the Billy Hayes Invitational for the final meet of the season before the Mid-American Conference Championship in Bowling Green, Ohio, on May 15.
