Mount Olive wins conference championship for ninth straight time
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – Behind three major award winners and six conference champions on April 29, the University of Mount Olive women’s track & field team recorded its ninth-straight Conference Carolinas Outdoor Track & Field Championship at the Doug Shaw Memorial Stadium.
Senior Jaylin Reeves was selected as the Track Athlete of the Year by the league after earning the conference titles in the 100 and 200 meters while placing second as part of the 4×100 relay team. Fellow senior Mary Brigid Keck was named the Field Athlete of the Year for a second straight time after winning the hammer throw and shot put league crowns while finishing second in the discus. Head coach Earl Graves was voted the Coach of the Year for a second consecutive year.
The Trojans scored 152 points on the final day of the league meet while scoring in 17 of a possible 20 events to finish in first place with 206 points. Mount Olive featured eight conference champions and broke six school records. Converse placed second in the team standings with 127 points, while Southern Wesleyan finished third with 89 points.
Reeves delivered an outstanding performance at the conference meet and collected a pair of league titles in the 100 and 200 meters, while also earning points as part of the 4×100 relay team. She established a new school record with a blistering pace of 11.59 seconds in the finals of the 100 meters to secure the win. Reeves followed up in the 200 meters with another victory after crossing the line in 24.40 seconds. She also served as the lead leg in the 4×100 relay team, which placed second after posting a time of 46.13 seconds.
Keck earned the conference title in the shot put after registering a distance of 12.31 meters, as the Trojans had four individuals record points in the event. She also finished runner-up in the discus throw with a toss of 41.96 meters. In three events at the league meet, Keck tallied 28 points for her team.
In her first appearance at the outdoor championships, freshman Channie Jefferson made a statement as she scored in four events and claimed the title in the 400-meter hurdles. She broke the conference and school record in the 400-meter hurdles after crossing the line in 59.36 seconds. Jefferson was also the anchor on the 4×400 relay team that clinched the league crown with a time of 3:53.03 while serving as the second leg on the 4×100 relay, which placed second overall. She also recorded a podium finish in the 100-meter hurdles with a mark of 14.56 to take third place.
Senior Mora Smith produced a record-breaking performance at the event after reaching a distance of 11.96 meters in the triple jump to win the individual title. Her mark set a new school record in the event for Mount Olive.
The 4×400 relay team featuring sophomore Natalyah Wilson, sophomore Vinesha Briggs, senior Jaiden Moody and Jefferson closed out the track events at the conference meet with another league crown after registering a time of 3:53.03 to earn first place.
— From University of Mount Olive Athletics
