KIRKSVILLE, Mo. – Lewis University earned its eighth-straight and record 14th overall league crown at the 2024 Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Championships on Saturday at Stokes Stadium/Gardner Track on the campus of Truman State University in Kirksville, Missouri, to conclude the three-day meet.
With the win, Lewis captured back-to-back "triple crowns" of GLVC Championships by sweeping cross country, indoor track & field, and outdoor track & field. The Flyers became the first team to ever do it in league history last year and are now the first to do it twice.
The Flyers earned 209 points to best runner-up Southwest Baptist University (157) by 52 points.
University of Indianapolis (155) finished third, while Missouri S&T (87) and Maryville University (59) placed fourth and fifth, respectively. Sixth place went to William Jewell College (35), and Drury University (28) finished seventh ahead of McKendree University (27) in eighth. Spots nine and 10 respectively went to Truman State University (21) and Upper Iowa University (15). University of Missouri-St. Louis (14), University of Illinois Springfield (7), and Rockhurst University (4) rounded out the field. Quincy University did not score in the event.
Listed below are the individual champions from today's competition.
Javelin Champion: Aliza Van Den Elzen, LEWIS
- Repeat champion
- 43.66 meters (143-03) achieved on sixth attempt
- NCAA Provisional qualifying mark
High Jump Champion: Grace Graham, MU
Discus Champion: Emily Bonser, UIndy
- 46.02 meters (151-00)
- NCAA Provisional qualifying mark
Triple Jump Champion: Brylee Keeran, LEWIS
- 11.73 meters (38-06.00 | +1.6 wind)
4x100-Meter Relay Champion: Southwest Baptist
- 46.02
- Laura Dixon, Stephanique Dean, Brianna Lord, Collinique Farrington
- NCAA Provisional qualifying mark
1,500-Meter Run Champion: Anna Kozak, LEWIS
100-Meter Hurdles Champion: Ailliyah Reese, UINDY
- Repeat champion
- 14.05 (+0.7)
- NCAA Provisional qualifying mark
100-Meter Dash Champion: Collinique Farrington, SBU
- GLVC record – 11.32 (+1.4)
- NCAA Provisional qualifying mark
400-Meter Dash Champion: Collinique Farrington, SBU
- 55.22
- NCAA Provisional qualifying mark
800-Meter Run Champion: Lainy Williams, SBU
400-Meter Hurdles: Ellie Lengerich, UINDY
- Repeat champion
- 1:01.83
- NCAA Provisional qualifying mark
200-Meter Dash: Collinique Farrington, SBU
- 23.44 (+1.2)
- NCAA provisional qualifying mark
- Set GLVC record in prelims (23.25)
5,000-Meter Run: Hanna Smrcka, LEWIS
4x400-Meter Relays: Southwest Baptist
- 3:54.08
- Emily Young, Lainy Williams, Reagan Thomure, Madison Hicks
The top-three finishers in all events were named All-Conference honorees.
At the conclusion of the Championship, SBU’s Farrington was name Track Athlete of the Year, William Jewell’s Cydney Banks repeated as Field Athlete of the Year, while Lewis’ Mary Edwards and S&T’s Briana Lord were voted as Co-Freshmen of the Year. The league coaches also recognized Dana Schwarting as GLVC Coach of the Year.
Additionally, SBU was honored as the GLVC James R. Spalding Sportsmanship Award team winner, while 14 student-athletes who have distinguished themselves through sportsmanship and ethical behavior were also named as their sport’s honoree for the award. These individuals must also be in good academic standing and have demonstrated good citizenship outside of the sports-competition setting. The honorees are now eligible to become one of their school’s two Spalding Sportsmanship Award winners, which will be announced later this month.
GLVC TRACK ATHLETE OF THE YEAR: Collinique Farrington, SBU
GLVC FIELD ATHLETE OF THE YEAR: Cydney Banks, WJC
GLVC CO-FRESHMEN OF THE YEAR: Mary Edwards, Lewis & Briana Lord, SBU
GLVC COACH OF THE YEAR: Dana Schwarting, LEWIS
GLVC JAMES R. SPALDING SPORTSMANSHIP INDIVIDUAL HONOREES
Zoe Van Dijk, DU
Jorden Serrann, UIS
Mariah Judy, UINDY
Darby Roth, LEWIS
Julie Hann, MU
Lydia Trump, MCK
Paige Lambright, S&T
Dominica Rooks, UMSL
Katie Park, QU
Paige Pistono, RU
Paige Bradley, SBU
Kendall Dascher, TSU
Haylie Hutchinson, UIU
Carly Thacker, WJC
GLVC JAMES R. SPALDING SPORTSMANSHIP TEAM AWARD
Southwest Baptist