WICHITA, Kan. – In their final tune-up before regionals, the Butler track and field team swept first place in the Juco Challenge at Wichita State's Herm Wilson Invitational on Friday.
The Butler men, ranked fifth in this week's NJCAA Division I rankings, scored 155 points to win the triangular over Hutchinson and Cowley. The ninth-ranked Grizzly women won by over 100 points, scoring a total of 154 on their way to victory.
On the men's side, Butler took first in 13 of the 16 events, while the women won 11 events. Both the Grizzly men and women won seven running events and both relays (4x400m, 4x800m).
For the second straight week, sophomore Rachael Buzanowski broke her own school record in the women's pole vault, clearing 3.60 meters (11 feet, 9 ¾ inches).
Sophomore jumper Mohammed Abubakar (high jump, 7.42 meters; triple jump, 14.36 meters) and freshman sprinter Antonio Coleman (200m dash, 22.51 seconds; 600m run, 1:30.49) each had two individual victories.
Sophomore Shevon Blair qualified for nationals in the 1,000 meter run, crossing the finish line in 2:33.75, while sophomore Nolan Hesse took first in the mile (4:33.37). Freshman Xavier Atkins (60m dash, 6.83 seconds), Quintaveon Poole (400m, 48.99) and Jhibri Greer (60m hurdles, 8.44) also won their respective running events.
In field events, freshman Landon Cuskelly had a personal-best clearance of 2.10 meters (6 feet, 10 ¾ inches) enroute to winning the high jump, while freshman Dan Garrison placed first in the shot put (13.73 meters).
The 4x400m relay team of Lamarion Arnold, Poole, James Hambrick and Coleman finished first with a time of 3:31.63, while Nolan Hesse, Jacob Hesse, Ismael Ramirez and Clayton Fletcher won the 4x800-meter relay (9:15.57).
Jasmine Frazier was the lone individual Grizzly on the women's team to win two events, taking first in the 60 meter dash (7.87 seconds) and 60 meter hurdles (8.86). Other individual winners in running events were Ona Giles (200m dash, 25.83), Courtney Willis (400m, 1:00.76), Helen Thames (600m, 1:47.10), Janie Salinas (1,000m run, 3:32.44) and Sheila Samoei (1 mile, 5:36.90).
Freshman jumper Valeriya Kostiuk won for the fourth time in the high jump (1.70 meters), while freshman Angel Malone placed first in the long jump (5.69 meters). In addition to Buzanowski resetting the school record in the pole vault, teammate Madison McLaughlin set a personal-best mark with a 2.85 meter clearance and took second.
Malone, Thames, Destiny Woodard and Kristina Vujanic took first in the 4x400-meter relay (4:31.68), while freshman Kalynn Simpson, Tesla Madsen, Alex Fulton and Darian Trost won the 4x800m relay (11:34.84).
Butler will next head to the Region VI Indoor Championships, which begins this Friday at Pittsburg State University.
