Track & Field Picks Up Four Wins at Herm Wilson Invitational

WICHITA, Kan. – The Oklahoma Baptist men's and women's track and field teams concluded the 2021 Herm Wilson Invitational in Wichita, Kansas, with four wins, two personal bests, and one national placement.
 
On the men's side, Mahcoe Smith claimed victory in the 60 meter dash. He finished the event with a time of 6.84 seconds, beating Fort Hays State's Philip Landrum by 0.04 seconds, and matching his previous NCAA provisional time set at the Washburn Open.
 
Tarees Rhoden claimed the men's other individual win in the 800 meter run. He won the event with a time of 1:54.99.
 
Both the men's and women's 4x400 relay teams claimed victories at the meet. The men's team consisting of Shirvante Knauls, Marcus Petersen, Zachary Coak, and Tarees Rhoden beat out Tulsa by 0.33 seconds. Brooklynn James, Tizhane Brooks, Taylor James, and Mary McKey led the women's team to the win posting a time of 3:54.42, and improvement of 5.26 seconds from the Washburn Open.
 
Other top performances for the Bison included Jacob Power (weight throw), Brittany Street (shot put), and Knauls (400 meter dash), who all posted second place finishes.
 
Anthony Phillips (4.75 meters) and Katie Carter (3.26) both posted personal bests in the pole vault.
 
Zane Nutter, who participated in the men's heptathlon, finished with a score of 4723. This put him in eleventh place, which if he can maintain he will earn a trip to the NCAA Division II Indoor National Championship.
 
"I didn't see anyone that didn't represent OBU well," said Head Coach Ford Mastin. "Two pole vaulters set personal bests, our heptathlete earned a spot on the national list. We won several events and ended the meet with an OBU 4x400 relay winning each of the two women's races (A and B teams) and the men winning each of the two men's heats. It was a good day to be a Bison."
 
The Bison will return to action Friday, Feb. 12, and Saturday, Feb. 13, at the Gorilla Classic in Pittsburg, Kansas.