Track team prepares invitational hosted by University of Mississippi

The UCA men’s and women’s track teams will compete April 14 in the Ole Miss Invitational at Oxford, Miss.
“The Ole Miss Invitational is a very big meet for us,” women’s distance coach John Jones said. He said the progress this season has been great for the teams and is encouraged by the wins.
“They have a great chance to score school records,” Jones said.
This season so far for both teams has been one with record breaking statistics for the program and the preparations are being made for the upcoming invitational.
The men’s team had 13 top ten finishes in their first Ole Miss Invitational March 31. Senior sprinter Sage Raphael won the men’s 400 meter dash.
Jones said Raphael is currently ranked as tenth in the nation following his fifth-best time of 46.54 in the school’s history at the invitational.
The women’s team had a third place finish in the 4×100 relay.
They have also set a record in the 1,500 meters at the invitational this season. Sophomore middle distance runner Courtney Efurd set that record finishing 13th at the invitational at 4:42:87.
The teams competed in the NSU Invitational April 6 and received awards in hurdles. Jones said the invitational was successful for the teams, especially in the 400 meter dash and 100 hurdles.
On the women’s team, junior high jumper Jessica Potter won first place with a height of 1.6 meters in the high jump.
In the 100 meter hurdles, freshman hurdle jumper Jatoi Snell received first place in a time of 14.18 at the meet.
In the 4×100 relay, Snell, freshmen middle distance runner Tyaniah Cash, junior heptathlon runner Megan Snow and sophomore sprint runner Tanesha Maxwell placed second in a time of 46:45.
Maxwell said the meet was not her toughest challenge this season. “The meet wasn’t that big but I think it went okay,” she said. “The Ole Miss Invitational is the meet I’ve been waiting for,” Maxwell said. “It will be more competition.”
She said her biggest competitors will be Auburn, Ole Miss and Murray State.
The practices are “hard but they are working” and the training has helped the team get ready for the “big meet,” she said.
“I’ve been going to the weight room and we have been practicing every day,” Maxwell said.
She said she is grateful for the coaches’ efforts to help the teams have a successful season and is confident that she will compete well in the Ole Miss Invitational.
Senior jumper Jaron Chriswell had a long jump of 7.27 meters. Sophomore distance runner Jeremiah Fleeman received third place in the 10,000 meters.
“We’ve been working real hard,” he said. The teams have been focused on speed and distance in their training for the upcoming meet.
Jones said he hopes the men’s team can complete the 4×400 relay in a time of 3:10 and the women’s team can in a time of 3:45.
He said the teams have spent time working on all aspects of improving their already successful season and believes they will compete well in the meet.