UT MARTIN TRACK AND FIELD HAS EYES SET ON 2024 OVC INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS

Wednesday, February 21

Birmingham, Ala.

UT Martin

Ohio Valley Conference

Photo by: Ohio Valley Conference

UT MARTIN TRACK AND FIELD HAS EYES SET ON 2024 OVC INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS

2/20/2024 1:47:00 PM | Men's Track and Field, Women's Track and Field

Championship Central Live Stats Schedule of Events Watch Day 1 Watch Day 2

MARTIN, Tenn.- Following six regular season meets in five different states, the University of Tennessee at Martin Track and Field team is set for more history at the 2024 Ohio Valley Conference Indoor Championships in Birmingham, Ala. The championships will span over two days with Wednesday, Feb. 21 serving as day one while Thursday, Feb. 22 concludes the indoor season for UT Martin.

The Birmingham Crossplex hosts the competition for the fifth time (2019, 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024) and has served as the home of the 2019 and 2022 NCAA Championships. This week's competitions are the 44^th overall for the men (first was held in 1976) and the 38^th overall for the women (the first was held in 1985).

Last season the Skyhawks landed five podium finishes and broke seven school records in the meet. The men's distance medley relay team won their second straight title with the team of Cole Davis, John Collin Askew, Hudson Hall and Luke McNair recording a time of 10:03.15. JaDerrika Welch-Fields took home the women's high jump title with a mark of 1.68 meters. Current senior Janay Chapman was a part of two school record performances in the 60 meter dash and the women's distance medley relay team with teammates Rita Eimer, Maggie Roy and Lydia Tankersley.

Where the Skyhawks Rank

In the 60 meter, Chadwick Stewart holds the sixth best time in the OVC (6.84 seconds).
Chapman ranks seventh in the league with a time of 25.13 in the 200 meter.
Khalid White has performed well this season and holds a time of 49.11 in the 400 meter which is good enough for ninth in the conference
Roy (fifth, 2:15.01) and Rita Eimer (sixth, 2:15.35) are looking to continue their stellar indoor seasons as they both are in the top-10 in the conference for the 800 meter.
Hudson Hall has led the way for the Skyhawks in the mile with a time of 4:13.15 that he notched at the PNC Bank Bellarmine Classic.
The junior Tankersley currently holds the top spot for UT Martin in the women's mile and the eighth best time with a 5:08.28 at the Music City Challenge.
The 3k event has two Skyhawks in the OVC's top-10 with Sam Shuman (sixth, 8:25.03) and Luke Johnson (10^th, 8:27.81) putting together solid performances.
Along with performing well in the 3k, Johnson is currently in 10^th place in the league for his 14:46.45 finish at the PNC Bank Bellarmine Classic.
The men's 60m hurdles feature UT Martin sophomore Bryce Sparks who ran the ninth best OVC time with an 8.40 during the Music City Challenge.
Lisha McKenzie has been outstanding in the 60m hurdles with an OVC top-five time of 8.89 seconds.
The 4x400 men's relay team of Khalid White, Chadwick Stewart, Samir Smith and John Collin Askew has the fifth best time in the conference with a mark of 3:18.91.
Welch-Fields holds the 10^th best distance in the high jump recording 1.60 meters during the Principia College Relays.
Seniors MJ Jackson (third, 7.42m, Music City Challenge) and Darius Holland (seventh, 7.22m, Commodore Challenge) rank among the OVC's best in the long jump.
Jackson is also sixth in the conference in triple jump distance for his mark of 14.45m
Holly Henderson is 10^th in the OVC with a distance of 11.47m during the Music City Challenge.

School Records Broken

McKenzie has broken the school record for the 60m hurdles twice with her best time being 8.89.
Holly Henderson put her name in the record books for the triple jump with a distance of 11.47m.
In the 600m, Maluke Cluver set the school record during the Music City Challenge. The Watseka, Ill. native recorded a time of 1:22.67.
The 4x400 team of White, Stewart, Smith and Askew took over the top spot earning a time of 3:18.91.
The men's 300m record is now held by Samir Smith who clocked a time of 35.86 seconds at the Commodore Challenge
Also in the Music City, Sanaa Smith set the record in the 300m with a time of 43.67
With his personal best of 6.84 seconds in the 60m, Stewart took over the school record in the Saluki Fast Start.

All information for the 2024 OVC Indoor Championships can be find on the link above along with live stats and video links.