Batu is Crowned Champion and Crushes NAIA Hammer Throw Record
Women's Track and Field / 05.24.24
MARION, Ind. --- The Life University women's track and field team competed in the NAIA Outdoor Track and Field National Championships this week, the team recording one first place finish and a few personal bests.
The women collected 14 team points to take 15th place with British Columbia (137 points) taking first place, William Carey (83 points) taking second, and Cumberland (54 points) taking third place.
The only champion of the week came from senior Jennifer Batu in the hammer throw with a mark of 64.14m. The mark is a season best, crushing the NAIA record which she first broke two weeks ago at the UWG vs. Life U Throws meet. The impressive mark earned her national recognition as the senior was named the NAIA's Most Outstanding Performer, becoming Life University's first woman to receive the award.
Freshman Emeline Delaville also had a phenomenal weekend coming across the finish line in the finals in fifth place in the 800m with a time of 2:11.18. Delaville came in first place in the preliminaries earning a personal best of 2:08.84, breaking her record twice in back-to-back days.
The Running Eagles also competed in the 4x100m relay which Leyla Richardson, Zaria Bonafede, Najah Gibson and Cameron Kelperis were able to land in 13th place. The team finished with a time of 47.09, but it was not enough to continue to the finals.
Life U also competed in the 4x400m relay as Najah Gibson, Emeline Delaville, Leyla Richardson and Kyja Williams mimicked the 4x100m appearance with a 13th place finish time of 3:51.76.
Other notable competitors were Megan Judge who finished in 17th place in the pole vault event with a mark of 3.50m and Diamond Atkins who threw enough for 18th place with a mark of 42.83m in the discuss event.
Both Batu and Delaville earned All-American honors after their top finishes.
With the finish of Nationals this concludes the Running Eagles' season.
