ATLANTA, Ga. — The Columbus State University Women's Track & Field team turned in a balanced performance across multiple event groups at the Emory in the Hills meet, hosted by Emory University, highlighted by strong efforts in the hurdles, distance races, and field events.
Columbus State was led by
Liza Varnum, who delivered one of the top performances of the meet in the 100-meter hurdles. Varnum placed fifth overall in the finals with a time of 15.04 after running 14.99 in the preliminaries, pacing the Cougars against a competitive field. Teammate
Kaitlyn Alston also competed in the event, posting a time of 17.05 in the preliminaries.
In the distance events, the Cougars showcased depth and consistency.
Layla Albright recorded a top-10 finish in the 1500 meters, placing ninth with a time of 5:07.54, while freshman Elizabeth Harris added a 21st-place finish at 5:27.46. In the 800 meters,
Emmalee Johnson led Columbus State with a time of 2:27.70, followed closely by Anna Norton (2:29.24), while Bailey Morrison (2:36.33) and Zoie Mertz (2:42.67) rounded out the Cougar performances.
Columbus State also competed in the longer distance races, with Anna Petellar finishing 17th in the 3000 meters (13:10.47), while Reese Moss posted a time of 21:55.52 in the 5000 meters.
On the sprint side,
Faith Brown led the Cougars in the 100 meters with a time of 12.34, while
Chassidy Lock followed at 12.77. Jayda Smith posted a time of 26.03 in the 200 meters and contributed in the field events with a 20th-place finish in the long jump (4.89m / 16' 0.5"), while
Adaisha Upshaw added a mark of 4.73 meters (15' 6.25").
In the field events, Taliyah Schreane highlighted the throws group with a ninth-place finish in the shot put (11.40 meters) and added a mark of 25.33 meters in the discus. Shamyiah Thrash contributed in both events, while junior
Kayli Miller led the Cougars in the hammer throw with a mark of 36.24 meters (118' 11"). In the pole vault, Molly Rickard cleared 3.05 meters (10' 0") to pace Columbus State.
Columbus State returns to action this weekend as the Cougars travel to Carrollton, Ga., for the University of West Georgia Legends Invitational on Friday, April 3, and Saturday, April 4, at the UWG Track and Field Complex.
