News release from Texas A&M Athletics:
EUGENE – Timara Chapman’s NCAA heptathlon title spearheaded a 10th-place finish for Texas A&M’s women’s squad at the NCAA Track & Field Championships Saturday at Hayward Field.
Chapman entered the final day of the women’s heptathlon at the top of the leaderboard and continued to add to her advantage early. She opened the second day in the long jump where she logged her fourth personal best of the meet, leaping 6.32m/20-9 on her second attempt, the mark also moved her up to No. 11 on the A&M all-time performers list. Chapman added another solid result in the javelin with a mark of 42.53m/139-6, as she led entering the final event. With the national title on the line, Chapman stepped up with her fifth career best of the championships in the 800m, as she crossed the line in 2:15.92 to ensure her win. The senior concluded the event with a career best total 6,339 points, this ranks Chapman as the No. 9 performer in NCAA history.
Aggie all-time great Lamara Distin capped off her decorated career for the Maroon & White, as she finished fourth in the high jump with a clearance of 1.91m/6-3.25. The senior secured her seventh First Team All-America honor and concludes her career in Aggieland with a trio of national high jump titles.
Freshman standout Abigail Martin continued to add to her stellar rookie year. She threw in the opening flight of the event and recorded a toss of 57.81m/189-8 on her second attempt. Martin’s mark held through the second flight which allowed her the final three attempts, however her toss from the second round held, and she finished eighth to secure First Team All-America honors.
Concluding the championships on the track was the 4x400m relay quartet of Jaydan Wood, Camryn Dickson, Jermaisha Arnold and Kennedy Wade. The group ran a season-best time of 3:25.89 which ranks No. 9 on the Aggie all-time list and ensured the relay teams First Team All-America honors.
Joniar Thomas also concluded her heptathlon campaign on the final day of the championships. The Windsor Forest, Grenada, native won the long jump event in the heptathlon with a leap of 6.33m/20-9.25 and finished 10th overall in the multi event with a total of 5,799 points to earn Second Team All-America honors.
The Aggie women wrapped up the team championships in 10th with 25 points, as Chapman scored 10 in the heptathlon, Lianna Davidson added eight in the javelin, Distin grabbed five in the high jump, while Martin in the discus and the 4x400m relay group each claimed one point.
Coach’s Quotes
Head coach Pat Henry on the team’s performance at the NCAA Championships
“I’m very proud of our group and I thought we competed extremely well at the NCAA Championships. Everyone who go out there on the track or in the field gave it their all. We had some things go our way and some go against us, but we were in the running for the team championships and competed right to the end.”
A&M was in the hunt for a team title, however an unfortunate incident at the NCAA West First Round left the team without star hurdler Connor Schulman at the national meet. Victor Kibiego was also unable to finish the men’s 3,000m steeplechase at the championships, where he entered the meet with the third-best time in the country. Despite their challenges, the Aggies battled hard and secured a national champion on both the men’s and women’s side.
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