Mustangs win nine events at Dordt Invitational

Morningside College athletes won nine events at Thursday’s Dordt College Invitational track & field meet in Sioux Center, Iowa.

The Mustangs’ big winner was Neeia Cooperwood, a senior from Omaha, Neb., who won three events in the women’s competition with times of 12.12 seconds in the 100-meters and 24.92 in the 200-meters to go along with a winning distance of 19-3 1/2 in the long jump.

The Morningside women also had a victory from Tiffany Shepherd, a sophomore from Corning, Iowa, who ran a winning time of 2:23.78 in the 800-meters.

The Mustangs had victories from five different athletes in the men’s competition. Three of the triumphs came in the running events, where Jay Welp, a senior from Marcus, Iowa, won the 1500-meters with a time of 4:04.94; Kyle Hiser, a sophomore from Shenandoah, Iowa, won the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 56.76; and Sean Skillern, a sophomore from Shenandoah, won the 3000-meter steeplechase with a time of 10:02.35.

Morningside’s Andrew Christen, a senior from Anselmo, Neb., cleared 6-8 to win the men’s high jump and Austin Langston, a freshman from Sioux City, had a winning spin that traveled 158-7 in the men’s discus.

Eleka Joseph, a freshman from Saint John’s, Antigua, was the runner-up behind Cooperwood in the women’s 100-meter dash with a time of 12.51 and she finished third in the 200-meters with a time of 26.45.

The Mustang women also received second place performances from Michelle Mumm, a freshman from Neola, Iowa, with a time of 2:25.88 in the 800-meters; Briley Hannaford, a sophomore from Chadron, Neb., with a time of 18:48.91 in the 5000-meters; and Kaylee Van Voorst, a freshman from Hull, Iowa, with a distance of 128-1 in the discus.

Morningside had second place finishes in the men’s competition from Jacob Scott, a freshman from Rodney, Iowa, with a time of 10:12.49 in the 3000-meter steeplechase, and Dan Larscheid, a senior from Bondurant, Iowa, with a time of 15:29.84 in the 5000-meters.

Morningside also finished second in the men’s 1600-meter relay, where Green, Welp, Hiser, and Brad Wright, a senior from Mullen, Neb., combined for a time of 3:23.39.

The Mustangs had third place finishes from Shaun Ryan, a senior from Le Mars, Iowa, with a distance of 22-1/4 in the men’s long jump; Emily Keim, a junior from Sterling, Neb., with a distance of 112-6 in the women’s javelin; Katie Atkins, a sophomore from Pierce, Neb., with a time of 1:12.21 in the women’s 400-meter hurdles; and Taylor Woods, a junior from Cherokee, Iowa, with a distance of 39-5 1/4 in the women’s shot put.

Morningside finished third in the women’s 1600-meter relay with a time of 4:07.90 from the quartet of Shelby Hall, a junior from Woodbine, Iowa; Tori Figge, a sophomore from Rock Rapids, Iowa; Mumm, and Joseph.

Morningside will compete in the Northwestern College Red Raider Invitational on April 10 and 11 in Sioux Center, Iowa.

Results