By: by Emily Diekelmann
CLEMSON, S.C. The Kennesaw State women’s track and field team closes out their season as they hit the road one last time to attend the Clemson Final Qualifier meet on Friday and Saturday. Getting one last shot to qualify for NCAA Preliminaries, the squad will face off with other schools from around the south with that same goal in mind.
“This is the last meet of the year so the team is ready to go all in,” head track and field coach Andy Eggerth said. “For some of our athletes, this is their final chance to qualify for the NCAA Preliminaries and others it’s a chance to finish the season with a bang. It will be great to see how all the athletes do in their last meet.”
Leading the push into the postseason is senior Mackenzie Howe who has already saved herself a spot in the track postseason. She currently sits in 33rd in the 10,000 and 48th in the 5,000 in the east region. This weekend, however, Howe will get a shot at two races she has not competed in so far this season. She is the lone Kennesaw State women’s representative for the 1,500 meter race and will also be in the 800 meter contest along teammate Patricia Damron.
Three seniors will be competing in their final meet as Owls on the field side Friday and Saturday. Jakia Ragland has a chance to qualify in high jump. So far this season, she has cleared a top height of 1.70 meters.
Duo Jessica Lumpkin and Chiquita Hawthorne will tackle the hammer throw on Saturday. Hawthorne finished in fourth at the Atlantic Sun Outdoor Conference Championship last month with Lumpkin not far behind in sixth. Two hours later, Lumpkin will be at it again in the shot put where she earned All-Conference honors for her third place finish last month.
Kicking off competition on Friday, Naomi Mack, Naquia Williams, Hannah Mule and Vynnessa Smith start things off in the 110 meter hurdles. The meet concludes on Saturday afternoon with the 4x400 women’s relay.
