10k finishes give Tech team lead in OVC meet opener
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee Tech’s one-point lead following the opening day of the 2018 OVC Outdoor Track & Field Championship has everything to do with Micayla Rennick and Purity Sanga.
By Layne Weitzel, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee Tech's one-point lead following the opening day of the 2018 OVC Outdoor Track & Field Championship has everything to do with Micayla Rennick and Purity Sanga.
In the meet opener's final event on Thursday, the senior and freshman stepped to the line for one of the most grueling races in track & field – the 10,000m run. Rennick and Sanga entered tonight's race with the first and third-fastest times in the OVC respectively but had competed just once in the event this season.
Through the first 23 laps of the race, Rennick stayed on the hip of Eastern Kentucky junior Gladys Cheriuyot. With just about two laps to go though, Rennick inched away from Cheriuyot and opened up an insurmountable lead in the last lap to win Tech's first title of the meet in 36:15.72.
Just hours before the start of the meet, the conference recognized Rennick as the OVC Female Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year.
Sanga, in just her second 10,000m race ever, placed fifth with a time of 37:23.75 to score four points for Tech.
The pair's finishes were important, representing the only scoring opportunities Tech would get on Thursday. The Golden Eagles now carry a one-point lead over second-place team Eastern Kentucky following one day of competition.
Two Golden Eagles started Tech's meet in the heptathlon, getting through four events.
Khemani Roberts finished fourth or better in all of her events, winning the high jump with a mark of 1.73m/5'8". She also finished second in the 200m dash by just .02 seconds. With three events to go in the heptathlon on Friday, Roberts sits in second place with 3,309 points.
Eshe Robinson is 11th with 2,626 points after placing within the top eight in three of her four events. She put up two season-best marks, along with a personal record of 27.79 in the 200m dash.
Khemani Roberts – 1.73m/5'8"; 1st place overall
