LEXINGTON, Va. --- The Chattanooga women's indoor track and field team had a productive Day One of the Southern Conference Championships with an all-conference accomplishment, a broken record, five finals qualifications and several season and personal records.
 
"Great first day today," Mocs head coach Steve Picucci said. "I'm proud of the way everyone competed today."
 
The Distance Medley Relay team took third in the final Friday evening, earning all-conference honors. Maddie Wheatcroft led the team with the 1200 meter followed by Norah Haney in the 400 meter. Taylor Crawford picked up the 800 meter and Leah Boyd Mitchell closed it out with the 1600 meter run. The team clocked in at 12:06.69 behind Furman (11:20.41-SoCon record) and Samford (12:02.91).
 
"What a way to end day one," Picucci said. "To end with the DMR getting All-SoCon honors in third place!"
 
Sophomore Ryleigh Simmons continues to rewrite the Chattanooga record books. She broke her own record in the 60 meter dash, finishing third in the prelims with a time of 7.62 seconds, shaving 0.09 seconds off the mark she set on Feb. 2 at the UAB Green and Gold Invite. She qualified for the sprint as well as the 200 meter dash on Saturday. She placed sixth in the prelims Friday with a time of 24.89, a season-best.
 
"Ryleigh had a great first day, resetting her school record in the 60 meter and making the final tomorrow in both the 60 meter and the 200 meter," Picucci said.
 
Wheatcroft led a trio of qualifiers in the Mile run. She finished second in her heat, seventh overall with a time of 5:11.18. Boyd Mitchell (5:12.10) and Bella King (5:12.34) both earned a spot in the final as well.
 
Aubrey Park (3000 meter), Maya McCloskey (Mile) and Ava McGue (400 meter) all posted personal bests in their events while Ellie von Herrmann and Simmons posted their top times this season.
 
Saturday track events begin with the 5000 meter final B section at 12:10 p.m. The women's Mile follows at 12:40 p.m. The 60 meter final gets off at 1:12 p.m. She won't have long to rest with the 200 meter final at 1:58 p.m. The 5000 meter A section gets underway at 2:28 p.m. and the final track event, the 4x400 meter relay, begins at 2:58 p.m.
 
SoCon-leading high jumper Halle Carden will look to take her UTC-record height to the bar Saturday at 10:30 a.m. then over to the triple jump at 12:30 p.m.
 
3000 meter
Heat 1
1             Aubrey Park, So.                                             10:32.35              PR
3             Ellie von Herrmann, So.                                10:45.92              SB
4             Scarlett Nash, Fr.                                            11:13.52
 
Mile
7             Maddie Wheatcroft, Sr.                                5:11.18                Q
9             Leah Boyd Mitchell, Sr.                                 5:12.10                q
10           Bella King, Fr.                                                   5:12.34                q
13           Maya McCloskey, So.                                     5:16.62                PR
 
60 meter
3             Ryleigh Simmons                                            7.62                      Q            program record
 
400 meter
15           Ava McGue                                                      1:00.17                PR
 
200 meter
6             Ryleigh Simmons                                            24.89                    q SB
 
DMR
3             Chattanooga                                                    12:06.69              All Conference
               Wheatcroft, Haney, Crawford, Boyd-Mitchell
 
Long Jump
14           Ava McGue                                                      5.17m [16-11.50]
15           Norah Haney                                                   5.04m [16-06.50]
 
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