Women place fifth at nationals, Burchell sets 100m dash record

HUTCHINSON, Kan. -- The Butler track and field team finished up the outdoor season with solid performances at the NJCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships on Friday and Saturday, with the women placing fifth overall at the meet.

In addition to the women taking fifth, Butler assistant coach James White was named the women's outdoor track and field assistant coach of the year.

Sophomore sprinter Remona Burchell won three medals, including a first-place finish in the women's 100-meter dash where she set the school record with an 11.34 time. Burchell came into the finals having the third fastest time after Friday's preliminary heats. Burchell was edged out in the 200-meter dash, but took home runner-up honors.

The 4x800-meter relay team of Fiona Masai, Abiane Collymore, Jonelle Reinert and Nhaieemah Horne provided the first medal for the women with a third-place finish on Friday. The Butler women also finished fifth in the 4x100-meter relay (Cydnie Brown, Latesha Bigby, Kiarra Baker and Burchell) and the 4x400-meter relay (Bigby, Carole Idolphine, Reinert and Horne).

Masai, who medaled in four events, took fourth in the 3000-meter steeplechase. She also placed seventh in the 5000-meter run and eighth in the 1500-meter run. Bigby finished third in the 400-meter hurdles, which gave her three medals in the meet. Idolphine placed seventh in the same event.

The Butler men only qualified in the finals in two events, with the highlight coming in the 4x400-meter relay with a second-place finish. The team of Alfred Larry, Paris Carson, Jamelle Ardis and Steven Calloway led briefly in the race, but fell back to third before Calloway pulled out a sprint to the finish line to take second. Individually, Larry placed eighth in the 400-meter dash.