PITTSBURG, KS- The West Texas A&M Lady Buff Track and Field team earned fifth place at the NCAA Division II Indoor National Championships hosted by Pittsburg State in Pittsburg, Kansas. The Lady Buffs finished with 39 team points from seven events. 
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
The distance squad shined on both days of the National Championship meet earning a combined 22 points from the 3,000-meter and 5,000-meter. In day two of competition, there were three Lady Buffs who had qualified for the 3,000-meter race including National Champion in the 5,000-meter Florance Uwajeneza. Along with Uwajeneza was senior Eleonora Curtabbi and freshman Sarah Koomson in the race. The distance Lady Buffs took 4-5-6 in the race with Curtabbi leading the trio and running 9:26.26. Uwajeneza ran a season best in fifth place at 9:27.29 and Koomson ran a personal best 9:27.49. This group now owns every single 3,000-meter top-10 indoor time for the Lady Buffs with the "slowest" being 9:30.09. Curtabbi brought in five points, Uwajeneza had four plus her 10 from the day before when she became the national champion in the 5,000-meter and Koomson supplied three points. 
 
Graduate student Corrssia Perry brought in five points as she made the podium in both the 200-meter and 400-meter. Perry ran both races within an hour of each other. In the 400m, she took fifth in 54.36 seconds as the second race of the day for her. In the 200-meter she ran 24.36 seconds for a team point. Perry added two, two-time All-American honors at this indoor meet. 
 
Graduate student Miriam Zanovello placed fifth in the triple jump for her season best jumping 12.65m (41'6) in the finals. Zanovello made the top eight with her second jump being her best in the outcome. This jump became her season best and garnered the Lady Buffs four points. 
 
TEAM SCORES
The Lady Buffs round out the top five with 39 points while first place Adams State had 67 points. Host, and second place, Pitt State had 64.5 points, Minnesota State in third had 54 and Grand Valley in fourth had 48 points. 
 
The Lady Buffs finished two placements higher than predicted for the indoor season according to the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association. 
 
COMING UP
West Texas A&M track and field will look ahead to next weekend when the outdoor season starts. The Buffs and Lady Buffs host the first outdoor meet of the season at the WT track and field complex. Fans are encouraged to come out and support the maroon and white at the WT Spring Break Open starting on Friday, March 15^th to Saturday, March 16^th.
A full meet schedule can be found HERE.