Bolivar, Mo. – After a historic 2024-25 season, the women's track and field team begins a new campaign starting Saturday, December 6^th. In their first meet, they will compete in Maryville, Missouri for the Mel Tjeerdsma Classic hosted by Northwest Missouri State.
 
For the indoor season, the team returns one All-American and six All-GLVC award winners. Stephanique Dean had her best season as a Bearcat last year finishing in 7^th place in the 200-meter dash for her first ever 1^st-team All-American honor. She holds the second best time in SBU history in the 200-meter dash and 3^rd best in the 60-meter dash.
 
Three members of the 4x400 relay team that took 2^nd at last years' GLVC Championships return for the indoor season including Dean, Laura Dixon, and Brianna Lord. Along with those All-GLVC winners is now sophomore Jaynae Pinder who took 3^rd place last year in the 60-meter hurdles. In the same meet, Kelsey Crabtree earned an All-GLVC award with a 3^rd place finish in the pentathlon. Returning after a year off is graduate student Lily Simmons who won the GLVC indoor high jump in 2024. She will look to repeat that this year at the Championships later in February.
 
Leading the team for his 19th season is head coach Corey McElhaney. McElhaney is an extremely accomplished coach at SBU, who was just inducted into the Athletics Hall of Fame. McElhaney will be joined by assistant coach Mike McIntosh, who returns for his fourth season on the SBU staff. McIntosh will specialize in coaching throwing events, like the hammer, shotput, discus, and javelin. He has coached an All-American in Savannah Manthey, who took 5^th at last years' NCAA Outdoor National Championships. The track and field coaching staff is made complete with assistant coach Sterlen Paul. Paul returns for his fourth year as an assistant coach and sixth year as part of Southwest Baptist's track and field program after spending his first two years as a graduate assistant. He specializes in coaching events featuring sprints, hurdles, and jumps. He has coached the first ever sprinting National Champion in school history of Collinique Farrington at last years' outdoor NCAA National Championships.
 
The team was picked to finish 4th place at this years' GLVC Championships after placing 4th at last years' Championships. For another year, this will take place in Indianapolis, Indiana on the final weekend of February. The road to that begins this Saturday at Northwest Missouri, as the team looks to hit strong marks and build throughout the season. 
 
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