Maryville, Mo. – Just before Christmas break the women's track and field team got to compete in their first meet of the 2025-26 campaign. Many personal bests and National marks were hit in the meet.
 
Two Bearcats continued their supremacy of hitting National marks early into the season. Returning All-American Stephanique Dean recorded her first National mark with a 7.51 second run in the 60-meter dash, finishing 2^nd in the event. Coming off an outdoor All-American award in the 4x400-meter relay, Laura Dixon ran a time of 24.63 in the 200-meter dash for a 1^st place finish. These two later joined Emily Young and Brianna Lord to hit a National mark in the 4x400-meter relay. 
 
Sophomore Natalie Gerdes comes off an All-GLVC award in the cross-country season and begins with a 1^st place finish in the 5,000-meter. Her time of 17:59.47 was two seconds better than her personal best and moved up to 9^th in SBU history. Another returner in graduate Dylan Coleman had a personal best in the weight throw with 15.44-meters, also 3^rd best in SBU history.
 
Multiple freshmen showed they belong in the legacy of Bearcat track and field with some of the best marks in SBU history. In the shot put, Alexis Turner threw 12.24 meters which is 2^nd best in Bearcat history. Madison Davis finished 1^st in the 60-meter hurdle prelims with a remarkable time of 9.11, 2^nd best in SBU history. Gracie Troester, GLVC cross-country freshman of the year, took 1st in the 3000m event.
 
That meet will be the last for this team in the year of 2025 as the head into winter break. They will look to return to these spotlight moments on January 16^th in the Showme ShowDown in Columbia, Missouri.
 
Shot Put:
Alexis Turner – 4th
Londyn Jones – 18^th

High Jump:
Lily Simmons – 2^nd
Izzie Salsman – 7^th
Kelsey Crabtree – 17^th

3000m:
Gracie Troester - 1st

5000m:
Natalie Gerdes – 1^st
Adaline Colon – 13^th
Riley Arnold – 14^th
 
60m:
Stephanique Dean – 2^nd
Laura Dixon – 11^th
Izzie Salsman – 57^th
 
60m Hurdles:
Madison Davis – 1^st in Preliminaries – DNR in Finals
Jaynae Pinder – 4th in Preliminaries – DNR in Finals
Kelsey Crabtree – 12^th
Lily Simmons – 13^th
Audrey Oliver – 23^rd
 
400m:
Brianna Lord – 4^th
Emily Young – 7^th
Madison Davis – 12^th
Sierra Wallace – 14^th
Jaynae Pinder – 21^st
Audrey Oliver – 34^th
Amaleiya Cerrone – 36^th
 
1 Mile:
Audrey Goatley – 14^th
Kadence Wallace – 18^th
 
Weight:
Dylan Coleman – 4^th
Alexis O'farrell – 14^th
Carli Burchett – 16^th
Londyn Jones – 24th

4x400 Relay:
1st - Laura Dixon, Stephanique Dean, Brianna Lord, Emily Young
7th - SBU 'B' - Sierra Wallace, Madison Davis, Jaynae Pinder, Kelsey Crabtree
12th - SBU 'C' - Kadence Wallace, Audrey Oliver, Izzie Salsman, Amaleiya Cerrone