As the KCAC Indoor Track Championship unfolded, Ottawa University's Track & Field teams overcame some early adversity to finish higher in the team standings than originally projected.

After a slow start on day 1 of competition, OU athletes sprinted out of the gate on day 2.  Kayron Johnson, Mario Cheatem, and Daniel Blount all qualified for the finals in triple jump and earned OU its first points of the day.  While that was happening, the women's high jumpers were on the opposite end of the facility performing just as well, with JayOnna Perry and Jah'Nisha Campbell taking second and third, respectively.   Not to be outdone, Hadyn Bieling earned his second trip to the indoor national championship in the men's high jump by jumping 6 feet, 8 and ¾ inches, an indoor career best.  In the women's triple jump, Juliet Lane was the next scorer for OU, covering a career indoor-record distance of 10.26 meters.  Jaine Johnson finished off the morning portion of the day and added to OU's point total with a 5^th place finish in women's weight throw.

In the afternoon, OU continued to put the pressure on the rest of the field.  JayOnna Perry lowered the 60m hurdles school that she already owned, and not five minutes later Kayron Johnson did the exact same thing in the men's 60m hurdles while also earning his first KCAC indoor championship in the event.  As the afternoon progressed, OU athletes continued to rack up team points.  Jordyn Weems had a career day, earning 7^th in the women's 60m dash, 3^rd in the 200, and finishing runner-up to teammate Jayonna Perry in the 400.  The 1-2 finish in the women's 400 is nearly identical to last year's 400 meter final, when Perry and teammate Mina Millington finished first and second.  While finishing second, Weems' time of 58.41 seconds was fast enough to earn her a spot alongside Perry at the indoor national championship.  Both women were joined by Jah'Nisha Campbell and Tanzania Barnes as Ottawa won the 4x400m relay championship.  On the men's side, freshman Domonic Atkinstall finished 3^rd in the men's 60m dash, then 2^nd in the 400, and finally reached the pinnacle of the awards stand by winning the 200m dash.  His performance earned him the KCAC track athlete of the meet—the second year in a row an OU athlete has won that award. 

At the conclusion of the meet, both teams had finished higher in the team standings than projected.  The women finished 4^th overall with 81.5 points.  The men finished 6^th with a total 59 points, but if not for an unfortunate incident in the 4x400m relay in which an OU athlete was accidentally tripped--causing the team to fall significantly behind in the race--the men's team would have finished higher. 

Currently, OU will be sending JayOnna Perry, Jordyn Weems, Tanzania Barnes, Jah'nisha Campbell, Kayron Johnson, and Hadyn Bieling to the indoor national championship being held in Brookings, SD from February 29^th through March 2^nd, but there is one last chance for athletes to qualify this weekend at Northwest Missouri State.