Maryville, Mo. - The Central Methodist Women's Track and Field program continued its impressive run at this weekend's Heart of America Indoor Conference Championships in Maryville, Mo.
Central took home the conference crown after scoring 209 total points and taking home gold in six individual events.
The 209 points scored were 47 points better than second place Benedictine and are the most for the program during their last three championships.
It also marks the third indoor title for the women in the last four years (2022, 2023 and 2025).
Highlighting the weekend for Central was senior Dayana Montenegro, who was the highest point scorer of the meet.
Montenegro tallied 30.5 points, winning the 400m (56.16) and the 600m (1:33.43) races and finishing second in the women's 200m (25.09). She also helped lead the CMU 4x400m relay to a first-place finish (3:51.32). She is now a three-time Heart Indoor Conference Champion in the 600, and set the new program record in the 400.
The 4x400m relay team of Montenegro, Allena Rowland, Aroa Carballo, and Joana Vakasobuduru took home the crown with a new conference championship time of 3:51.32. It also met the 'A' standard for qualification into this year's national championship.
The women swept the podium in the 600m run, as Diane Ondobo (1:35.11) and Rowland (1:35.57) finished second and third behind Montenegro.
Additionally, Ondobo picked up another silver medal in the 400m dash, crossing the line in a time of 57.85 seconds.
Central went 1-2-3-4 in the 200m dash, as Vakasobuduru won the event in a time of 25.04 seconds, setting a new indoor national record in her home country of Fiji.
Montenegro (25.09), Maria Sahagun (25.38), and Zakiya Porter (25.54) placed second, third, and fourth respectively.
Porter also earned a runner-up finish in the 60m dash in a time of 7.68 seconds.
Senior Renee Finke took home first place in the 60m hurdles with a new personal best of 8.66 seconds. It marks the fifth consecutive year an Eagle has won the conference championship in the event.
Haley Bellamy won the high jump, clearing a height of 1.65 meters. Finke placed second with a jump of 1.60 meters.
Senior thrower Karli Wolfe competed in the weight throw, completing a toss of 17.25 meters to earn a runner-up finish and hit the 'A' standard for national championship qualification.
Parys Smith landed on the podium with a third place standing, also hitting a new PR in 8.76 seconds in the 60m hurdles.
Tara Ozinga earned a silver medal in the 3000m run, crossing the line in 10:58.88.
Emma Paninka placed third in the 3000m racewalk with a time of 21:05.79, while Ali Gutierrez completed the 800m run in 2:20.41, also finishing third.
The 4x800m relay team of Maria Burgos, Gutierrez, Molly Milazzo, and Ozinga placed third, completing the relay in a time of 9:51.51.
The breakdown for all-conference selections is first place = first team, second place = second team, and third place = third team. Fourth, fifth, and sixth-place finishers all earn honorable mention all-conference honors.
The Eagles will turn their attention to the NAIA Indoor National Championships, set to begin Thursday, Feb. 27 in Gainesville, Fla.
#TakeFlight
