Maryville, Mo. - The Central Methodist Women's track and field team delivered another championship performance over the weekend, capturing the program's fourth indoor conference title in the last five years at the Heart of America Indoor Conference Championships in Maryville, Missouri. 

The women finished the meet with 201 total points, more than 20 points better than second place Benedictine (179.5). MidAmerica Nazarene finished third in the meet with 109 total points. 

Senior Zakiya Porter set the tone in the 60 meters, clocking a conference-winning time of 7.57 seconds to set a new school record and conference championship meet record. Teammates Maria Sahagun (4th, 7.71), Zyaire Robinson (5th, 7.86), freshman Akeelah Knox (7th, 7.92) and Zaria Jones (8th, 8.06) added valuable points in a dominant team showing.

Porter added a runner-up finish in the 200 meters (24.60), while Knox placed fourth (24.94). Bailey Arceneaux (5th, 24.98), Sahagun (6th, 24.99) and Allena Rowland (7th, 25.17) kept the Eagles piling up points. Sahagun and Knox's times punched their tickets the the NAIA National Championships. 

Freshman Akeelah Knox continued her breakout weekend in the 60-meter hurdles, finishing second in 8.61. Tafaol Mohamed placed third (8.75), followed by Shannon O'Neil (5th, 8.88), Zaria Jones (6th, 8.91) and Haley Bellamy (7th, 8.92), as Central scored in five of the top seven spots.

Rowland posted a runner-up finish in the 400 meters with an NAIA "A" standard and new school record time of 55.48 seconds. Arceneaux followed in third (56.36), while Diane Ondobo (6th, 57.15), Aroa Carballo (7th, 57.48) and Deborah Martinez (8th, 57.49) all scored.

Rowland doubled back for another second-place finish in the 600 meters (1:33.89), with Arceneaux (3rd, 1:34.73), Ondobo (4th, 1:36.06) and Carballo (5th, 1:36.86) continuing the Eagles' momentum.

Senior Ali Gutierrez added eight points with a runner-up effort in the 800 meters (2:20.67) and scored again in the 1000 meters (6th, 3:05.03).

The Eagles excelled in the indoor pentathlon, highlighted by Annemarie Koerner's event wins in the long jump (5.68m) and 800 meters (2:33.74). Koerner ultimately won gold with a score of 3,410 points. 

Sofia Rizo won the 60-meter hurdles (9.03) and high jump (1.60m), while Londyn Cage added multiple top-three finishes. The trio combined for major points across all five disciplines to anchor the team total.

Senior Haley Bellamy cleared 1.66m to win the high jump and score 10 points. Rizo (3rd) and O'Neil (4th) added podium finishes, while Natalie Calcaterra also scored.

Koerner placed fourth in the long jump (5.59m), with Bellamy adding a sixth-place finish.

In the throws, Joana Vakasobuduru took third in the shot put with a mark of 13.14m, adding six more points and setting a new personal best. 

The Eagles capped the weekend in thrilling fashion, winning the 4x400-meter relay in 3:48.64. The quartet of Deborah Martinez, Hannah Reed, Akeelah Knox and Shannon O'Neil secured 10 crucial points and an NAIA "A" standard to punctuate the championship performance. 

Central will next turn its attention to the NAIA Indoor National Championships March 5-7 in Gainesville, Florida. 

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