SAN ANGELO, Texas – Eastern New Mexico women's track and field posted their best finish at the Lone Star Conference outdoor track and field championship Saturday afternoon.

The Greyhounds took third out of 12 institutions after scoring 68.50 points. The race for the third place plaque saw a handful of momentum shifts to aid Eastern New Mexico to its first ever top-three conference result.

"A very pivotal shift among our women's program," said head coach Joshua Harden on the growth he has watched since he joined the program as an assistant in 2021 to becoming the head coach. "It was awesome to watch our ladies battle from day one to the very end."

One of the highlights of the meet began with the first event of the day – javelin. Sophomore Kennedy Ulmer came in as the favorite to win the competition and that is exactly what she accomplished. The Rio Rancho, N.M. native tossed 42.65m (139-11) to win the event by more than ten feet.

"Being a conference champ is so rewarding because you finally get to see all your hard work pay off," said Ulmer after the win. "It's very exciting to see, hopefully next year is just as great."

Freshman Deziree Bosquez came into the javelin around the five-seed, but ended up breaking out a major personal best mark to take third. Her toss of 39.28m (128-10) was bested by the event's runner-up by a single inch.

The next event of the day helped ENMU earn crucial points in a field of strong throwers. Tamia Smith threw 14.24m (46-8.75) on her second attempt to take second place in shot put. Her throw earned the program eight total points.

"We're only going up from here," remarked Smith when asked about where she saw the program when she first arrived and where she see's the growth. "We have always been in the shadows to all, but I know it's our time to start stepping into the light. I can't wait to see this program thrive to the top."

The running events began with a bang as the 4x100 team took third with a 46.47s. Jodian Stewart, Riley Midgett, Helena Carboo-Klutsey, and Grizell Scarlett made up the team to earn the bronze medal. Some of the more notable aspects of the race included watching Midgett tighten a gap in the second leg and Scarlett's sprint on the straightaway. ENMU bettered its 4x100 time by 0.1s in the race.

Grizell Scarlett did not disappoint in the 100m. The freshman breezed through the short sprint with a meet record 11.33s. Her time bested a group of runners from West Texas A&M who finished 2^nd-5^th in respective order. Scarlett will get another chance to compete with top level talent in two weeks at the NCAA DII outdoor track and field championships in Kansas.

Scarlett's day was not done yet as she took on the 200m just one hour later. The freshman finished in 24.02s to take fourth place. She came just 0.1s shy of a podium finish.

It was not her first gold medal at the conference level as she won the 60m indoor title earlier this year. The 100m victory is her second in just her first collegiate season.

"I'm very proud of myself. Being on top of the podium again was one of the best feelings," said Scarlett after the win. "Thanks to my coaches and teammates for the support and love always."

The final race of the evening proved to be the most crucial turning point of the entire day. Helena Carboo-Klutsey, Minerva Cerda-Hernandez, Meghan Rodriguez, and Riley Midgett managed to finish ninth in the 4x400 with a time of 4:00.52s. However, for the team to take third, UT Tyler needed to finish with less than nine points and Texas A&M-Kingsville needed to earn a result totaling less than seven points. The Patriots ended up taking second (eight points) and the Javelinas crossed the line in fifth (four points). Therefore, ENMU clinched third place and a podium finish for the team for the first time in LSC-era history.

The team now awaits its destiny for the 2024 NCAA DII outdoor track and field championships. Based on current projections, Grizell Scarlett should earn a bid to compete in the 100m and Kennedy Ulmer could compete in the discus after a successful performance at the LSC championships.

Team Results

		Name	Points
1		West Texas A&M	274
2		Angelo State	168.50
3		Eastern New Mexico	68.50
4		UT-Tyler	67
5		TAMU-Kingsville	65
6		Dallas Baptist	56
7		Midwestern St.	40
8		Lubbock Christian	39.50
9		Western New Mexico	12.50
10		St. Edward's	11
11		Oklahoma Christian	10
12		Cameron	1