Track & Field open outdoor season in Texas

Finegan takes home 800-meter title

Track+and+Field+competes+in+two-meet+weekend

Northern Star File Photo

Track and Field competes in two-meet weekend

By Abby Hostman

DeKALB — The women’s track and field team began its outdoor season at the Texas Relays in Austin, Texas, and Texas State’s Bobcat International in San Marcos, Texas. This was its first time having an outdoor season since the 2019 season. The 2020 outdoor season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Texas Relays

The Huskies’ top finisher was senior Mackenzie Callahan who finished fifth in the 1500-meter invitational final with a time of 4:28.63. Callahan also competed in the 800-meter run where she finished with a time of 2:90.78, a personal best, according to NIU Athletics. 

Sophomore Brooke Lytle earned another top-10 finish for the Huskies, finishing ninth in the 3000 meter steeplechase with a time of 11:10.50. 

Bobcat International 

The Huskies earned two top spots at the Bobcat International in San Marcos, Texas. Senior Nora Finegan gave the Huskies their first win of the meet in the 800-meter run with a time of 2:13.91.

NIU’s 4×400-meter relay team took home first place honors after junior Kaitlyn Lewis, first-year Kennedy Crawford, Callahan and sophomore Jahnetta Jones ran a time of 3:47.45, around eight seconds ahead of second place. 

The Huskies had two close second-place finishes. Redshirt senior Remy Amarteifio recorded a time of 14.07 in the 100-meter hurdles and Crawford finished the 400-meter hurdles in a time of 1:02.53. 

The last top-three spot the Huskies earned was in the 4×100-meter relay with junior Jazmyn Smith, Amarteifio, first-year Skylynn Blue and Jones finishing with a time of 46.37. 

NIU will compete Friday at the Redbird Invite hosted by Illinois State University, in Normal.