Elmhurst, Ill. – Junior
Yanira Deana Paninka (Canary Island, Spain/Central Methodist/IES Jandia) bested her school record in the 400m Hurdles, set just last weekm and she hit the NAIA 'B' Standard with her second-place time of 1:03.59 for the Saint Xavier University women's track and field team at the Chicagoland Championships hosted by Elmhurst University (Ill.) this weekend. The three-day meet started with Field events on Thursday. No team scores were recorded. Deana Paninka is the first Cougar to hit an NAIA Standard so far in the Outdoor season, and she posted the ninth-fastest NAIA Standard in the 400m Hurdles.
- Junior Emerson Colins (New Lenox, Ill./St. Francis/Lincoln-Way West) competed in the preliminaries of the 100m Dash, just missing the cut with a ninth-place time of 12.53 seconds. Freshman Sophia Thomas (Highland, Ill./Highland) debuted in the race, crossing at 14.32 seconds. Junior Nayilea Bejarano (Posen, Ill./Eisenhower) made her season debut, clocking in at 14.95 seconds.
- Colins posted her fourth-fastest time as a Cougar in the 200m at 25.99 seconds. Senior Olivia Mathis (Akron, Ohio/Lourdes/St Vincent-St. Mary) ran in the event for the first time for SXU, finishing at 26.52 seconds, just ahead of sophomore Amaya Rique (St. Louis, Mo./Mineral Area/Seckman), who had a time of 26.63 seconds. Sophomore Rashiya Warfield (Lansing, Ill./T.F. South) lowered her personal record (PR) for the second week in a row, finishing in 27.46 seconds.
- In the 400m, Mathis ran her first sub-minute time, and the second-fastest in team history, with her eighth-place time of 59.27 seconds. Rique made her season debut in the race, clocking in at 1:01.76. Senior Kristin Booker (St. Louis, Ill./Cardinal Ritter) checked in with a time of 1:03.71 in her season debut as well.
- Junior Emma Karczewski (Chicago, Ill./Marist) ran in the 800m for the second time in her career, crossing at 2:55.38.
- Sophomore Alexia Guzman (Chicago, Ill./Solorio Academy) made her season debut, competing in the 1500m, recording a time of 5:52.25. Freshman Ava Mayer (Chicago, Ill./Marist) made her Outdoor debut, finishing at 6:16.08.
- Guzman and Mayer also competed in the 3000m, both debuting in the event. Guzman registered a time of 12:10.74, while Mayer posted a time of 13:17.58.
- In the 100m Hurdles Prelims, Warfield ran her second-fastest career time at 15.46 seconds to qualify for the finals, where she finished fifth overall with a mark of 15.66.
- Also running in the 400m Hurdles, junior Kenia Salgado (Cicero, Ill./Morton East) recorded a time of 1:24.67 in her season debut.
- Senior Lana Krohe (Streator, Ill./Olivet Nazarene/Streator) made her Outdoor debut for Saint Xavier in the Shot Put, claiming sixth with a throw of 11.92m, the fourth-best mark in school history. Junior Jamie Sierocki (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln-Way East) placed eighth with a toss of 11.58m, and junior Katie DeHaan (Tinley Park, Ill./Andrew) also finished in the Top 10 with her 10th place distance of 11.02m. Freshman Mariah James (Alsip, Ill./Shepard) registered a throw of 10.52m, just ahead of the mark of 10.47m from sophomore Amariah Scott (Chicago, Ill./Thornton Township).
- In the Discus, James was eighth overall with a toss of 34.26m.
- Sierocki placed seventh in the Javelin with a throw of 31.98m. DeHaan wasn't too far behind with a ninth-place distance of 31.81m.
Saint Xavier travels south on Interstate-57 to participate in the Olivet Nazarene University (Ill.) Tiger Open on Saturday, April 12 in Bourbonnais, Ill.
