CHICAGO – The No. 8 ranked Saint Xavier University women's track & field had an outstanding performance at the Chicago Collegiate Invite Saturday afternoon at the Worrill Track & Field Center in Chicago, Ill. The Cougars won four events as senior
Yanira Deana Paninka (Canary Island, Spain/Central Methodist/IES Jandia) set a new personal record (PR) in the 400m in indoor competition with the fastest time, and the second-best in school history, in the race at 59.40 seconds. She was also a part of the 4000m Distance Medley Relay (DMR) 'A' team for SXU, along with junior
Amaya Rique (St. Louis, Mo./Mineral Area/Seckman), fifth-year senior
Lexi Clarke (Plainfield, Ill./Joliet JC/Plainfield South) and fifth-year senior
Olivia Mathis (Akron, Ohio/Lourdes/St Vincent-St. Mary), who posted the third-best time in the NAIA this season with a first-place, and NAIA 'B' Standard, time of 12:14.08 breaking the school record that stood since 2013. Senior
Jamie Sierocki (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln-Way East) had the best throw in the Shot Put with a distance of 11.22m, while sophomore
Mariah James (Alsip, Ill./Shepard) won the Weight Throw with meet-best throw of 13.94m. No team scores were recorded.
- SXU had two runners competing in the preliminaries of the 60m Dash. Junior Rashiya Warfield (Lansing, Ill./T.F. South) qualified for the finals with a time of 8.49 seconds. Sophomore Sophia Thomas (Highland, Ill./Highland) established a new PR with her time of 8.67 seconds. In the finals, Warfield placed eighth at 8.51 seconds.
- In the 200m, senior Emerson Colins (New Lenox, Ill./St. Francis/Lincoln-Way West) and Rique placed third and fourth, respectively, both crossing at 25.76 seconds. Warfield posted a time of 28.88 seconds.
- Colins set a PR in the 400m, placing second behind her teammate, at 1:00.46. Freshman Nyaa Williams (Romeoville, Ill./Romeoville) checked in with a time of 1:05.92. Freshman Sheridan Price (Riverdale, Ill./Thornton Township) made her collegiate debut for Saint Xavier, clocking in at 1:12.19.
- Junior Isabel Calderon (Orland Park, Ill./Olivet Nazarene/Sandburg) PR'd in the 800m after finishing 10th overall at 2:30.27. Senior Isabella Alatorre (Blue Island, Ill./Eisenhower) followed with a time of 2:34.35. Freshman Alesi Rodriguez (St. John, Ind./Andrean) PR'd as well, logging a time of 2:42.02. Junior Alexia Guzman (Chicago, Ill./Solorio Academy) crossed the line at 2:45.53.
- Competing in the Mile, freshman Jiselle Aldrete (Chicago, Ill./Marist) finished with a mark of 7:12.69.
- Warfield placed fourth in the 60m Hurdles with a time of 9.50 seconds.
- The 4x400 Relay team of Colins, Rique, Calderon and Deana Paninka were fourth overall, crossing the finish line at 4:24.87
- The Cougars also featured a 'B' squad in the DMR as Guzman, Rodriguez, Calderon and freshman Ava Scheeringa (Hebron, Ind./Hebron) finished second at 14:16.80.
- Thomas placed third in the Long Jump with a distance of 4.99m. Warfield was fourth overall with a mark of 4.75m, while senior Nayilea Bejarano (Posen, Ill./Eisenhower) finished in sixth place at 4.32m.
- In the Triple Jump, Bejarano logged a season-best distance of 8.73m.
- Freshman Brooke Becker (Tinley Park, Ill./Tinley Park) recorded a new PR in the Shot Put, placing second behind her teammate, with a toss of 11.03m. James placed fourth after a throw of 10.94m.
- Becker also PR'd in the Weight Throw, finishing third with a throw of 13.29m. Sierocki placed fourth with a distance of 12.86m, and Pena Flores was seventh overall at 11.34m.
No. 8 Saint Xavier travels to Bourbonnais, Ill. to take part in the Walter Cramer Invite hosted by Olivet Nazarene University (Ill.) of Friday, February 6.
