Brigham Young University’s women’s track and field team will compete for its first Big 12 indoor championship on February 27-28 at the Sports Performance Center in Lubbock, Texas.
The team features several athletes who have set NCAA records this season. Jane Hedengren is scheduled to race in the mile and 3000-meter events, both of which she holds the second-fastest time nationally. Riley Chamberlain, who broke the NCAA mile record with a time of 4:20.61 at the David Hemery Valentine Invitational on February 14, will participate in the 800 meters and 3000 meters. This will be Chamberlain’s first appearance in an 800-meter race this season.
Zariel Macchia, with a personal best of 4:38.02 in the mile, will join Hedengren in that event. Tessa Buswell, ranked fourth all-time at BYU in the 800 meters and last year’s third-place finisher at the indoor Big 12 Championships, will also compete alongside Chamberlain.
Nelah Roberts is entered in the 5000 meters for BYU. The team’s lineup for the 3000 meters includes Jacey Harkins-Farmer, Taylor Rohatinsky, Jenna Hutchins, Raygan Peterson as well as Chamberlain and Hedengren.
The distance medley relay team—Rohatinsky, Kali McEuen, Krystie Solomon-Jensen and Hutchins—will race together for the first time on Friday night.
Paje Rasmussen set three school records at the Don Kirby Invitational earlier this season: program bests in both the 60m and 200m sprints and running lead-off for BYU’s record-setting 4x400m relay squad. That relay team returns to competition after posting a time of 3:31.24.
In multi-events, Zoey Bonds and Tia Brown are scheduled to compete in Friday’s pentathlon. Bonds currently ranks fifth all-time at BYU with her score of 4,105 points from this season’s December Indoor Invitational.
For throws events, Lia Katoa is set to compete in Friday’s weight throw; she ranks ninth all-time at BYU for that event. Kat Beachler and Kaiah Fisher will join Katoa for Saturday’s shot put competition.
