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AUSTIN, Texas – The No. 2-ranked Harding women’s track and field team solidified its status as a national powerhouse this weekend, shattering two school records and moving several athletes into the top tier of the NCAA Division II national rankings during a high-profile three-meet swing through Texas.

Competing at the 98th Texas Relays in Austin, the Bobcat Invitational in San Marcos, and the Carl Kight Invitational in Nacogdoches, the Lady Bisons notched 10 new marks that currently rank in the top 50 nationally.

Konovalenko and 4×800 Relay Set New School Standards

The weekend was highlighted by two historic performances that rewrote the Harding record books. In Austin, freshman Erika Konovalenko made a massive statement in the Javelin Throw (Section A). Her toss of 50.26m (164-10) earned her a second-place finish in a field of elite Division I competitors and obliterated the previous school record of 47.64m. The mark currently ranks No. 4 in NCAA Division II.

The distance crew added to the record-breaking tally in the 4×800-meter relay. The quartet of Kaia Bieker, Tetiana Kharashchuk, Sharon Strydom, and Josie Parks clocked a 8:54.28, finishing fourth overall. The time shaved more than five seconds off the previous school record (8:59.72) set just last season.

National Marks in Field and Sprints

Senior Cadence Sansom continued her climb toward the top of the national standings in the pole vault. Competing at the Bobcat Invitational, Sansom cleared 4.05m (13-03.50) to take fourth place. The height represents the No. 5 mark in Division II this season.

On the track, junior Leila Ngapout turned in a career weekend. She finished 20th in a massive 100-meter dash field at the Texas Relays with a time of 11.71, which currently sits at No. 11 in the national rankings. Ngapout also anchored the 4×400-meter relay team—joined by Jayden Bowman, Kharashchuk, and Oreoluwa Odenike—to a 23rd-ranked national time of 3:49.38.

Other notable performances included:


Jumps: Freshman Eva Gommier placed seventh in the Long Jump (Section B) at the Bobcat Invitational with a leap of 5.76m (18-10.75). In Austin, Ally Cheek took fifth in the High Jump, clearing 1.68m (5-06.00).



Throws: Freshman Yedidya Bangue posted a pair of top-10 finishes at the Texas Relays, taking seventh in the shot put (14.05m) and eighth in the discus (43.89m).



Distance: At the Carl Kight Invitational, Dinah Winders led the way with a personal-best 4:37.35 in the 1,500 meters (No. 49 in DII), while Addison Lyles added a PB in the 5,000 meters (18:42.30).



Steeplechase: Josie Parks finished fourth in the 3,000-meter steeplechase in Austin, crossing the line in 10:53.35.


Coming Up Next

Harding returns to Searcy to host back-to-back home events at the Ted and Marcie Lloyd Track and Field Complex. The Lady Bisons will compete in the Stallion Transportation Bison Multi on April 9-10, followed immediately by the Stallion Transportation Bryan Phillips Open on April 10-11.

The home meets serve as the final tune-ups before Harding hosts the Great American Conference Outdoor Championships starting April 29.