Graceland Women's Track and Field Competes at Central Methodist Invite
FAYETTE, Mo. — The Graceland University Yellowjackets women's track and field team continued its outdoor season this weekend at the 2025 Central Methodist Invitational at Davis Field. Facing strong competition from across the NAIA and NCAA Division II levels, the Yellowjackets produced several key performances and set the stage for the final weeks of the regular season.
In the sprints, sophomore Deniyah Lockman posted a time of 13.86 seconds in the 100-meter dash to place 26th overall. Freshman Maurkevia Pettus finished 28th in 14.90 seconds. In the 200 meters, junior Grace Testerman ran 30.37 seconds to finish 42nd, while Pettus doubled back to record a time of 34.01 seconds, finishing 43rd.
Graceland's mid-distance squad showed well in the 400 meters. Testerman returned to post a time of 1:09.91 to finish 23rd in the event. In the 800 meters, freshman Ella Gerlach placed 22nd with a time of 2:56.06, while freshman Cameron Sharp was 24th in 3:04.81. Freshman Sierra Davenport ran 3:05.59 to place 25th, followed by sophomore Lidya Haile, who rounded out the Yellowjacket entries with a time of 3:12.16 for 26th.
"The meet at Central Methodist provided valuable reps against some very strong competition," said Graceland head coach Quinton Harley. "Our women continued to improve their race strategies, and it's clear the work we are putting in at practice is starting to show. We are excited to build on this heading into the next meet."
In addition to the individual performances, Graceland athletes showed improvement in technical race aspects, including acceleration phases and split control in the 400 meters. Harley praised the team's consistency, noting that several athletes posted season-best times under challenging wind conditions.
Field events were not contested by Graceland at this meet, allowing the program to focus on sprint and distance development.
Overall, the Central Methodist Invite featured strong performances from top regional programs, with Lincoln (Mo.), Central Methodist, and Cumberlands among the team leaders. Despite the heavy competition, the Yellowjackets continued to show development, particularly among the underclassmen group.
The Yellowjackets now shift their focus to sharpening techniques ahead of the championship phase of the season. Graceland will return to action on Friday, April 11, at the Central Missouri Mule Relays hosted at Walton Stadium in Warrensburg, Missouri.
For more information on Graceland track and field and all Graceland athletics, visit GUjackets.com.