Fayette, Mo. - The Central Methodist Women's Track & Field program completed the sweep of the Heart of America Athletic Conference Championships this past weekend, hosting the Heart Outdoor Championships at Davis Field and Hairston Track.
It marks the second outdoor title for the program in the last three years and the fifth conference championship, indoor or outdoor, in the previous five years.
The Eagles will go down as Heart Co-Champions, as Central and Benedictine College secured 179 total points, a first in conference history.
With the CMU men winning the men's title, both programs cap an impressive indoor and outdoor run that saw the Eagles win three of four conference championships in 2024-25.
Additionally, CMU garnered 13 individual conference champions in seven different events.
Zakiya Porter took home gold in the 100m dash, clocking a time of 11.71 seconds. Additionally, the junior from Fulton, Missouri, won the 200m dash in 24.40 seconds.
Senior Haley Bellamy won the high jump, clearing a height of 1.66 meters. She also finished second in the long jump with a leap of 5.86 meters.
In the track events, Bellamy and Parys Smith went 2-3 in the 100m hurdles with times of 14.00 and 14.18 seconds respectively.
Joana Vakasobuduru earned a runner-up finish in the javelin with a toss of 41.89 meters. She also placed third in the 200m dash in 24.65 seconds.
The Eagles went 1-2-3-4 in the 400m dash as Diane Ondobo (55.77), Allena Rowland (56.55), Vakasobuduru (56.81), and Aroa Carballo (57.73) all scored points for Central in the event.
Carballo also won the 400m hurdles with a time of 1:02.73.
The Eagles dominated the relays, beginning with the 4x100m team of Porter, Vakasobuduru, Smith, and Ondobo. The quartet won the relay in 46.54 seconds.
Central's 4x800m team of Aliyaha Heron, Tara Ozinga, Maria Burgo, and Ali Gutierrez finished just off the podium in fourth place with a time of 9:34.48.
The meet concluded with the 4x400m relay team of Ondobo, Vakasobuduru, Carballo, and Rowland winning the championship with a time of 3:48 flat, more than six seconds better than the second-place finisher. The first-place finish gave Central enough points to secure a share of the Heart title.
The top three finishers in each event were considered 2025 Heart Outdoor Track & Field All-Conference athletes.
1st Place = First Team All-Conference
2nd Place = Second Team All-Conference
3rd Place = Third Team All-Conference
Fourth, fifth, and sixth place finishers = Honorable Mention All-Conference.
Central will turn its attention to the NAIA National Championships, which will be held May 21-23 at Indiana Wesleyan University in Marion, Indiana.
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