TUCSON, ARIZONA, May 14–16 —After BYU scored 20 points in the 1500, with a 3-4-5-6-7 finish, they had 66 points and a huge lead — with defending champs Texas Tech way back in a tie for 8th with 19. Everyone knew the Red Raiders had the bulk of their points coming in the hurdles, remaining jumps and other events.
But could they come all the way back?
The answer was “yes.” Behind victories from jumpers Temitope Adeshina and Tamiah Washington, hurdler Tonie-Ann Forbes, and a meet-ending 3:28.05 triumph in the 4 x 400, coach Wes Kittley’s crew racked up 119½ points, finally pulling away from the Cougars’ 108.
Tech actually took over 1st for good when 2-time NCAA indoor champ Adeshina won her fifth straight conference title (in and out), dominating the high jump with a winning 6-4¼ (1.94). There was little doubt she would win, but what she was left with was wishing she could get over that bar at 6-6¾ (2.00). “I just want to do the 2 meters,” she laughed. “I don’t know if the 2 meters is scared of me… God, please! I just want to do the 2 meters and win (her first outdoor) nationals!”
Claire Lowrey and Evelyn Lavielle also added valuable points in 5th and 6th (tie). Then Washington wrapped up an upset triple jump title at 44-4¾ (13.53), followed by teammates Olga Szlachta (5th) and Grace Oshiokpu (7th). “It definitely gives me a lot of confidence that I can come out here, jump like this and get the win,” said Washington, “especially after six long jumps late last night.”
BYU would rally once more, in the 5K behind Collegiate Record-holder and decisive winner Jane Hedengren and four others who combined for 22 points. But that wasn’t enough to take the lead. All that was left was the 4 x 400.
“We told them, ‘We just have to beat BYU,”’ Kittley said. “Don’t drop the stick and don’t run out of your lane!’ But they ran the best time they have all year.”
Earlier, Forbes had a swift 100H victory, hitting a windy 12.75 (2.6). Vanessa Balde suffered a tough 400H loss to Kansas State’s Vanessa Mercera, as both ran 55.39. But still, with Balde’s teammate Lovina Ewusi in 3rd, Tech picked up 14 points.
Of course, the meet was much more than just the team battle at the top. The only double winner on the women’s side was Kansas’s Emmaculate Jemutai. First, she outkicked favorite Billah Jepkirui, Hedengren and her teammates in the 1500, closing in 63.78. Yes, Jemutai was defending champ, but Jepkurui’s 4:04.59 PR (and 4:22.92 mile PR) was significantly faster.
In the 800, Iowa State’s Makayla Clark led through 200 at a brisk pace, but then slowed dramatically (65.47). Jemutai, a 1:59 performer running in lane 2 for much of the race, dug deep in the final 100 to conclude a 60.37 closing lap and finish the double with 2:05.90.
Cyclone senior Rachel Joseph, whose 400 best was 50.66 coming into the year, had a massive PR 50.08 to take the lap sprint. In the short sprints, Cincinnati’s Kya Epps blasted an 11.07w (2.1) to take the century over Baylor’s Tiriah Kelley (11.13), but Kelley came back to dominate at twice the distance with 22.19. The Bears also had a 1-2 finish in the pole vault as Tenly Kuhn and Molly Haywood both cleared 14-8 (4.47).
BYU also got big points in Friday’s steeple, with Taylor Lovell’s 9:40.98 leading the way. Also on Friday, Juliette Laracuente-Huebner broke through the 6000-point barrier with a huge PR 6086 that rocketed her up to No. 3 on the ’26 collegiate list.
The hosts scored victories on the field with Sydnie Vanek taking the long jump at 21-4 (6.50) and Tapenisa Havea the shot at 52-10¼ (16.11).
BIG 12 WOMEN’S RESULTS
(altitude 747m)
Teams: 1. Texas Tech 119½; 2. BYU 108; 3. Arizona 79; 4. Iowa State 72; 5. Baylor 61; 6. Oklahoma State 58; 7. Cincinnati 57½; 8. Kansas 51½; 9. Kansas State 43½; 10. UCF 41; 11. TCU 31; 12. Arizona State 27½; 13. Utah 22; 14. Houston 20½; 15. West Virginia 19; 16. Colorado 8.
100(2.1): 1. Kya Epps (Cinc) 11.07w; 2. Tiriah Kelley (Bay) 11.13w; 3. **Indya Mayberry (TCU) 11.16w; 4. ***Bailey Johnson (TCU) 11.17w; 5. Alyssa Colbert (TxT) 11.18w.
200(1.5): 1. Tiriah Kelley (Bay) 22.19; 2. ***Bailey Johnson (TCU) 22.61; 3. Kya Epps (Cinc) 22.72; 4. **Chelsea Amoah (Ut) 22.84.
400: 1. Rachel Joseph (IaSt) 50.08; 2. Jazmen Newberry (UCF) 51.17; 3. *Davenae Fagan (Cinc) 51.74; 4. Collinique Farrington’ (TxT-Bah) 51.85.
800: 1. *Emmaculate Jemutai’ (Ks-Ken) 2:05.90; 2. Makayla Clark (IaSt) 2:06.09; 3. **Tessa Buswell (BYU) 2:06.23; 4. Fanny Arendt’ (TxT-Lux) 2:06.46.
1500: 1. *Emmaculate Jemutai’ (Ks-Ken) 4:09.66; 2. *Billah Jepkirui’ (OkSt-Ken) 4:10.16; 3. ***Jane Hedengren (BYU) 4:10.24.
St: 1. *Taylor Lovell (BYU) 9:40.98; 2. **Mercy Kinyanjui’ (WV-Ken) 9:54.27; 3. *Raygan Dimond (BYU) 9:59.02.
5000: 1. Hedengren 15:26.94; 2. ***Betty Kipkore’ (IaSt-Ken) 15:51.19; 3. Jenna Hutchins (BYU) 15:53.41; 4. ***Mercy Kibet’ (IaSt-Ken) 15:54.75.
10,000: 1. ***Mercyline Kirwa’ (IaSt-Ken) 34:02.42; 2. **Joy Naukot’ (WV-Ken) 34:05.40; 3. Kipkore’ 34:07.53;
4. *Abbey Nechanicky (Co) 34:26.16.
100H(2.6): 1. *Tonie-Ann Forbes’ (TxT-Jam) 12.75w; 2. Antoinette Galloway (UCF) 12.85w; 3. *Symoria Adkins (TxT) 13.03w; 4. Taylen Wise (Az) 13.09w.
400H: 1. Vanessa Mercera’ (KsSt-Neth) 55.39; 2. Vanessa Balde’ (TxT-Ger) 55.39; 3. *Lovina Ewusi’ (TxT-Gha) 55.75;
4. Kali McEuen (BYU) 55.88.
4 x 100: I–1. Cincinnati 44.35. II–1. UCF 43.57 (Gipson, Pulliam, Hunter, Newberry); 2. Utah 43.69; 3. Arizona 43.77.
4 x 400: I–1. Kansas 3:31.48. II–1. Texas Tech 3:28.05 (Farrington’, Kelley, Balde’, Ewusi’); 2. UCF 3:28.09; 3. Iowa State 3:31.30.
Field Events
HJ: 1. *Temitope Adeshina’ (TxT-Ngr) 6-4¼ (1.94); 2. tie, ***Kya Crooke (Az) & *Emma Gates (Az) 6-¾ (1.85); 4. *Paris Mikinski (Az) 6-¾.
PV: 1. **Tenly Kuhn (Bay) 14-8 (4.47); 2. *Molly Haywood (Bay) 14-8; 3. **Madison Snody (Ks) 14-4 (4.37); 4. *Alencia Lentz (Bay) 14-0 (4.27).
LJ: 1. **Sydnie Vanek (Az) 21-4 (6.50); 2. Aaliyah Lindsay’ (KsSt-Jam) 21-¾ (6.42); 3. **Janae De Gannes’ (Bay-Tri) 20-9¼ (6.33); 4. Sydney Willits (IaSt) 20-6½ (6.26); 5. *Tamiah Washington (TxT) 20-6¼ (6.25).
TJ: 1. Washington 44-4¾ (13.53); 2. *Daniela Wamokpego’ (KsSt-Fra) 44-1½ (13.45); 3. ***Destini Smith (KsSt) 44-½ (13.42).
SP: 1. Tapenisa Havea’ (Az-NZ) 52-10¼ (16.11); 2. **Sydney Freeman (Hous) 52-¾ (15.87); 3. **Omolola Kuponiyi’ (Cinc-GB) 51-8½ (15.76).
DT: 1. Ines Lopez’ (AzSt-Spa) 191-11 (58.50); 2. Sofia Sluchaninova’ (Ks-Rus) 179-3 (54.64); 3. *McKenzie Davis (TxT) 177-8 (54.17); 4. Kaiah Fisher (BYU) 176-1 (53.67).
HT: 1. ***Burklie Burton (OkSt) 223-0 (67.99); 2. **Candra King (IaSt) 219-10 (67.02).
JT: 1. *Irene Jepkemboi’ (TCU-Ken) 178-7 (54.44); 2. *Erin Tack (Az) 173-3 (52.81); 3. *Alysa Keller (BYU) 170-10 (52.08).
Hept: 1. *Juliette Laracuente-Huebner (Cinc) 6086 (AmCL) (13.52, 5-7/1.70, 43-3¾/13.20, 23.83w, 20-5/6.22, 123-9/37.73, 2:14.23);
2. Annie Molenhouse (OkSt) 6005; 3. **Logan Todorovich (Bay) 5830; 4. Zoey Bonds (BYU) 5735; 5. *Eva Bruce (UCF) 5616; 6. *Katie Chapman’ (OkSt-GB) 5586.
