Track & Field 2/24/2024 10:43:00 PM Chris Brannick

Kelsey Drapeau Lands On Podium As Bronchos Begin MIAA Championships

Central Oklahoma's Treasure Vallerie Makes Finals In 400- And 200-Meter Races

TOPEKA, Kan. – Central Oklahoma began the 2024 MIAA Indoor Track & Field Championships Saturday with highlight performances, school records, and a podium appearance.

Kelsey Drapeau, a senior from Elgin, Oklahoma, leaped to a runner-up finish in the long jump with a career-best 5.70 meters (18 feet, 8 1/2 inches). The mark, which is an NCAA provisional qualifying mark, earned UCO eight team points in the championship. It also surpassed the previous school record at Central Oklahoma (5.61m).

Five other premliminary events were heldl Saturday and UCO had competitors in each race. Treasure Vallerie finished fourth in the 200 meters, blitzing past the finish line in 24.34 seconds. For the second time this season, and in her career, and in Topeka, Vallerie ran an NCAA provisional qualifying mark that broke the school record.

After setting a new school record two weeks ago at Washburn, Vallerie did it again in Saturday's prelims. Her fourth-place finish qualified her for Sunday's finals. Vallerie also competed in the 400 meters and finished eighth in prelims to qualify for Sunday's finals. Vallerie's 56.31 second time is a personal record and just a half-second off another school record.

The freshman from San Antonio, Texas is scheduled to race Sunday in the finals at 2:40 p.m. (400 meters) and 3:30 p.m. (200 meters).

Sai Brookins-Fleming also competed in both the 400- and 200-meter preliminary races. She finished 12th in the 400 (56.77 seconds) and 13th in the 200 (25.14 seconds). Both of those times are personal records for the freshman from Mesquite, Texas.

Deriayah Lee, a freshman from Muskogee, Oklahoma, competed in the 60-meter hurdles prelims Saturday and narrowly missed a spot in the final. The rookie ran a 9.15 second time and finished ninth. The top eight will run Sunday. Lee was off by 0.05 seconds.

Genevieve Young competed in the 800-meter prelims. A junior from Cache, Oklahoma, Young finished 12th with a time of 2:18.84, a mark that is a personal record for the first-year Broncho.

Jakayla Swanson competed in the 60-meter dash and the rookie from Muskogee finished 15th with a time of 7.78 seconds, 0.01 off the freshman's personal best.

In addition to Vallerie's appearances in the 400- and 200-meter finals Sunday, a trio of field athletes will also be in action for Central Oklahoma all at 2:30 p.m. Dahsauni Lyday looks to return to the podium in the shot put, and Tayln Been and Mattison Thetford look to continue an upward trending season in the pole vault.

Brookins-Fleming, Vallerie, Swanson, and Lee will also compete in the 4x400 relay finals.

Print Friendly Version

Players Mentioned

Dahsauni Lyday: Throws; 5' 4"; Senior

Mattison Thetford: Pole Vault; Sophomore

Sai Brookins-Fleming: Sprints; Freshman

Kelsey Drapeau: Jumps; Senior

Deriayah Lee: Hurdles; 5' 3"; Freshman

Jakayla Swanson: Sprints; 5' 5"; Freshman

Genevieve Young: Distance; 5' 3"; Junior

Players Mentioned

Dahsauni Lyday
: 5' 4"; Senior
: Throws

Mattison Thetford
: Sophomore
: Pole Vault

Sai Brookins-Fleming
: Freshman
: Sprints

Kelsey Drapeau
: Senior
: Jumps

Deriayah Lee
: 5' 3"; Freshman
: Hurdles

Jakayla Swanson
: 5' 5"; Freshman
: Sprints

Genevieve Young
: 5' 3"; Junior
: Distance