MAGNOLIA, Arkansas – The Ouachita women's track and field team made waves with a third-place finish at the 2024 Great American Conference Championships with two Tigers being crowned GAC Champions.
 
Ouachita placed third overall out of the 10 teams competing at the GAC Championships, the highest finish in the program's history and three spots higher than last year. The Tigers racked up 122 points to beat fourth-place Southern Arkansas by 12.5 points and 82 points ahead of fifth-place Southeastern Oklahoma State.
 
The two individual GAC Champions were:
Katelynn Nachtigal won the 3000m Steeplechase on Wednesday with an NCAA provisional time of 10:51.84, winning by almost seven seconds, breaking the GAC Championship meet record by 12 seconds, and breaking her own school record by almost eight seconds. Nachtigal also placed fifth in the 1500m with a time of 4:45.77.
 
Izzi Breaux won the 1500m with a school record time of 4:37.81, overtaking from second place in the final 100m of the race to earn the victory. Breaux also placed fourth in the 800m with a time of 2:14.95.
 
Four more Tigers finished in the top three, earning First Team All-GAC honors:
Macie Cash took second in the 1500m with a time of 4:38.69, finishing less than a second out of first after an impressive final stretch. Cash also placed third in the 3000m Steeplechase with an NCAA provisional time of 11:02.21.
 
Rachel Dunn took third in the Long Jump with a distance of 5.34m (17' 6.25"). Dunn also placed fourth in the Triple Jump with a distance of 11.26m (36' 11.15").
 
Belle Lindsey placed third in the Heptathlon with a program record and NCAA provisional score of 4541 points. Lindsey also placed fourth in the 400m Hurdles with a time of 1:04.37 and took sixth in the 100m Hurdles with a time of 15:40. The DeQueen, Arkansas native also set a school record in the high jump with a height of 1.67m (5' 3.5").
 
Anna Woolsey took third in the 400m with a time of 56.41. Woolsey also placed seventh in the 200m with a time of 25.04.
  
11 other Tigers finished in places four through eight to earn a spot on the All-GAC Second Team.

• Taylor Koeth finished fourth in the 10,000m with a time of 38:16.37. Koeth also placed sixth in the 5000m with a time of 18:17.88.
• Elise Knight placed fourth in the 3000m Steeplechase with a time of 11:08.88. Knight also finished seventh in the 1500m with a time of 4:47.72.
• Laynie White took fourth in the Heptathlon with a score of 4005 points. White also placed seventh in the 400m Hurdles with a time of 1:07.01
• Mackenzie Davis placed fifth in the 5000m with a time of 18:06.11.
• Allison Hylkema finished fifth in the 10,000m with a time of 38:39.00. Hylkema also placed eighth in the 5000m with a time of 18:26.25.
• Alysha Colburn took seventh in the Pole Vault with a school record height of 2.83m (9' 3.5")
• Jaci McGregor placed seventh in the 800m with a time of 2:20.34.
• Addison Skelton finished seventh in the 100m Hurdles with a time of 15.44.
• Kayley Heffington finished eighth in the Heptathlon with a score of 2422 points.
• Lucy Holden placed eighth in the 3000m Steeplechase with a time of 12:10.78.
• The 4x400m Relay Team of Woolsey, Ashley Dillman, McGregor, and White took fourth with a school record time of 3:57.20.
• The 4x100m Relay Squad of Addrienna Gray, Woolsey, Skelton, and Dunn placed sixth with a program record time of 48.68.

 
Three Tigers hit provisional marks, Nachtigal, Cash, and Lindsey, meaning they can be invited to the 2024 NCAA Division II National Championships in Emporia, Kansas.
 
In total, the Tigers posted two GAC Champions, seven top three finishers, 21 top eight finishes, and set six program records on their way to a third-place finish at the 2024 GAC Championships. Ouachita was in first place coming into the final day of competition in Magnolia before finishing third overall. The Tigers were picked to finish sixth by the GAC Preseason Coaches' Poll but proved the poll wrong by finishing three spots higher. The future is very bright for track & field at Ouachita.
 
 
2024 GAC Championships Scoreboard
1 – OKBU: 208.5pts
2 – HU: 170pts
3 – Ouachita: 122pts
4 – SAU: 109.5pts
5 – SEOSU: 82pts
6 – ECU: 35pts
7 – NWOSU: 32pts
8 – SNU: 30pts
T-9 – ATU: 13pts
T-9 – SWOSU: 13pts