BIRMINGHAM, Ala.—The Wichita State men's and women's track and field teams kicked off the American Athletic Conference Indoor Championships on Friday at the Birmingham Crossplex with a day full of prelims, multi events and a few field events.
 
The Shocker men sit in a tie for fifth after one day and the Wichita State women are in fifth with 22 points.
 
Director of Track and Field and Cross Country Steve Rainbolt said he thought there were ups and downs on the first day of action.
 
"Our guys had a pretty good day overall," Rainbolt said. "We were really excited for our men's distance medley relay. Winning championships in this conference isn't easy. We had several athletes that scored points and set new personal records."
 
The highlight of Day One was a come-from-behind victory for the Shockers in the men's distance medley relay. When Adam Moore got the baton for the Mile anchor leg, the Shockers were trailing Tulsa by a significant margin. Moore slowly ate away at the lead until taking over first place with a couple of laps remaining in the race.
 
Moore then earned a lead of his own, clinching a time of 10:01.42 and a 4-second victory over the Golden Hurricane. Jed Helker, Josh Cable, Jace Coppoc and Moore earned all-conference honors as they became conference champions.
 
"For Adam Moore to take the baton and chase down that Tulsa athlete was a real high point," Rainbolt said.
 
In the women's 5,000 meters' final, Winny Koskei went out with a front group of three early in the race and pushed the pace. Koskei hung with SMU's Hannah Miller as long as she could, but Miller took control of the race in the last 800 meters.
 
Koskei finished as the runner-up with a time of 16:18.08, which was a season-best for the All-American.
 
In the field, Alex Adams continued her outstanding indoor season with a huge PR in the weight throw to score team points for the Shockers. She tossed the weight 19.70m/64-7.75 to earn a sixth-place finish. She becomes the third Shocker woman to throw the weight 19 meters or farther.
 
Michael Bryan also broke 19 meters in the men's weight throw. He tossed it 19.08m/62-7.75 for a seventh-place finish. Bryan becomes the eighth Shocker man to toss the weight farther than 19 meters.
 
Ethan Toy scored a couple of team points in the men's long jump. He finished the competition in seventh place with a PR jump of 7.06m/23-2.

Kendra Henry and Sydney Wilson both scored team points in the pentathlon. Henry finished sixth with a total of 3,659 points and Wilson finished seventh overall, gathering 3,654 points.
 
The Shockers return to action Saturday with the conclusion of the men's heptathlon, field events and eight athletes competing in finals from their qualification from today's prelims.
 
"We're excited for a big day to finish our championship," Rainbolt said. "We're hoping to finish high as a team and our athletes our excited to give a great effort on the final day of competition."
 
RESULTS
 
Men's Team Standings
1. Houston – 72.5 points
2. Tulsa – 25 points
3. Cincinnati – 24.5 points
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T5. Wichita State – 14 points
 
Men's Individual Results
 
60 Meters Prelims
16. Denvoir Griffin – 6.99
18. Stanley Nwosu – 7.19
 
200 Meters Prelims
16. Jace Coppoc – 22.24
 
400 Meters Prelims
4. Adam Gauzy – 48.46q
8. Austin Corley – 48.80q
14. JD Prinsloo – 49.71
 
800 Meters Prelims
7. Mel Obadiah – 1:54.92q
13. Morris Wynn – 1:56.45
 
Mile Prelims
6. Jed Helker – 4:15.71Q
11. Cory Landon – 4:15.87q
13. Adam Moore – 4:16.16
 
5,000 Meters
9. Clayton Duchatschek – 14:38.71
13. Ethan Kossover – 15:21.31
 
60-Meter Hurdles Prelims
3. Joseph Holthusen – 7.88q
5. Antonio Norman – 8.05q
 
Distance Medley Relay
1. Helker, Coppoc, Cable, Moore – 10:01.42*
 
Long Jump
7. Ethan Toy – 7.06m/23-2
 
Weight Throw
7. Michael Bryan – 19.08m/62-7.25
 
Pole Vault
T11. Slayde Little – 4.71m/15-5.50
T11. Tate McDonald – 4.71m/15-5.50
--. Ethan Feliciano – NH 
 
Heptathlon (Day 1 of 2)
5. Chonnor Ludolph – 2,774 points
            3. 60 Meters – 7.20
            4. Long Jump – 6.55m/21-6
            7. Shot Put – 11.45m/37-6.75
            T5. High Jump – 1.86m/6-1.25
7. Grant Downes – 2,651 points
            4. 60 Meters – 7.22
            7. Long Jump – 6.28m/20-7.25
            5. Shot Put – 11.81m/38-9
            T8. High Jump – 1.86m/5-9.75
8. Colin Reichenberger – 2,539 points
            8. 60 Meters – 7.45
            9. Long Jump – 6.13m/20-1.50
            6. Shot Put – 11.78m/38-7.75
            T5. High Jump – 1.86m/6-1.25
9. Davis Dubbert – 2,462 points
            11. 60 Meters – 8.02
            11. Long Jump – 5.89m/19-4
            8. Shot Put – 11.23m/36-10.25
            T1. High Jump – 1.98m/6-6
10. Lucas Shaffer – 2,340 points
            10. 60 Meters – 7.82
            8. Long Jump – 6.16m/20-2.50
            10. Shot Put – 9.89m/32-5.50
            7. High Jump – 1.80m/5-10.75
11. Clay Eckert – 2,307 points
            9. 60 Meters – 7.62
            10. Long Jump – 6.07m/19-11
            11. Shot Put – 9.88m/32-5.50
            11. High Jump – 1.71m/5-7.25
 
Women's Team Standings
1. East Carolina – 29.5 points
2. Tulsa – 28 points
3. Houston – 25 points
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5. Wichita State – 22 points
 
Women's Individual Results
 
200 Meters Prelims
14. Paula Garcia – 24.52
17. Taniyah McMillian – 24.70
23. Sidney Sapp – 25.04
 
400 Meters Prelims
9. Taniyah McMillian – 55.93
26. Daysha Bullocks – 57.41
36. Kylie Meier – 1:01.71
 
800 Meters Prelims
9. Yazmine Wright – 2:14.91
 
Mile Prelims
4. Rebekah Topham – 4:58.28Q
16. McKenna Paintin – 5:07.10
 
5,000 Meters
2. Winny Koskei – 16:18.08*
13. Abeba Sullivan – 17:34.19
17. Rita Schnacker – 17:50.82
22. Hope Saunders – 18:22.77
27. Erin Topham – 18:57.11
 
60-Meter Hurdles Prelims
17. Anycia Cole – 8.89
 
Distance Medley Relay
8. Wright, Bullocks, Kiprop, R. Topham – 12:10.04
 
Long Jump
4. Jacque Darby – 5.93m/19-5.50
10. Skaila White – 5.53m/18-1.75
14. Kyleigh Severa – 5.44m/17-10.25
18. Jalen Milligan – 5.31m/17-5.25
20. Anycia Cole – 5.28m/17-4
24. Ezinne Okoro – 5.16m/16-11.25
 
Weight Throw
6. Alex Adams – 19.70m/64-7.75
 
Pole Vault
11. Margaux Thompson – 3.63m/11-10.75
--. Emily Gardiner – NH 
 
Pentathlon
6. Kendra Henry – 3,659 points
            4. 60-Meter Hurdles – 8.90
            T11. High Jump – 1.58m/5-2.25
            2. Shot Put – 12.33m/40-5.50
            13. Long Jump – 5.06m/16-7.25
            5. 800 Meters – 2:24.97
7. Sydney Wilson – 3,654 points
            8. 60-Meter Hurdles – 9.50
            T5. High Jump – 1.61m/5-3.25
            4. Shot Put – 11.79m/38-8.25
            7. Long Jump – 5.29m/17-4.25
            7. 800 Meters – 2:27.86
11. Maria Romero – 3,407 points
            9. 60-Meter Hurdles – 9.06
            T15. High Jump – 1.52m/4-11.75
            15. Shot Put – 9.69m/31-9.50
            9. Long Jump – 5.15m/16-10.75
            6. 800 Meters – 2:25.10
16. Hannah Cole – 2,924 points
            18. 60-Meter Hurdles – 10.08
            17. High Jump – 1.49m/4-10.50
            13. Shot Put – 9.89m/32-5.50
            15. Long Jump – 5.01m/16-5.25
            16. 800 Meters – 2:43.56
--. Claudia Rojo – DNF
            6. 60-Meter Hurdles – 8.99
            T11. High Jump – 1.58m/5-2.25
            17. Shot Put – 9.48m/31-1.25
            8. Long Jump – 5.23m/17-2
            --. 800 Meters – DNS
 
*Denotes All-Conference Honoree (Top 3)