The Lady Toppers were spearheaded by the efforts of senior jumper Ana Camargo. Camargo posted her first career-win in a WKU uniform, taking home first-place honors in the triple jump with a leap of 39-feet-10 inches. The mark is 2-feet-10 inches longer than her previous best indoor triple jump of 37 feet at last year's Sun Belt Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships.
"She came out and competed at a high level," said coach Erik Jenkins. "We're going to need that kind of production out of her consistently and at the conference championships."
Junior thrower Satrina Oliveria notched a pair of top 10 finishes, earning 10th place in the shot put with a heave of 41 feet and ninth place in the weight throw with a toss of 49-feet-7 inches.
The Hilltoppers were led by another win from senior Joseph Chebet, who followed up his record-breaking 3,000-meter run at the UAB Blazer Invitational with a mile run victory. Chebet finished in 4:11.63, nearly a full second ahead of Illinois' Tommy King. Including the 2012 cross country season, Chebet now has four individual wins in the 10 events he has competed in.
"It's been a great start for Joseph (Chebet) but he's got to stay healthy, stay humble and keep working," said Jenkins.
Junior distance runner David Mokone garnered another finish near the top, placing third in the 600-meter run with a time of 1:20.42.
It was senior hurdler Karlis Daube ringing in third-place honors with an 8.23-second showing in the 60-meter hurdles, less than four-tenths of a second off the winning pace.
Sophomore Travis Gerding recorded a career-best shot put toss of 49-feet-10 inches on his way to a ninth place finish in the event. Gerding also posted a career-best heave of 56-feet-7 inches in the weight throw to finish eighth.
Senior Houston Croney, who won the weight throw at the UAB Blazer Invitational, finished sixth with a heave of 57-feet-3 inches.
"I think we have the making of a very good team but we have a lot of work to do to get where we need to be," said Jenkins.
Both squads return to action Friday, January 25 at the Rod McCravy Invitational in Lexington, Ky.
