By Marin Murray, News Editor
The Ouachita men’s and women’s track and field teams dominated on their home track, earning a combined 12 wins during the second annual Ouachita Invitational at the Hickingbotham Family Track & Field Complex on Saturday, March 15.
“It gives us a chance to kind of show off our team,” head track coach Steve Guymon said. “So, it’s fun to do something at home so that the athletes can show off their facility and show off their performances to their friends, family and peers at school.”
Six female athletes and four male athletes accumulated 10 individual victories, while both 4×400 relay teams swept first place as well. “I think everyone really just came out here and ran with their hearts and put everything into this home meet,” sophomore Addi Durand said. “We’re super lucky to be able to have this facility and to show off what we work so hard to do. So, I think everyone came out and performed really well.”
Durand won the women’s 800-meter run with a time of 2:13.67, setting a personal best and breaking the school record, which was set by Jaci McGregor last year. “It means a lot, especially since it was Jaci’s record,” Durand said. “I was running with her last year, and she’s the one who helped me believe in myself. So, it’s really cool to be able to run what she ran last year.”
Durand also anchored the women’s 4×400 relay team, helping them secure the win, which was only a few seconds away from the school record. “It’s really awesome, because everyone’s out here and expects you to show up and show out,” Durand said. “And our team did that. Joey, Anna and Ashley all killed it. They put me in a great position to finish the race, so it was just really fun to win.”
Saturday also marked the occasion of senior day as the teams celebrated their 30 seniors and all they have meant to the track and field program.
“They have brought leadership to the program, some vocally and some by example,” assistant track coach Pat Ponder said. “They have just been first-class student athletes for the university, which then represents our track and field program. The seniors providing the leadership and, on that level, just speak volumes to what we’re building, what we have built to this point and what we want to continue building moving forward.”
The Hickingbotham Family Track & Field Complex, which was opened during the 2025 track season, has played a large role in the success of the team, giving them a place of their own to practice and compete.
“I don’t know any other word, except for just blessed,” Guymon said. “It’s been a long time coming for the athletes, and I think they’ve enjoyed it. It’s upgraded our program, and our performances are better. The team feels like they have a place they can call their own.”
As the team looks forward to the rest of the season and the Great American Conference (GAC) championships, they will look to build off their impressive performances from this lone home meet.
“We want to stay healthy, stay competitive and keep that hunger to strive to obtain our goals,” Ponder said. “Our goals are to get better with each practice, with each meet, and get to the conference championships. We want to be healthy. We want to be somewhat fresh, and we want to be very competitive and represent Ouachita well.”
The Tigers will compete in the GAC track and field championships on April 30-May 2 at Harding University in Searcy, Arkansas.
