CHARLESTON, Ill. – Eastern Kentucky University twin siblings Emma and Pedro García-Palencia both won gold medals on day two of the Ohio Valley Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships.
Emma García-Palencia started the day by winning gold in the women's heptathlon. She ran a three-second personal-best in the 800-meter finale (2:25.0) to come from behind and win by a mere 15 points (4,900).
García-Palencia is the first EKU woman to win OVC gold in the heptathlon since Janice Gibson in 1986. She took silver in the pentathlon at the 2020 OVC Indoor Championships.
Pedro García-Palencia closed out the day by striking gold in the men's steeplechase. He won with an OVC Championships record time of 8:51.4.
García-Palencia is the 12
th EKU man in the last 13 years to win OVC steeplechase gold.
Freshman
Nikodem Dworczak also scored points in the men's steeplechase, finishing fifth in 9:23.9.
The EKU women scored 19 points in the steeplechase. Redshirt freshman
Laura Taborda took silver in the race with a time of 10:26.5. Junior
Saskia Pingpank grabbed bronze, running a significant new personal-best of 10:41.8. Freshman
Anouk van Gils was fourth in a time of 10:54.6.
Freshman
Roderick Flint produced one of the biggest moments of the night for the Colonel men. Flint entered the meet tied for fifth in the high jump with a personal-best of 6-4.75. He finished third on the day, taking a bronze with a massive new PB of 6-7.75.
In the 100-meter prelims, sophomore
Quantasia Perry (11.65) and freshman
Kayla Smith (11.68) both advanced to Saturday's women's finals. Sophomore
Bryce Favors-Charleston, meanwhile, went through to the men's finals with a time of 10.84.
The Colonels also put several runners through to Saturday's 800 meters finals.
Joan Tapias (1:54.2) and
Alex Leshan (1:55.5) advanced for the men, while
Lou Trois (2:11.6) qualified for the women.
With one day left, the EKU women sit in fifth place with 38 points, while the men are in fifth place with 22.5 points.
Championship Saturday gets underway at 12:00 p.m. ET.
