NORMAL, Ill. –  University of Evansville graduate student Antonia Lamond (Nutley, N.J./Paramus Catholic) broke the school record in the women's hammer throw for the fifth meet this spring on Friday afternoon to highlight the first day of action at the Missouri Valley Conference Outdoor Championships in Normal, Illinois.

Lamond went two meters past her own school record in her final collegiate hammer throw competition with a school-record toss of 43.26 meters (141' 11").  She is the only UE woman to throw over 40 meters currently, as she placed 14th overall.  Freshman Gwen Darrah (Cleveland, Ohio/Orange) also turned in a personal-best performance in the hammer throw with a toss of 36.03 meters, as she added three meters to her PR mark at the Valley meet while placing 17th overall.

Friday's best individual finish for UE came from senior Jaden Hayes (Huntingburg, Ind./Southridge) in the men's javelin competition, as he placed 12th overall with a toss of 41.43 meters.  Sophomore Preston Riggs (Ft. Branch, Ind./Gibson Southern) finished right behind Hayes with a toss of 40.05 meters.

Senior thrower Zach Dove (Princeton, Ind./Princeton Community) also placed 13th overall in the men's hammer throw event with a toss of 50.50 meters (165' 8"), as he is the only UE male to break the 50-meter barrier in the hammer throw.

On the track, sophomore Adam Oulgout (St. Paul, Minn./Central) turned in a time of 4:04.71 to place 21st overall in the men's 1,500-meters.  Senior sprinter Giovanni Purser (Port Maria, Jamaica) and freshman Jose Ocampo (Monterrey, Mexico) posted season-best times in the 200-meters of 22.40 and 22.81, respectively, to place 24th and 26th overall.

The Missouri Valley Conference Outdoor Championships will continue on Saturday afternoon, with field events scheduled to begin at 3 p.m. and track events set to begin at 5 p.m.  Action from Saturday can be seen on ESPN+ beginning at 4:45 p.m.