SHAWNEE, Okla. (March 14, 2019) – Maia Zeno and Destiny Grace each won a throwing event for Oklahoma Christian as the Eagles opened their outdoor track and field season on Thursday at the Oklahoma Baptist Early Outdoor Invitational.

Zeno, a senior from Heath, Texas, took top honors in a 17-woman field in the hammer with a career-best throw of 160 feet, 4 inches (48.86 meters), with Grace placing 10th at 108 feet, 9 inches (33.16 meters).

In the shot put, it was Grace – a junior from Rockwall, Texas – prevailing in a field of 19, posting a top mark of 40 feet, 2¼ inches (12.25 meters), while Zeno took sixth at 37 feet, 1 inch (11.30 meters).

Freshman Morgan Ray of Edmond had a strong showing in the horizontal jumps. She was third of eight competitors in the triple jump at 33 feet, 5¾ inches (10.20 meters) and fifth among 18 women in the long jump at 16 feet, 5¼  inches (5.01 meters).

Junior Kelsey Simmons, running in her hometown, led OC's five-woman contingent in the 800 meters, placing fifth among 51 runners in 2:28.59, with junior Kelsey Castillo of Edmond eighth in 2:31.25. Castillo also placed third (among 46 runners) in the 1,500 meters in 5:00.83.

Competitors battled temperatures in the low 50s and a fierce northwest wind that gusted above 30 mph.

OC's next meet will be the Oral Roberts Invitational, set for March 29-30 in Tulsa.