Kamiya Dendy and Malia Watkins won the high jump and 100 meters, respectively, and the 4 x 100 relay team took first place in that event as the Northern Illinois University women’s track and field team competed in their second outdoor meet of the season Saturday at Illinois State’s Redbird Challenge in Normal, Illinois.

“The weather at Illinois State [Saturday] truly initiated the athletes into outdoor track and they handled it with great poise,” said NIU Director of Track & Field Connie Teaberry. “The wind and rain were not kind to any of the athletes and yet we walked away with several wins and season bests. Things are clicking and once we begin tapering in a few weeks, I’m expecting some big things from the group.”

Dendy led the way for the Huskies’ high jump crew as the trio of Dendy, Jasmijn Raes and Arianna Calloway placed first, second and fourth, respectively. Dendy cleared a height of 1.74 meters (5-8.50), Raes passed 1.71 meters (5-7.25) and Calloway went over the 1.68 mark (5-6.00).

After leading all runners in the 100-meter dash preliminaries with a time of 11.84, Watkins ran 11.77 in the finals to take the win. That time is good for 62nd in the national outdoor rankings so far this year.  Watkins was joined in the finals by Sam Huber, who placed third with a 12.05, bettering her time of 12.16 in the preliminaries. Esther Momalife ran a season-best 12.35 to rank ninth in the prelims, narrowly missing a spot in the finals.

NIU’s quartet of Sadiya Shamsid-Deen, Watkins, Momalife and Stella Oyebode ran a time of 47.41 to win the  4 x 100 meter relay.

A pair of Huskies recorded second place finishes at the Redbird Track & Field Complex as Talayssia Sanders ran 57.30 in the 400 meters to take second and Precious Umukoro was runner-up in the triple jump with a distance of 11.68 meters (38-04).  She was joined in the top 10 by Aniya Barton who was eighth with a leap of 10.85 meters (35-07.25).

In the 200 meters, Oyebode led a contingent of four Huskies in the top nine as she ran 25.04 to take fourth, followed by Sanders in fifth with a time of 25.11. Momalife ran 25.44 for the eighth-best time of the meet with Huber just behind at 25.51.

NIU’s Giorgia Fino took fourth in the javelin with a throw of 36.22m (118-10) and Joy Jackson finished seventh in the 5,000 meters in a time of 19:59.94 to round out the Top 10 finishes by NIU in the meet.

Several Huskies will compete at the Stanford Invitational next weekend, April 4-5 in Palo Alto, Calif. with a contingent in action locally at the Chicagoland Championship in Elmhurst.

NIU RESULTS

Redbird Challenge

Normal, Illinois

100-meter Dash Finals

1. Malia Watkins, 11.77 (2025 D1 College Outdoor Rankings #62)
2. Sam Huber, 12.05

100-meter Dash Prelims

1. Malia Watkins, 11.84
2. Sam Huber, 12.16
3. Esther Momalife, 12.35 – season best
4. Precious Umukoro, 12.43
5. Ari Christian, 13.32

200-meter Dash 

4. Stella Oyebode, 25.04

5 Talayssia Sanders, 25.11

8. Esther Momalife, 25.44
9. Sam Huber, 25.51
10. Ari Christian, 28.18

400 meters

2. Talayssia Sanders, 57.30
3. Olivia Southby, 1:02.93

1,500 meters

24. Bailey Wilk, 4:59.92
25. Carly Leonard, 5:08.93

5,000 meters

7. Joy Jackson, 19:59.94

4×100-meter Relay

1. NIU (Shamsid-Deen, Watkins, Momalife, Oyebode), 47.41

Javelin

4. Giorgia Fino, 36.22m (118-10)

High Jump 

1. Kamiya Dendy, 1.74m (5-8.50) – season high
2. Jasmijn Raes, 1.71m (5-7.25)
3. Arianna Calloway, 1.68m (5-6)

Triple Jump 

2. Precious Umukoro, 11.68 (38-04)
3. Aniya Barton, 10.85 (35-07.25)