Over spring break, the Nicholls women’s track and field team attended the Mississippi Open in Oxford, Miss. where many Colonels out-ran their personal best.

This has become a constant for the Colonels since the beginning of the outdoor season, but the girls are also consistent in another area-bringing back gold medals.

During the Mississippi Open, sophomore Jaimee Springer placed first in the javelin. This gave Nicholls their fifth gold medal within the four meets of competition held so far this season.

Coach Heather Van Norman said she enjoys when javelin does well.

“Javelin really sets the tone for the meet. They’re the ones that get up the earliest, so it’s encouraging for them to do well,” she said.

Apart from winning gold, the Colonels have set a new personal best and broken school records continuously throughout their meets.

Freshman Kryshell Rolle set a new Nicholls record at the Mississippi Open for the 400-meter hurdle with a time of 1:02.39. Meanwhile, a handful of Colonels set new personal bests, freshmen Tessni Caruthers and Jayla Johnson both improved their times in the 800-meter, while sophomore Sarah Pressley set her best in the 5000-meter run. The girl’s times continued to improve when sophomore Barlitra Dirance dropped her time in the 200-meter.

“It’s great to set new personal times, it gives the girls self esteem and confidence,” Norman said. “I’ve pushed the girls to train to compete during practice, and the work is evident when we consistently decrease times.”

About 85 percent of the team has qualified for the Southland Conference Championship. Norman said her goal is that the whole team qualifies for the Championship.

“I want to have a full year with the girls. Everyone continues to show up for practice, stay competitive, and persevere through everything,” she said.

The team is currently grinding it out through a rainy week of practice. They are training for the Southeastern Invitational held in Hammond on April 20. Norman said she is looking for more girls to meet the qualifications for the conference championship.

“Mother Nature is really not working for us this week, but we are fitting in practice where we can.”