FARGO, N.D. – Sophomore Jamario Taylor's high jump win highlighted Western Illinois' effort on Day Two of The Summit League Outdoor Championships Friday (May 11). The men sit in third place (48 points) in the team standings while the women are in fifth (36.50 points). 

Taylor became the fifth Leatherneck to win an outdoor men's high jump conference title by clearing a height of 7-00.25. He cleared the bar on the final attempt while North Dakota State's Jeremy Geditz (6-11.00) and South Dakota State's Jared Vlastuin (6-11.00) could not do the same.  

The last Fighting Leatherneck to win an outdoor men's high jump conference title was Lawrence Hardin in 2010 (6-08.75). Taylor's season best performance at the SIUE Gateway Classic (7-00.50) ranks 33rd nationally and 15th in the NCAA West Region standings.  

Junior Dana LaRue used a personal best throw of 51-00.25 to place second in the women's shot put behind Southern Utah's Kayla Kovar (51-02.75). Her effort ranks fourth in program history. LaRue now ranks 52nd nationally and 29th in the NCAA West Region.  

Taylor and LaRue join Nichole Manning (women's pole vault) in qualifying for the NCAA Regional Championships, which take place May 24-26 in Austin, Texas. Manning cleared a height of 13-02.50 Thursday night to set the program record and place third overall. 

Junior Tynan Murray finished fourth in the men's high jump by clearing a personal best height of 6-07.00 while senior Jessica Ortega also set a personal best in the women's shot put. She placed sixth in the event with a throw of 46-00.00, which ranks sixth in program history. 

In the men's shot put, senior Paul Hames placed third with a throw of 53-07.00. His personal best effort ranks seventh in program history. Sophomore Nathaniel Marshall (50-02.00) and junior Tyler Lippert (47-11.75) set personal bests and finished eighth and tenth, respectively. Senior Brayden Sherrick finished ninth in the event with a throw of 49-06.25. 

Sophomore Talisa Watson tied her personal best in the women's high jump by clearing a height of 5-04.50, which placed sixth overall. Watson also set a personal best in the women's 100-meter hurdles (15.32). 

In the trials of the men's 400-meter hurdles, junior Jeffrey Liles set a personal best and qualified for Saturday's finals with a time of 53.15. The performance placed third overall and ranks eighth in program history. Senior Jordan Liles, who placed second in the men's javelin throw Thursday night, finished ninth in the 400-meter hurdles and qualified for Saturday's finals with a time of 55.98.  

Sophomore Danielle Gunn qualified for Saturday's 100-meter dash final by placing seventh in the trials with a personal best time of 12.27. Meanwhile, freshman Kirsten Bryant placed seventh in the trials of the women's 200-meter dash with a personal best time of 24.98, which also qualifies for Saturday's final.  

Sophomore Alec Dorathy placed eighth in the trials of the men's 100-meter dash with a time of 11.11, which qualifies him for Saturday's final. In the men's 110-meter hurdles, sophomore Zach Glasebrook qualified for Saturday's final and placed ninth overall with a time of 15.59.  

Other personal bests include Michael Hemming (400-meter dash - 49.76), Breanna Moore (200-meter dash - 26.17), Jared Summers (800-meter run - 1:58.66), Megan McGlone (long jump - 17-08.00) and Jonathan Williams (400-meter hurdles - 57.68).  

The Summit League Outdoor Championships conclude Saturday (May 12) at the Ellig Sports Complex on the campus of North Dakota State University. The field events start with the women's discus throw at 10 a.m. while the events on the track start at 12:20 p.m. with the women's 4x100-meter relay.

Women - Team Rankings - 9 Events Scored 
1) North Dakota State - 90       
2) South Dakota - 62       
3) Southern Utah - 44       
4) South Dakota State - 42       
5) Western Illinois - 36.50    
6) Oral Roberts - 36       
7) Oakland - 17.50    
8) IPFW - 15       
9) UMKC - 8           

Men - Team Rankings - 8 Events Scored 
1) North Dakota State - 85       
2) Southern Utah - 53       
3) Western Illinois - 48       
4) South Dakota State - 44.50    
5) South Dakota - 41.50    
6) UMKC - 20       
7) Oral Roberts - 12       
8) Oakland - 8  

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