Courtesy Photo/Ben Baxter, Oklahoma Baptist University
Mabank High School Class of 2025 graduate and Oklahoma Baptist University (OBU) freshman Trista Etheridge won her heat of the 800-meter dash May 22 during the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Frances G. Welch Stadium in Emporia, Kan., to qualify for the NCAA championship race the following day. With a time of 2:08.33 in the prelims, the fifth-best mark of all participants, Etheridge then moved into that championship race, where she finished as the No. 6 800-meter runner in NCAA Division II by finishing the race in 2 minutes, 11.98 seconds. In addition, Etheridge took part in OBU's 4x400-meter relay team's race at the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championships, which also competed May 22. Etheridge and her OBU teammates Favour Okoye, Asia Foster and Bianca Gleim earned 15th place, completing the race in 3 minutes, 59.14 seconds. Writer credit: Clayton Coffman, Oklahoma Baptist Director of Communications