MOREHEAD, Ky. – Morehead State track and field coach Clay Dixon had a simple message after senior
Kaylyn Holman ran the mile on Saturday at the Centre Invitational Invite & Multis at Champions Hall in the Lisa H. Owens Fieldhouse in Danville, Ky.
"Mission success," he said.
Holman was the lone Eagle to compete over the weekend as she prepares for the Ohio Valley Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships in 10 days.
She finished in second place in the race in 5:11.13 on the 200-meter flat track, which according to Dixon translates to a 5:05.08 on a 200m banked track. Emory (Ga.) junior Payton Fleming won the race in 5:07.85. Both runners were in the first heat of the 33-person race (there were 31 collegiate entrants).
"We just wanted to go out and race to try and move up in the OVC rankings to get into the faster heat of the mile," Holman said. "So, while my official time was 5:11 because it was a 200-meter flat track it converts to a 5:08.08 which moved me up a few spots. So, not technically 'pr' but goal accomplished in moving up to make the faster heat."
By virtue of her second-place finish, Holman single-handedly tallied eight points for the Eagles, who finished in 15th overall in the women's team standings. Emory won the 20-team meet with 199 points, followed by host Centre (80) and Eastern Kentucky (71). Emory also topped the men's field with 186 points.
The goal was to move Holman up in the OVC rankings and create a spot in the fast heat of the conference championship race, while also fine-tuning for the competition.
"It was successful. She ran a 5:11 but due to the track being a flat 200m instead of banked (200m), she got a conversion to 5:08. That was enough to move her up in the rankings," Dixon said. "If she (hadn't run), she would be sitting at 17th in the conference instead of 13th."
It was the second time Holman had entered an event apart from the team to fine-tune for the league meet. She also did so last spring with a race at Indiana six days prior to the OVC Outdoor Track & Field Championships. The result indirectly translated into some success at the OVC meet albeit in a different event.
On Saturday, Holman officially fell short of her "pr" of 5:09.80, which she set three weeks ago at the PNC Bank Bellarmine Classic.
"I have felt very consistent in my past few races and really hoping for the breakthrough in the championship race," she said. "I was really hoping for a meet win but with coming back from sickness I am definitely not disappointed in the performance."
Holman entered the week sitting 12th in the mile. She passed two people but also got passed by three others and now sits 13th in the mile in the OVC. However, had she not run, her previous time would have put her 17th.
"The top 12 are in the fast heat but we expect one or two to not race," Dixon said of the OVC Championships. "We are optimistic about our chances to get into the fast heat."
Holman is expected to enter both the 800-meter run and the mile at the OVC meet. She is tied for 14th in the former event with a season-best time of 2:19.75. Her "pr" is 2:17.04. At the 2025 OVC Championships, she finished 11th in the mile in 5:18.60. It was her only individual event.
The OVC Indoor Track & Field Championships will be held on Tuesday, Feb. 24 and Wednesday, Feb. 25 at the Norton Healthcare Sports & Learning Center in Louisville, Ky.
