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University of Detroit Mercy Athletics

2023-24 Women's Track and Field Roster

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Jose Juarez

Kayla Smith

Kayla Smith

  • Position:
    Throws
  • Class:
    Fifth Year
  • Highschool:
    Woodhaven
  • Hometown:
    Romulus, Mich.

Summary

Biography

Official Collegiate Results & Top Times


Career Highlights:

  • Detroit Mercy Athletic Director's Honor Roll (2023)
  • Detroit Mercy Top Performance Award (2024)
  • Detroit Mercy Larry Bleach Award (2024)


2024 Outdoor:

  • Took third in the hammer (47.40m), sixth in the shot put (11.89m) and seventh in the discus (38.51m) at Eastern Illinois' Big Blue Classic
  • Placed second in the hammer (50.15m) and fifth in the discus (41.71m) at Oakland's Golden Grizzly Invite
  • Runner-up in the discus at 41.46m and sixth in the shot put at 11.62m at the Chippewa Challenge
  • Registered a career-best 41.93m, eighth in school history, for 13th at Ohio State's Jesse Owens Classic
  • Third in the hammer at Michigan's Len Paddock Open at 50.64m
  • Scored at the Horizon League Championships, taking third in the hammer (50.10m) and fourth in the discus (41.37m)
  • Runner-up in the hammer in a pair of last-chance meets, throwing 54.11m - third in the record book - at Baldwin Wallace's Harrison Dillard Twilight and 50.91m at Mount Union


2023-24 Indoor:

  • Started the year taking third in the weight (17.33m) at Notre Dame's Blue & Gold Invitational
  • Won the weight with a throw of 16.40m at the SVSU Classic
  • Set a career-best with a throw of 17.88m, second in school history, for runner-up in the weight and also posted a PR of 12.13m in the shot put placing sixth at Grand Valley's Bill Clinger Classic
  • Runner-up in the weight at 17.24 at the Akron Invitational and was third at Michigan's Silverston Invitational with a mark of 16.54m
  • Won gold in the weight at the Horizon League Championships throwing 17.37m, becoming the first Titan indoor championship winner since 2020 and the first women's weight winner since Titan Hall-Of-Famer Andrea Karpala in 2005

2023 Outdoor:
  • Personal record in the hammer at Elaine Leigh (finished fourth)
  • Personal record in discus at the Horizon League Championships (finished fifth)

2022-23 Indoor:
  • Third in the weight at Silverston 

2022 Outdoor:
  • PR in the discus at the Golden Grizzlies Invite (40.45m)
  • PR in the hammer at the Horizon League Championships (43.21m)

2021-22 Indoor:
  • Placed second in the shot put (11.56m) and fourth in the weight (14.43m) at Mastodon Invitational

2021 Outdoor:
  • PR in the hammer (42.27m) and discus (39.02m) at the Horizon League Championships

2020 Indoor:
  • Placed ninth in the weight(14.02m) at Horizon League Championships

2019-20 Indoor:
  • Placed 11th in shot put with a mark of 10.38m in her collegiate debut at the Blue and Gold Invitational
  • Threw for 10.74m in weight at the Blue and Gold Invitational
  • Threw for a new PR of 13.69m in weight at the Can Am International

Prior to Detroit Mercy: 
  • Lettered in two sports in high school
  • Track and Field team earned the Metro Classic championship (2018, 2019) 
  • Regional Discus Champion (2018, 2019) 

Personal: 
  • Daughter of Colleen and Louis Smith
  • Two siblings
  • Hobbies include going to the gym, school events and playing sports
  • A Health Professions major

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Historical Player Information

  • 2019-20Freshman

    Throws
  • 2020-21Sophomore

    Throws
  • 2021-22Junior

    Throws
  • 2022-23Senior

    Throws
  • 2023-24Fifth Year

    Throws