SALEM, Va. – The Finn Pincus Invitational brought forth 34 events throughout its day two in which Carson-Newman athletes proved once again they could compete with some of the best in the nation.
Freshman Devon Moore continued his stellar campaign in the 60-meter dash after recording the top finish in the 60 meter finals with a time of 6.90 seconds. It marks his first collegiate win in a final.
Moore began the day with a time of 7.04 seconds in the prelims which also collected the fourth-fastest time. Savion Smith (7.16 seconds), Drake McCowan (7.26 seconds), and Noah Hill (7.28 seconds) all qualified for the semifinals scheduled for later in the day.
Moore would be the lone C-N member to head to the finals after collecting a second place finish in the 60 meter semis putting him in his second finals race in a two-week span. The freshman, who also plays wide receiver at C-N, galloped in with a time of 6.91 seconds. The time marked a season-best for Moore, who later regained a new best and narrowly topped Kieran Showler-Davis' team-best time of 6.88 seconds.
On the women's side, freshmen Amanda Lowe and Tia Davis turned in the second and third-best times during the prelim runs narrowly being edged by St. Augustine's senior sprinter who crossed the line at eight seconds flat. Davis and Lowe both turned in first-place finishes in their respective heats with Lowe at 8.03 seconds, narrowly missing her season-best at 8.02. Davis clocked in with a time of 8.06 seconds.
Another freshman in Cierra Henderson checked in at No. 10 with a time of 8.22 seconds and senior Jessica Capron sat at No. 17 at 8.52 seconds. Both athletes also qualified for the semifinals later in the day.
Davis, Lowe and Henderson would all earn berths in the finals after each freshman ran top-8 times in the 60 meter semis.
Lowe, a native of Jefferson City, Tenn., topped a new season-best with a time of 8.00 seconds and a third-place finish in the semis. Davis once again sat right behind Lowe in the No. 4 spot with a time of 8.04 seconds. Henderson rounded out the top-8 field for the finals with a time of 8.16 seconds which topped her prelim.
Though neither freshman went on to grab the top spot, Davis cracked the runner-up position with a time of 7.98 seconds in the finals, faster than she ran in the previous two races, with Lowe and Henderson checking in at fifth and sixth.
"Really pleased with our sprinters today," Coach David Needs stated. "A lot of our athletes may not show up on a scorer's table but our throwers were tremendous today and three of the four had personal bests."
Jahvad McDermott continues to be a great addition to Needs' group of athletes as the Brooklyn, New York native turned in a second place finish in the triple jump with a distance of 14.57 meters.
The lone jumper to edge McDermott came from George Williams Express who are professional athletes that train with D2 champion and head coach from St. Augustine's, George Williams. In the 60-meter semis, GW Express runner Burkheart Ellis Jr. was the only athlete to top C-N's Devon Moore.
Ellis Jr. is an Olympian from Barbados and was runner up in Division II in 2016 in the 200-meter dash.
"We do need to improve and get better in some areas," Needs mentioned. "But as well as we did going against some of the toughest competition in D2 that's a great step moving forward."
The Eagles will have a quick turnaround when they prep for next weekend in which they will send some of their athletes to Camel City Elite in Winston Salem, N.C. and another group with head back to ETSU for the David Walker Invitational.
Events for both sites of competition are set to take place over a course of two days on Feb. 2 & 3.
Women's Track & Field Events
60 Meters (Final)
2). Tia Davis – 7.98 seconds
5). Amanda Lowe – 8.11 seconds
6). Cierra Henderson – 8.13 seconds
60 Meters (Prelims)
2). Amanda Lowe – 8.03 seconds (1st in heat)
3). Tia Davis – 8.06 seconds (1st in heat)
10). Cierra Henderson – 8.22 seconds
17). Jessica Capron – 8.52 seconds
Long Jump (Finals)
5). Samantha Gudger – 4.99 meters
6). Shelby Reynolds – 4.99 meters
16). Lexie Sczerba – 4.40 meters
60 Meters (Semi)
3). Amanda Lowe – 8.00 seconds (season-best)
4). Tia Davis – 8.04 seconds
8). Cierra Henderson – 8.16 seconds
18). Jessica Capron - 8.56 seconds.
Triple Jump
5). Abby Tomkoski – 10.14 meters
9). Shelby Reynolds – 9.86 meters
Men's Track & Field Events
60m Hurdles (Prelims)
15). Trent Brewington – 9.16 seconds
18). Adan Vazquez – 9.46 seconds
60 Meters (Prelims)
4). Devon Moore – 7.04 seconds (1st in heat)
12). Savion Smith – 7.16 seconds
19). Drake McCowan – 7.26 seconds
21). Noah Hill – 7.28 seconds
27). Kristofer Potts-Howard – 7.34 seconds
One Mile Run (Final)
21). Kelvin Ronoh – 4:50.86
Long Jump (Finals)
7). Kristofer Potts-Howard – 6.31 meters
Shot Put (Finals)
10). Logan Pender – 12.66 meters
17). David Snodgrass – 12.18 meters
23). Blake Hill – 11.90 meters
400 Meters (Finals)
14). Jeremiah McCarter – 52.30 seconds.
41). Adan Vazquez – 58.86 seconds
42). Trent Brewington – 58.90 seconds.
Triple Jump (Finals)
2). Jahvad McDermott – 14.57 meters
200 Meters (Final)
28). Drake McCown – 24.11 seconds
60 Meters (Final)
1). Devon Moore – 6.90 seconds
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