National qualifying marks, top rankings, and gold-medal performances conclude the Trojan Opener

ANDERSON, S.C.- 10 first-place finishes mark Carson-Newman track and field's 2023 outdoor debut.

Carson-Newman track and field kicked off the outdoor season with a slew of spots on the podium.

"It was a great first meet. There are honestly way too many events that we competed well in for me to single any out. I'm proud of the team and how we came out strong in our first meet of the outdoor season," head track and field coach David Needs said.

In the men's 4x100-meter relay, Siphosethu Boya, Devon Moore, Ashwin Jood, and Makanakaishe Charamba ran the fastest time in Division II, winning the event in 39.87. The men's 4x400-meter relay also found success placing fourth in 3:24.78. Charamba raced in the event with Ethan Blaylock, Brett Lord, and Taylor Dupler.

Carson-Newman track and field swept gold the 100-meter dash event. In the men's 100-meter dash, Devon Moore placed first in 10.25 seconds. Moore's performance marks another top time in Division II for the Eagles. Siphosethu Boya finished fifth in the event in 10.63, and Dawson Jones placed seventh in 10.71. Tshenelo Lemao ranked ninth in the event in 10.90 seconds.

In the women's 100-meter dash, Janaya Davis-Gainer won gold in 12.26, while teammate Kadidja Sangare stood atop the podium for her third-place finish in 12.46. Brooke Taylor finished sixth in the event with a time of 12.78 seconds.

"There were so many marks this weekend that claimed a top 10 spot in the country. It's amazing to see those results so early in the season. I'm proud to see how many athletes performed well today and set new personal bests," Needs said.

Matthew Blackmon won gold in the men's 110-meter hurdles in 14.62. Blackmon beat out his second-place competition by over a second in the event.

Sade De Sousa snagged a first-place finish in the women's 200-meter dash with a 24.64-second performance. Tytiana Wilson placed seventh in the event in 25.74.

Siphosethu Boya placed fourth in the men's 200-meter dash in 21.72, and Ashwin Jood came in sixth in 21.85.

"We performed well in all aspects of our team today. From sprints, to jumps, to distance, to throws, to vaulting, we have a lot to be proud of," Needs said.

Abby Owens started her outdoor season with a win in the women's pole vault. Owens 3.65-meter mark secured gold in the event and added 10 points to the women's score in the meet.

Sydney McCarty won gold in the women's long jump with a 5.75-meter leap, and Brooke Taylor rounded out the top five in the event with a 5.35-meter mark. Brooke Visser (5.19 meter) and Susan Nelson (4.96 meters) placed ninth and 10th respectively.

Courtavious Garrett won the men's long jump with a 7.30-meter jump. Garrett secured a national qualifying mark for his performance.

In the men's high jump, Shane Connell placed second with a 2.00-meter mark. KJ Kemp also reached the 2.00-meter mark on his third attempt in the event and placed third for his efforts. Morgan Stanton placed second in the women's high jump for 1.55-meter mark.

Luke Smith found the podium with his third-place finish in the men's shot put with a 14.14-meter mark. Taylor Steele also won bronze on the women's side of the event with a 10.48-meter performance. Ian Salyer placed sixth in the men's discus with a 40.98-meter mark.

Katie Smock ran the women's 10,000-meter race and finished in 39.47.07. Smock was the only competitor in the event and snagged 10 more points for the Eagles. Grace Lathrop ran in the women's 5,000-meter race and placed fourth in 18:31.72. Colten Lee placed second on the men's side of competition in 15:04.03.

"The biggest thing I saw from many of our athletes this weekend was a desire to compete. That alone gives our staff a lot we can build on. We hope to begin doing that as we head into the rest of the outdoor season," Needs said.

At the conclusion of the Trojan Opener, Carson-Newman men's track and field finished in second place with 95 points, and the women ranked fourth with 83. Carson-Newman track and field will be back in action next weekend at the Montreal College Open and Lee Invitational. Stay up to date on cneagles.com.