JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn.- Carson-Newman track and field left the first day of the split weekend with top-10 finishes and a slew of new personal records this afternoon, April 5.
"It was a cold day, but it was great competition," head track and field coach David Needs said. "In situations like this, we know that a personal best will be tough, but it certainly wasn't impossible. As a staff, we are proud of today, and we are looking to see how we compete tomorrow as well".
Kadidja Sangare placed sixth in the women's long jump at the UT Invite this afternoon, April 5, with a season-best 5.78-meter leap. Sangare now holds the 17th best mark in the event in NCAA DII this season. Teammate Savannah Goodwin placed 13th in the event with a with a 5.50-meter mark, and Sydney McCarty finished 18th with a 5.45-meter jump.
"Today, we had many who won their heat or made finals against an almost exclusively Divison I heat," Needs said. "I am proud of our athletes and how they represent Carson-Newman".
Sangare went on to finish eighth the women's javelin throw event with a 32.72-meter mark. Kellie Ivens finished 13th with a new personal record of 26.52 meters. In the men's javelin throw, Christian Henry placed 11th (38.70 m), and James Duncan finished 12th (38.07 m).
In the 200-meter dash, Dawson Jones finished sixth in 21.78, a new personal record. Teammate Quacy Virgo finished 26th in 22.54. Sade De Sousa placed 14th for the women in 24.91.
Brent Borden ran a personal best time of 4:04.84 in the men's 1,500-meter race. Borden finished 25th in the event. Christian Henry ran a season-best time of 4:14.91, and Andrew Thompson bested his personal record in 4:20.84. Jenna Pittman finished 28th in the women's 1,500-meter race in 4:54.50, a new personal record. Teammate Grace Lathrop ran a season-best time in the event (5:07.96).
Lauren Tabor finished 21st in the 400-meter hurdles in 1:11.22. Ian Salyer finished 16th in the men's discus throw with a 39.55-meter performance. The second day of the UT Invite will begin tomorrow, April 5, at 9:00 a.m. Admission is free, and live results can be found HERE.
At the Lee Fast Break Athletics Invitational, Itzel Ayala-Renteria grabbed a new personal best in the women's javelin throw. Ayala-Renteria finished 20th with a 25.94-meter mark. Teammate Autumn Brazzel also earned a new personal record in the event (14.23 m).
Katie Smock grabbed a new personal best in the women's 10,000-meter run. She finished ninth in the event in 36:48.21, grabbing the 20th best time in the event in NCAA DII.
"Tomorrow will be a great opportunity," Needs said. "I know there are many things going on at C-N tomorrow, but I would encourage everyone to take this opportunity to see the Eagles compete, so we can show them what makes this team special".
Carson-Newman track and field will be back in action tomorrow, April 6 at 9:00 a.m. for the second day of the UT Invite. Stay up to date on cneagles.com.
