SALEM, Va. – Carson-Newman shined at the Finn Pincus Invitational, with multiple athletes setting new PRs en route to seven top finishes.
Carson-Newman hit the ground running with its first major meet of the year and the Finn Pincus Invitational hosted by Roanoke College.
The story of the meet for C-N belonged to Verrol Sam, who not only won the men's long jump but also set a new personal record and marked the eighth-best long jump in the nation across Division II track and field. Sam leaped 7.49 meters, breaking his former PR by three-tenths of a meter.
Sam also finished first in the high jump, clearing 1.98 meters. The performance will see Sam nominated for SAC Athlete of the Week. Femi Richards also competed for Carson-Newman, taking sixth place.
Distance runners collected a bevy of accolades in the meet as well. Garrett Wilson took home first place in the Men's 800m with a time of 1:59.31. Jenna Pittman countered, winning the same event on the women's side with a 2:30.60. Autumn Brazzel took 15th in the same event.
In the mile, Colton Lee dominated on the men's side, winning the event with a 4:20.50. Bryson Burkett and Henry Hunter ranked in the top 20. The other notable C-N result in the event was from Will Cable who set a new PR finishing just two ticks under five minutes.
On the women's side of the mile run, Jenna Pittman took seventh place as the top C-N runner, while Peyton Couch and Maggie Hope ranked within the top 20. Hope joined teammate Steffi Johnson as C-N runners to set new PRs in the event.
In the 3000 meters it was Colton Lee once again taking gold for the Eagles finishing in 8:30.68, Burkett and Andrew Thompson ended in the top 20 as well. On the women's side, Peyton Couch set a new PR with a time of 11:04.65 to place fourth in the event, while Carmela Smock placed 11th.
The other track events belonged to the sprinters and the relays. In the 60-meter sprint, Sade De Sousa set the sixth-best time in the country this season with a 7.41 in the semis but fell to Lenoir-Rhyne's Alexis Brown in the finals, taking home second in the meet.
On the men's side of the 60m, it was a podium full of Eagles as the orange and blue took home first, second, and third in the event. Shemar Patten stood atop the podium, setting a new PR with a time of 6.81. Rylan Jordan and Amine Kasmi took home the silver and bronze in the event.
Patten took home second place in the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 8.16, while Carson-Newman two-sport athlete Jeremiah Carroll rounded out the hurdle events with a fifth-place finish.
In the men's 4x400m relays, Carson-Newman's teams took second and fifth place between the A and B teams.
While Verrol Sam shined in the high jump on the men's side, Melissa Siler placed 12th on the women's side, clearing a height of 1.50m.
In the women's pole vault, both of Carson-Newman's athletes set new PRs. Addisen Petersen, who placed 15th, cleared a height of 3.05m, and Tylee Hefney, who placed 16th, cleared a height of 2.90m.
In women's shot put, Lizzy Hall set a new personal record with a distance of 10.36m, placing 14th in the event.
Finally, in the men's weight throw, Ian Salyer found a new PR while placing 12th in the event, earning a distance of 13.93m.
Carson-Newman returns to the Commonwealth of Virginia next weekend, on Jan. 24 and 25, to participate in the VMI Invitational in Lexington, Va.
