Right on track
Flames continue to rack up indoor season victories
The men’s and women’s track and field teams’ success extended beyond state borders this weekend, Feb. 13-14, as four men and two women brought home event victories at meets in Virginia and Alabama.
HIGH flyer — Senior Kyle Wheeler clears the bar on his way to victory in the men’s high jump. Photo credit: Courtney Russo
In the two-day Liberty Quad, a home meet, both the men and women succeeded in the multi-events.
Senior Tevan McIntire took the first-place spot in the heptathlon with an Intercollegiate Association of Amateur Athletes of America (IC4A) qualifying 5,169 points. Sophomore Zach Davis also eclipsed the 5,000-point mark and took second place. Davis also qualified for the IC4A meet with 5,054 points.
Senior Riley Brandon notched an event victory for the Lady Flames in the pentathlon with 3,475 points thanks to a dominant performance in the final event, the 800-meter run. Brandon crossed the finish line more than 11 seconds ahead of the rest of the field in the race, propelling her from third place, where she sat in the pentathlon standings heading into the last event, to the top spot.
“We weren’t running (the 800-meter run) necessarily for a big personal record,” Brandon said. “It was a workout to set me up and get ready for (the Big South Indoor Track Championships). … This meet was really in preparation for conference and getting all the kinks out. I’m really pleased with how it went. I feel like I’m ready to perform.”
Tossing Around — Decathlete Lewis Williams competes in the shot put event. Photo credit: Courtney Russo
Brandon’s teammates, junior Erika Jackson and sophomore Jessica Harrison, also did well in the pentathlon, placing second and fourth, respectively.
Senior Kyle Wheeler added another win for the Flames in the high jump with a 6-6.25 clearance at the home meet.
“Today was the best I’ve felt all season,” Wheeler said. “I came to the meet and was just 100 percent relaxed, … and just taking each jump, every clearance, like it’s seven feet makes it a whole lot more fun. … I didn’t really look at the height today. I was just jumping, and it
was fun.”
At the Samford Invitational in Alabama, redshirt senior Jocelyn Williams earned an event victory for the Lady Flames in the weight throw. Williams threw the weight to 60-6.75, more than three and a half feet farther than the rest of the field, for the win.
Redshirt junior David Scouten also brought home a win in the men’s weight throw. His winning toss traveled 61-9, a new season best.
Freshman Titus Koech added a victory for the Flames in the 3K with a time of 8:32.35.
In addition to the event wins, the Flames 4×400-meter relay team notched an IC4A qualifier. The quartet of sophomore Stephen Racanelli, senior John Sherret, sophomore Ryan Davis and redshirt senior Ryan Versen combined for a time of 3:19.49.
The Lady Flames also earned two Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) qualifiers on the track.
Redshirt junior Kate Flower ran the 200-meter dash in 24.96 seconds to earn her place in the ECAC meet. Freshman Ednah Kurgat qualified for the ECAC meet in the mile run, clocking 4:54.15 for second place.
The Flames and Lady Flames will have a couple of weeks of rest before heading to the Big South Indoor Track Championships in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Feb. 26-27.
BROWN is the editor-in-chief.