Ten first-place finishes, PRs captured at ACU
4/10/2016 9:05:00 PM | Track & Field, Women's Track & Field
The Sam Houston State track and field program logged 10 first-place finishes, competing against nationally-ranked Texas Tech and Abilene Christian at the third edition of ACU's Wes Kittley Invitational on Saturday in Abilene.
Senior Paula Smith led the charge, notching top finishes in the 100-meter dash (11.68), long jump (18 feet, 7 ¾ inches) and as the final leg of the 4x100-meter relay (45.58). The Waco native was accompanied by Danielle Demas, Elizabeth Ene and Melicha Smith in the event.
The event was the second top finish for Demas, who also captured first in the 100-meter hurdles (13.20). The weekend was again dominant for Ashley Jenkins, who won the women's hammer throw (200 feet, 7 inches) and logged a personal-best 43 feet, 11 ¾ inches in a second-place shot put finisher.
Kristine Hanks finished ahead of Jenkins in the shot put, taking the top spot with a career best of 50 feet in the event. The men also notched success in the throwing events as Kalvin Singletary won the hammer throw (198 feet, 4 inches), took a personal best in a runner-up discus finisher (177 feet, 2 inches) and taking third in the shot put (50 feet, 3 ¼ inches).
The men's 4x100-meter relay matched the women's success, as Dedrick Brooks, Justin Jenkins, Kevin Beasley and Eric Bouncy took the top spot (41.51). Elsewhere, William Stark earned the 400-meter hurdles title (1:03.08) and took third in the 110-meter hurdles (14.37).
Anthony Garcia won the javelin throw (202 feet, 9 inches), his second top spot of the outdoor season with the first setting a new personal best at the Victor Lopez Classic.
The Bearkats took home twelve additional runner-up finishes including a pair from freshman Tristyn Allen in the long jump (17 feet, 10 ¼ inches) and the triple jump (41 feet, 4 ½ inches) and fellow freshman Saige Revell in the same events (22 feet, 3 ¾ inches and 45 feet, 7 ¾ inches).
Sophomore Kodii Church secured second in the 400-meter dash (56.07), senior Ruth Amaku did so in the 400-meter hurdles (56.07), Ashley Thompson in the pole vault (13 feet, ¼ inches) and Elizabeth Lyssy in the javelin throw (138 feet, 2 inches).
For the men, Jenkins added to his strong day, running a 10.38 in the 100-meter dash for second while Damian O'Neal ran 14.22 in the 110-meter hurdles in runner-up as did Ashton Summers in the pole vault (15 feet, 11 ¾ inches).
Michael Nichols took second in the shot put (50 feet, 10 ¾ inches) while notching personal bests in a fourth-place hammer throw (157 feet, 4 inches) and seventh-place result in the discus throw (155 feet, 6 inches).
Third-place finishers came courtesy of Jasmine Lewis in the 100-meter dash (12.38), Khalaya Williams in the long jump (17 feet, 8 ¾ inches), Darian Bucknor in the triple jump (39 feet, 1 ¼ inches), Madeline Walker's personal best in the hammer throw (160 feet, 10 inches) and Morgan Heinrich in the high jump (5 feet, 1 ¾ inches).
For the men, Stark took the bronze in the 110-meter hurdles (14.37) along with Tyler Adams in the high jump (6 feet, 6 ¾ inches). Adams also secured fourth with a career best in the javelin throw (154 feet, 4 inches) while Aaron Akens took third in two events, claiming a personal record (174 feet, 8 inches) in the discus and securing 158 feet, 1 inch in the hammer.
Freshman Cheyenne Oxford would also notch a personal best in the discus at 137 feet as did Tyler Adams in the javelin throw (47 feet, 4 inches) in the javelin.
