NEED TO KNOW:
Men's Team Scores:Top 3 Teams Men & Women:
1st: : Maryville 200.5
2nd : Piedmont 141
3rd:: Covenant 108
Women's Team Scores:
1st: Maryville 200
2nd: Piedmont 156
3rd: Covenant 119
JACKSON, Miss.– The Piedmont men's and women's track and field team headed west for the CCS Championships held at Belhaven University. This was a close and hard fight over the span of two days, with the Lions placing second overall for the men and women.
Even though the Lions handed over the CCS crown to Maryville, they had individual wins and multiple scoring placements across the board.
The men had one individual champion,
George Ketch, in the men's hammer throw. Ketch kicked off the meet on day one with this first place mark of 47.67m. The men's 4x100m relay also claimed the title, winning with a time of 41.85. This relay crew consisted of
Silas Goolsby,
Tyler Brown,
Franklin Brown Jr., and at anchor
Bryant Murray.
For the women, the Lions had four individual champions.
Allison Cantrell started off on day one, claiming the women's javelin title with a throw of 25.35m. Also in the field,
Kayla Ward on day two claimed her title in women's shot put with the winning mark of 10.84m.
On the track,
Bella Caccamo led the preliminary 800m race on day one and then claimed her title on day two with a close photo finish, just a lean ahead of her covenant competitor with a time of 2:21.18.
Michelle Cates reclaimed her 400m hurdles crown also on day two and setting a new personal best of 1:06.63.
Besides individual champions, the Lions posted sixteen other podium finishes between men and women.
On the men's side for day one,
Keegan Ivey kicked off the day with the 3K steeplechase. Ivey placed third overall and ran a close race with his Maryville competitor beating him by just a second with a time of 11:14.00. For men's field,
Matthew Blocksom posted a second place mark of 44.78m in hammer throw. In javelin,
Walter Burks threw an impressive mark of 47.29m, placing second overall as well.
Day two,
Silas Goolsby fought for second place in the 110m hurdles with a time of 15.71. Goolsby also kicked off the 400m on day one, making it into finals and claiming second with a time of 47.89 in finals. This finals time is also a new personal best for Goolsby and new school record. The day was not finished for him yet either, also making it into the finals for the 200m. Silas claimed another second place finish with a time of 21.62. In the field,
Jayden Smith posted a third place mark of 13.31m in shot put. Blocksom threw a second place mark in discus with a mark of 42.60m.
For the women on day one,
Kayla Ward kicked off the day in hammer throw with a third place mark of 36.57m.
Shealee Gallegos placed third overall in javelin, throwing 24.56m. Cantrell posted a third place jump of 5.02m in the long jump.
On day two, the women's 4x100m relay team fought to the second for a third place finish time of 51.81. This relay crew was compiled of Cates, Cantrell,
Sara Bjerke, and at anchor
London Jackson. In the 100m hurdles, Cates took home second place with a time of 16.28. Caccamo took home third place in the 400m hurdles with a time of 1:14.03.
The women's 4x400m relay team also claimed third place with a total time of 4:16.46. This relay team consisted of Cates,
Naomi Oti-Wapala, Cantrell, and anchor Caccamo. On the field side, Gallegos had a second place throw of 36.24m which is also a new personal best.
Plenty of Lions came through and posted new personal bests as well. In the field, Bjerke set two new personal bests. In long jump with a mark of 4.52m and triple jump 9.07m.
Nehemiah Franklin also set two new personal bests. The first being a jump of 5.86m in long jump and another jump of 12.33m in triple jump.
Al Martin also came home with a new best in long jump of 6.50m.
Xander Wiley vaulted a new best in pole vault with a mark of 2.95m and also in the 800m with a time of 2:11.75, surpassing his previous best by 3 seconds.
Brayden Saxon threw a new discus best of 28.25m. Blocksom posted a new best in shot put of 12.04m.
On the track,
Josalyn Hallman and
Jarim Leon Ortega both set new best in the 1500m. Hallman ran 6:14.62 in the women's race, while Leon Ortega finished with a time of 5:39.50 for the men's race. Lastly,
Katie Payne took home a new best in the 400m hurdles running a time of 1:17.25.
The Lions fought hard this season and had many PR performances while also breaking school records.
Field Events Day 1 – bold denotes school record
Track Events Day 1 – bold denotes school record
Field Events Day 2 – bold denotes school record
Track Events Day 2 – bold denotes school record
| Women's 4x100m Relay |
Cates, Cantrell, Bjerke, Jackson – 51.81 3rd |
| Men's 4x100m Relay |
Goolsby, Brown, Brown Jr. , Murray – 41.85 1st |
| Women's 1500m |
Josalyn Hallman – 6:14.62 |
| Men's 1500m |
Xander Wiley – 4:46.80
Keegan Ivey – 4:58.08
Jarim Leon Ortega – 5:39.50 |
| Women's 100m Hurdles Finals |
Michelle Cates – 16.28 2nd
Brooke Benna – 17.86 4th
Brianna Tucci – 18.03 5th
Sara Bjerke – 18.35 6th
London Jackson – 18.72 7th
Anna Freeman – 20.43 8th |
| Men's 110m Hurdles Finals |
Silas Goolsby – 15.71 2nd |
| Women's 400m Finals |
Naomi Oti-Wapala – 1:03.21 6th
Allison Cantrell – 1:07.09 7th |
| Men's 400m Finals |
Silas Goolsby – 47.89 2nd
Tyler Brown – 51.22 7th |
| Women's 100m Finals |
- |
| Men's 100m Finals |
Bryant Murray – 11.22 4th
Franklin Brown Jr. – 11.69 7th |
| Women's 800m Finals |
Bella Caccamo – 2:21.18 1st |
| Men's 800m Finals |
- |
| Women's 400m Hurdles Finals |
Michelle Cates – 1:06.63 1st
Bella Caccamo – 1:14.03 3rd
Katie Payne – 1:17.25 5th
Brianna Tucci – 1:18.44 6th
London Jackson – 1:22.87 7th
Anna Freeman – 1:28.66 8th |
| Men's 400m Hurdles Finals |
Jimmy Channell – 1:00.71 4th |
| Women's 200m Finals |
Allison Cantrell – 27.90 6th |
| Men's 200m Finals |
Silas Goolsby – 21.62 2nd
Tyler Brown – 23.08 6th |
| Women's 5000m |
- |
| Men's 5000m |
Brody Geckler – 18:09.36 |
| Women's 4x400m Relay |
Cates, Oti-Wapala, Cantrell, Caccamo – 4:16.46 3rd |
| Men's 4x400m Relay |
Brown, Riggins, Channell, Neal – 3:32.95 4th |
