The track and field team competed at the Dr. Jack M. Toms invitational hosted by the University of Lynchburg last Saturday
This event was marked by several podium finishes.
In the long jump, senior Deontae Lawson placed 3rd with a distance of 6.43-meters, and first-year Zyreonia Patterson finished 2nd at 5.47-meters.
Also in the field events, sophomore Lilian Bigger placed 3rd in the javelin throw at 39.73-meters.
In the high jump, a few athletes came close to podium finishes. Junior Jaiden Childress placed 6th with a height of 1.85 meters. In the women’s event, first-year Gracie Beane and Madyson Swaine tied for 5th with a height of 1.53-meters.
First-year Vladmir Joacin Jr. competed in several of the field events including the discus competition where he threw 34.67-meters and the shot-put throw, where he ended at 12.89 meters.
In the women’s field events, first-year Zenallah Hatcher-Simmons threw 11.69-meters in shot-put and 32.49 meters in discus, ending in 16th place overall.
Four athletes on the men’s team competed in the 4×400-meter race and finished in 3rd. Junior Peter Barnett, first-year Ethan Fitzgerald, Lawson, and first-year Damani Veney-Epps worked together to finish with a time of 3:26.49.
Lawson also competed in both the 100- and 200-meter spring races along, with first-year Camille Vaughn. Though neither athlete placed, they finished with times that added to their personal records.
In the 400-meter men’s race, first year Josiah Gallegos finished with a time of 52.37, and first-year Bryce Penn trailed right behind with a time of 53.34.
In the women’s 400-meter, first-year Dezyre Christian ended at a time of 1:04.93, and Junior Emma Kelley finished 10 seconds later at 1:14.93.
Two athletes competed in the long-distance 1500-meter race. First-year Carlos Menendez, who ended the race with a time of 4.16:10, and first-year Seth Truett, who finished right after at 4:20.15.
The track and field team will compete again today and tomorrow at the Vertklasse Meet hosted by High Point University.
