DURHAM, N.C. - The App State men's and women's track and field teams kept their outdoor season momentum going with fast times and strong marks at the Duke Invitational over the weekend.
What Happened
Matthew Gray won the men's pole vault, and Thomas Wlazlowski claimed the top spot in the men's steeplechase to pace the Mountaineers.
Gray's winning clearance of 7.46m/17-11 was just a quarter inch shy of his recent school record. He was the only competitor in Durham to attempt jumps at 5.68m/18-7.5. He is currently ranked among the top 15 pole vaulters in the NCAA.
Wlazlowski was the meet's top performer out of 26 runners in the steeple, finishing in a personal-best 8:53.07 that moved him up to No. 5 in the school record books.
On the women's side, the Mountaineers' pole vaulters were at the top of their game, as Ava Studney and Lilly Nichols both cleared season bests of 4.08m/13-4.5 to finish third and fifth, respectively. The clearance moves both of them into the top 50 in the NCAA ranks this season.
Rowan Gwin scorched the men's 1500 meters with a time of 3:44.45, moving him into second in App State history. It's the fastest time by a Mountaineer in the event since 2012. He is the fourth active Mountaineer to break into the top 10 in school history in the 1500.
Additional personal-best marks in Durham that moved performers up in the school record books included:
App State closed the meet strong in both 4x400-meter relays. The women's squad of Jayla Adams, Damyja Alejandro-Ortiz, Nicole Wells and Daye Talley placed third out of 18 with a season-best 3:41.88 that's less than two seconds off the school record. The men's squad of Miller Brannen, Christian Gore, Eric Heal and Parker Kinney placed fifth of 23 with a time of 3:11.56 that's App State's fastest since 2018.
There were a handful of Mountaineers who ran well individually in the 400 meters as well. Four women's runners finished in the top 20: Adams (54.70) took home eighth, while Alejandro-Ortiz (55.68), Wells (56.13) and Talley (56.19) rounded out the top 20.
On the men's side, Kinney ran a 47.04, just shy of his personal best, to place eighth. Brandon Parker also placed in the top 20 with his personal-best time.
Up Next
App State will send athletes to multiple meets next weekend - the Wake Forest Invitational in Winston-Salem and the Aggie Invitational in Greensboro.
