BOONE, N.C. – Matthew Gray rewrote school history (again) as the App State men's and women's track and field teams took home team victories in the John Weaver Invitational.
What Happened
Gray had yet another mesmerizing performance in the pole vault. On Friday evening, he cleared a bar of 5.62m/18-5.25, resetting his own school record, which he broke the previous week, and the Randy Marion Track & Field Facility record that he set last season.
In team scoring, the App State women had an impressive score of 291, almost 200 more than second place. The men's team soared to a score of 235, pacing the field from the get-go, taking home a nearly 100-point victory.
After the weekend, Parker Kinney and Brandon Parker hold the top spots in the Sun Belt for the men's 400 meters. Kinney paced the field with a first-place finish of 46.98, just behind his conference-leading time. Parker was right behind him, finishing in 47.27, securing sixth in school history and second in the conference this year.
In the women's 400 meters, Nicole Wells, Damyja Alejandro-Ortiz, and Daye Talley controlled the field, finishing one-two-three. Wells flew to her season best with a time of 54.21, just shy of her second-place time in the record book. Alejandro-Ortiz was right behind her with a time of 54.75, elevating her to fifth in App State history, while Talley rallied to the finish line with a time of 55.92.
In the men's one-mile invitational, Rowan Gwin, Ethan Lipham, and Noah Martinson occupied the podium, all finishing within a second of each other. Gwin continued his stellar outdoor season as he took first place with a time of 4:02.37, with Lipham behind him at 4:02.84, and Martinson closing it out at 4:03.20.
Aidan Kneeland was just shy of his personal best in the men's 800 meters with a time of 1:50.63. His best of 1:50.50 is fifth in App State history.
Both men's and women's 4x100-meter relay teams set their season bests over the weekend. The team of Dezmone Starks, Armonté Ferguson, Ray Lee and Parker finished with a time of 40.52, less than a second off the school record. The team of Kelly MacBride, Jayla Adams, Kendall Johnson and Wells crossed in 45.35, a tick off the school record.
Christopher Stewart rounded things off in the men's shot put. He had a heave of 17.47m/57-3.75, a toss that is less than three inches short of his personal best, which he set this season and is third in App State history.
Up Next
The Mountaineers will next travel to the Sun Belt Championship in Mobile, Ala., which will be held from Thursday, May 14, to Saturday, May 16.
