JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. --- The Tusculum University men's and women's track & field teams opened their 2019 indoor season on Friday by participating in the opening day of the ETSU Invitational at the Athletics Center.
The Pioneers will return Saturday to complete competition at the meet, which involves teams from Division I, II, III and the NAIA.
WOMEN
Senior Nicole McMillen finished second overall and just missed her own school record in the 5,000 meters, posting a time of 18:20.63. McMillen trailed only Kate Butler of Appalachian State, who won the race by nearly 9 1/2 seconds, and joined teammate Alissa Furches as the only non-Division I runners in the top 10. Furches was clocked at 18:55.68 for a sixth-place finish in the race.
Sophomore I'Keriah Day finished 16th in the 400 meters with a time of 1:02.63, the second-best mark in program history, while freshman Brianna Oats had a solid collegiate debut with a 15th-place finish in the 60-meter hurdles at 9.74 seconds.
Other top performances came from senior Raygene Minus, who ran 26.62 seconds in the 200 meters for the second-best time in school history, while Oats finished in 26.82 to rank third on the program's performance list. Freshman Kaynashia Carter was clocked at 8.15 seconds in the 60 meters to take over third place on the school's all-time performance list.
MEN
Several strong performances in sprints highlighted the season opener for the Pioneers, including 10th-place finishes by Gerard Hearst in the 60 meters and Kyler Hodges in the 5,000 meters.
Hearst was timed at 7.03 seconds in the 60, putting him in second place on the program's performance list behind All-American Widchard Guervil, while Hodges was timed at 16:14.47 for the third-fastest mark in program history in the 5,000.
Also in the 60 meters, Gibran Williams finished 12th overall at 7.04 seconds and Xavier Billups placed 17th in 7.15 seconds. Freshman Luis Morris was 11th overall in the 60 hurdles at 8.93 seconds, while in the 200 meters Kedar Ashford was 12th in 22.41 seconds and Althiery Leontes took 15th place in 22.52 seconds.
Freshmen Carson Walls and Alejandro Perez followed up strong behind Hodges in the 5,000 meters, with Walls placing 15th in 17:19.37 and Perez just behind in 16th place at 17:40.03.
ETSU Invitational
Tusculum results
WOMEN
60: 31. Kaynashia Carter, 8.15
60 hurdles: 15. Brianna Oats, 9.74
200: 31. Raygene Minus, 26.62; 36. Brianna Oats, 26.82; 40. Hailey Cole, 26.95; 50. Ke'Lah McMiller, 27.36; 59. Kesia Griffith, 27.99; 61. Kaynashia Carter, 28.05; 64. Destini Wilson, 28.25; 84. Brittany Bowery, 30.80
400: 16. I'Keriah Day, 1:02.63; 33. Deondra Thomas, 1:07.78
5000: 2. Nicole McMillen, 18:20.63; 6. Alissa Furches, 18:55.68
MEN
60: 10. Gerard Hearst, 7.03; 12. Gibran Williams, 7.04; 17. Xavier Billups, 7.15; 41. Jamire Thompson, 7.44
60 hurdles: 11. Luis Morris, 8.93
200: 12. Kedar Ashford, 22.41; 15. Althiery Leontes, 22.52; 34. Gibran Williams, 23.39; 37. Tyree Hilliard, 23.61; 53. Gerard Hearst, 24.62
400: 26. Kyle Stanley, 52.98; 32. Malek Folston, 53.71; 37. Luis Morris, 54.29
800: 26. Isaac Hybarger, 2:13.60
5000: 10. Kyler Hodges, 16:14.47; 15. Carson Walls, 17:19.37; 16. Alejandro Perez, 17:40.03
Weight throw: 23. Joseph Schwarz, 9.99m
