LYNCHBURG, Va. --- The Tusculum University men's and women's track & field teams continued their indoor schedule on Saturday with competition at the Liberty Kickoff Invitational.
The Pioneer women set six school records and the men established seven new marks during the two-day competition. Guillaume Devries earned his second win of the season in the men's high jump, while Will Cronin had a second-place finish in the men's 5,000 meters.
Tusculum will return to competition on Friday and Saturday, Feb. 1-2 at the ETSU Buccaneer Invitational in Johnson City.
MEN
Devries, who won the high jump at the ETSU Invitational on January 12 with a Division II provisional-qualifying height of 2.10 meters (6 feet, 10 3/4 inches), entered at a height of 1.95 meters which he cleared on his first attempt. After making 2.00 meters on his second try, Devries was successful on his first attempt at 2.05 meters. Devries then cleared the bar at 2.10 meters on his second attempt, which would stand as the winning jump after Isaiah Kyle of Wingate needed three attempts to make the height.
Cronin ran in the 5,000 meters on Friday evening and broke his own school record with a second-place finish of 15:19.82. Cronin's mark was more than 13 seconds faster than his previous record set last week at the Gamecock Inaugural, and moved him into seventh place on the SAC performance list. Cronin was 27 seconds behind race winner Kyle Hinson of Louisburg College. On Saturday, Cronin took 10th in the 3000 meters with a time of 8:55.18 which improved his school record by five seconds and moved him into fifth on the SAC performance list.
In the men's 200 meters, Kedar Ashford broke his own school record with a time of 22.35 seconds which placed him 23rd in the field of 82 runners. Ashford also had a team season-best jump of 6.34 meters (20 feet, 9 3/4 inches) in the long jump. Also setting a program record was Jaydon Johnson in the 500 meters, with a time of 1:14.96 which set a new record by a half-second and left him in 25th place in the overall standings.
In field events, Christian Sisto and Evan Grooms also set school records on Saturday. Sisto threw 13.80 meters (45 feet, 3 1/2 inches) in the shot put to break his record of 13.46 meters set at ETSU and moved him into sixth place on the SAC performance list. Grooms' mark of 11.72 meters in the weight throw (38 feet, 5 1/2 inches) beat his old mark by 14 centimeters.
Luis Morris became the first pole vaulter in program history, clearing 3.80 meters on his second attempt and 3.95 meters on his first try before being eliminated in 15th place out of 23 competitors with a height of 12 feet, 11 1/2 inches.
WOMEN
Raygene Minus, I'Keriah Day and Earthaiza Watkins were each part of school record performances both individually and as part of a relay.
Minus was 10th in the 400 meters at 58.28 seconds to break her own school record set last weekend at the Gamecock Inaugural and remain second on the SAC performance list. Day ran 25.96 in the 200 meters to regain the school record from Minus, and Watkins took 12th place in the 500 meters to cut more than seven seconds off the previous mark with a time of 1:20.97.
The Pioneer 4x400-meter relay team of Minus, Ke'Lah McMiller, Day and Watkins ran 3:59.18, finishing ninth overall and just beating their old school record of 3:59.79 which was set at the Gamecock Inaugural. Tusculum is currently ranked second in the SAC in the event.
Nicole McMillen took seven seconds off her school-record time in the mile with an eighth-place finish of 5:07.60. McMillen was seeded first in the conference in the event by more than 11 seconds entering the weekend.
In the 5,000 meters on Friday, Alissa Furches finished 10th overall in 19:59.75, and Karla Angulo had the Pioneers' first run of the year in the 800 meters with a time of 2:38.41.
In field events, Alyssa Farmer threw 11.46 meters (37 feet, 7 1/4 inches) in the shot put to break her previous school record of 11.41 meters set at the Gamecock Inaugural last weekend.
Liberty Kickoff Invitational at Lynchburg, Va.
Tusculum results
MEN
60: 27. Gibran Williams, 7.10
60 hurdles: 26. Luis Morris, 9.05
200: 23. Kedar Ashford, 22.35
400: 42. Tyree Hilliard, 53.50; 52. Isaac Hybarger, 55.97
500: 29. Jaydon Johnson, 1:14.96
800: 26. J'Quen Johnson, 2:01.80; 29. Kyle Stanley, 2:02.19
1 mile: 26. Kyler Hodges, 4:35.89; 44. Carson Walls, 4:52.27
3000: 10. Will Cronin, 8:55.18; 34. Alejandro Perez, 9:39.31
5000: 2. Will Cronin, 15:19.82; 15. T.J. Tupps, 16:09.46
High jump: 1. Guillaume Devries, 2.10m (6-10 3/4)
Long jump: 23. Kedar Ashford, 6.34m (20-9 3/4)
Triple jump: 24. Jamire Thompson, 12.49m (40-11 3/4)
Shot put: 28. Christian Sisto, 13.80m (45-3 1/2); 43. Zach Lane, 12.36m (40-6 3/4); 60. Joseph Schwarz, 10.07m (33-1/2)
Weight throw: 37. Evan Grooms, 11.72m (38-5 1/2)
Pole vault: 15. Luis Morris, 3.95m (12-11 1/2)
WOMEN
60: 40. Kaynashia Carter, 8.15; 62. Destini Wilson, 8.94
200: 26. I'Keriah Day, 25.96; 50. Kaynashia Carter, 26.94
400: 10. Raygene Minus, 58.28; 43. Ke'Lah McMiller, 1:02.92; 49. Kesia Griffith, 1:03.96
500: 12. Earthaiza Watkins, 1:20.97; 20. Deondra Thomas, 1:31.50; 22. Brittany Bowery, 1:33.69
800: 35. Karla Angulo, 2:38.41
1 mile: 8. Nicole McMillen, 5:07.60
5000: 10. Alissa Furches, 19:59.75; 15. Brooklyn Smith, 21:46.19
4x400: 9. Tusculum A (Minus, McMiller, Day, Watkins), 3:59.18; 27. Tusculum B (Cole, Griffith, Bowery, Angulo), 4:23.73
Long jump: 23. I'Keriah Day, 5.05m (16-7)
Shot put: 25. Alyssa Farmer, 11.46m (37-7 1/4); 39. Dynah Dunn, 10.39m (34-1 1/4)