JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. --- The Tusculum University men's and women's indoor track & field teams opened the 2020 season with competition Friday and Saturday at the ETSU Invitational at the Memorial Center.
Hachlaine Petit set a school record for the Pioneers in the women's 800 meters and Carson Walls had a sixth-place finish in the men's 5000 meters to lead Tusculum in the first of six meets this winter.
Tusculum will return to action Jan. 17 and 18 at the Gamecock Opener, hosted by the University of South Carolina.
WOMEN'S RECAP
Competing in her first race for the Pioneers, Petit won her section by seven seconds and took eighth place overall out of 48 finishers. Her time of 2:27.42 was second-best among all non-Division I entries and broke the school record of 2:29.57 set by Yoland Boyce at last year's South Atlantic Conference championship meet.
In addition to Petit, four other Pioneers earned a spot on the school all-time performance list in the 800. Ke'Lah McMiller finished 24th overall in 2:38.68 to move into fifth on the list, while Kesia Griffith (25th overall) ran 2:38.99 which is sixth in school history. Also taking spots on the performance list in the event were Kenisha Stubbs (eighth, 2:40.36) and Brittany Bowery (10th, 2:48.76).
In the 400 meters, Earthaiza Watkins was 11th overall in 1:01.31 while Aliyah Adderley placed 16th in 1:01.76 and moved into fifth place on the program all-time performance list in the event. In the 3000 meters, Gabrielle Beckett was 15th in 11:37.76 and Emmi Hulse placed 17th in 11:46.88, putting Beckett third and Hulse fourth on the Tusculum performance list in the event.
The 4x400-meter relay of Petit, McMiller, Stubbs and Griffith placed third out of 11 teams with a time of 4:00.71, the fourth-best time in program history. The "B" team of Watkins, Adderley, Brianna Oats and Beckett took ninth place in 4:11.62 and logged the sixth-fastest time in school history.
In the only field event in which the Pioneers were entered, Destini Wilson tied for sixth place in the high jump with a best mark of 1.50 meters (4 feet, 11 inches).
MEN'S RECAP
Carson Walls turned in a strong sixth-place showing in the 5000 meters, running 16:08.30 for the fifth-fastest time in program history and moving him into second place on the school performance list. Kyler Hodges finished 14th overall in 17:27.27 and Taylor Tupps took 16th in 17:41.54.
In the 3000 meters, Kyle Stanley turned in the ninth-fastest time in program history as he was 21st overall in 9:25.37. Stanley moves into fifth on the school performance list, with Antonio Aparicio claiming seventh place on the list after finishing 23rd overall in 9:34.85.
Devan Hart was the top Tusculum finisher in both the 60 and 200 meters, running 7.15 along with Gerard Hearst in the 60 and turning in a time of 23.15 in the 200 meters. Hart's time in the 60 puts him seventh on the TU performance list while his 200 time is good for ninth place.
In the 4x400-meter relay, the team of David Saruni, Jontavus Walker, Tyree Hilliard and Arlington Ferguson placed 14th overall in 3:33.75 and moved into sixth place on the school all-time top 10 in the event.
ETSU Track & Field Invitational
Tusculum results
WOMEN
200: 35. Earthaiza Watkins, 27.25; 49. Destini Wilson, 28.45.
400: 11. Earthaiza Watkins, 1:01.31; 16. Aliyah Adderley, 1:01.76.
800: 8. Hachlaine Petit, 2:27.42; 24. Ke'Lah McMiller, 2:38.68; 25. Kesia Griffith, 2:38.99; 29. Kenisha Stubbs, 2:40.36; 39. Brittany Bowery, 2:48.76; 42. Brianna Oats, 2:52.76.
3000: 15. Gabrielle Beckett, 11:37.76; 17. Emmi Hulse, 11:46.88.
4x400: 3. Tusculum (Petit, McMiller, Stubbs, Griffith), 4:00.71; 9. Tusculum B (Watkins, Adderley, Oats, Beckett), 4:11.62.
High jump: t6. Destini Wilson, 1.50m (4-11).
MEN
60: 23. Devan Hart, 7.15; 24. Gerard Hearst, 7.15.
200: 30. Devan Hart, 23.15; 49. Giovanni Purser, 23.65; 56. Pierre Dupuy, 23.98; 57. Tyree Hilliard, 24.02; 66. Jamire Thompson, 24.78; 67. Gerard Hearst, 24.99.
400: 35. Arlington Ferguson, 54.17; 38. Tyree Hilliard, 54.60; 43. Jonathan Julien, 57.38; 47. Pierre Dupuy, 1:03.47.
800: 23. Isaac Hybarger, 2:13.25; 29. Jontavus Walker, 2:17.60.
3000: 21. Kyle Stanley, 9:25.37; 23. Antonio Aparicio, 9:34.85.
5000: 6. Carson Walls, 16:08.30; 14. Kyler Hodges, 17:27.27; 16. Taylor Tupps, 17:41.54.
4x400: 14. Tusculum (Saruni, Walker, Hilliard, Ferguson), 3:33.75; 15. Tusculum B (Stanley, Aparicio, Hybarger, Julien), 3:36.22; 17. Tusculum C (Hart, Dupuy, Purser, Hearst), 3:50.70.