LOUISVILLE, Ky. --- The Tusculum University men's and women's indoor track & field teams opened their 2022-23 season on Saturday with competition at the Commonwealth College Opener, held at the Norton Healthcare Sports & Learning Center.

Tusculum set three school records during Saturday's competition, with senior Zackary Nelson breaking his own record in the men's 300 meters, junior Dorian Craven setting a record in the men's 500 meters, and freshman Kiera Taylor establishing a new school mark in the 60 meters in her collegiate debut. In addition, senior Devan Hart earned an NCAA Division II provisional qualifying time in the men's 60 meters.

The Pioneers will resume competition on Saturday, January 14 at the Mondo College Invitational at the JDL Fast Track in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

MEN'S RECAP
Nelson ran 34.78 seconds in the 300 meters to break his own record of 35.08 seconds set at last year's Appalachian Open. Craven, a transfer from Indian Hills Community College, took ninth in the 500 meters at 1:05.37 to break the previous school record of 1:08.07 set by Xavion Bogus at last year's VMI Winter Classic.

In the 60 meters, Hart finished fourth with a career-best time of 6.86 seconds, which moves him to second on the program performance list in the event and hit the NCAA Division II qualifying time on the dot. Junior Tyrell Edwards took sixth place in 6.90 seconds with is sixth on the performance list, while Marquel Pittman was ninth in a career-best 6.91 seconds.

Junior Jamal Cash qualified second for the finals in the 60 hurdles with a time of 8.53 seconds, the third-fastest time in school history. Cash also ran 1:10.30 in the 500 meters for the fifth-best mark in program history. Freshman DeWayne Morris was sixth in the 600 meters at 1:28.10 for the third-best time in program history, and freshman Isaiah Olson took 10th place in the 200 meters at 22.92 seconds.

In field events, freshman Mikeal Pillar took 12th overall in the shot put at 12.28 meters (40 feet, 3 1/2 inches) and 15th in the weight throw at 11.77 meters (38 feet, 7 1/2 inches), while sophomore Joshua Stephens was eighth in the triple jump at 13.56 meters (44 feet, 6 inches).

Tusculum's 4x400 relay team of senior Jarvis Barber Jr., Craven, Pittman and Hart took fifth place overall at 3:21.49, which is the fourth-best time in program history in the event.

WOMEN'S RECAP
Taylor finished 12th overall in the 60 meters and broke the previous school record of 7.84 seconds set by Faith Bostick in 2021. Grad transfer Kylia Wright tied Bostick's record and finished 15th overall in 7.84 seconds, while freshman Theresa Green-White was 16th at 7.87 seconds with the fourth-fastest time in program history.

Taylor ran 26.14 seconds in the 200 meters, the seventh-best time in program history, while Green-White was 10th in preliminaries in the 60 hurdles and took second place on the program performance list with a time of 9.33 seconds.

Junior Judy Chellah finished fifth overall in the 500 meters at 1:36.98, while junior Emily Coddington was fifth in the 3000 meters at 10:47.37.

Commonwealth College Opener - at Louisville, Ky.
Tusculum results
MEN
60 dash (qualifying): 7. Joshua Stephens, 7.15 (advances); 19. Keelen Lester, 7.47.
60 dash (preliminaries): 7. Tyrell Edwards, 6.90 (advances); 7. Devan Hart, 6.90 (advances); 9. Marquel Pittman, 6.91; 17. Jarvis Barber Jr., 7.10; 20. Joshua Stephens, 7.13; 24. Isaiah Olson, 7.15.
60 dash (finals): 4. Devan Hart, 6.86; 6. Tyrell Edwards, 6.90.
60 hurdles (preliminaries): 2. Jamal Cash, 8.53 (advances).
60 hurdles (finals): Jamal Cash, DNS.
200: 10. Isaiah Olson, 22.92; 22. Keelen Lester, 24.44.
300: 12. Zackary Nelson, 34.78 (school record).
500: 9. Dorian Craven, 1:05.37 (school record); 11. Xavion Bogus, 1:09.10; 14. Jamal Cash, 1:10.30.
600: 6. DeWayne Morris, 1:28.10.
4x400: 5. Tusculum (Barber, Craven, Pittman, Hart), 3:21.49.
Shot put: 12. Mikeal Pillar, 12.28m (40-3 1/2).
Weight throw: 15. Mikeal Pillar, 11.77m (38-7 1/2).
Triple jump: 8. Joshua Stephens, 13.56m (44-6).

WOMEN
60 dash (qualifying): 1. Theresa Green-White, 7.93.
60 dash (preliminaries): 12. Kiera Taylor, 7.80 (school record); 15. Kylia Wright, 7.84; 16. Theresa Green-White, 7.87; 26. Aliyah Adderley, 8.04.
60 hurdles (preliminaries): 10. Theresa Green-White, 9.33.
200: 22. Kiera Taylor, 26.14.
500: 5. Judy Chellah, 1:36.98.
3000: 5. Emily Coddington, 10:47.37; 16. Inmaculada Delgado, 12:47.63.
4x400: 10. Tusculum (Green-White, Taylor, Wright, Adderley), 4:15.98.