LEXINGTON, Va. --- The Tusculum University men's and women's indoor track and field teams competed on the opening day of the VMI Winter Relays Friday afternoon.

The Pioneers set school records in three of the 10 events in which they competed, while advancing eight athletes to finals in the 60 meters and the 60 hurdles. Among the records were both the men's and women's weight throw, with Adrian Gumm breaking his own men's mark and Amber Hogan setting the new standard in the women's.

Tusculum will compete on the second day of the VMI Winter Relays beginning at 10:00 Saturday morning.

MEN'S RECAP
Zackary Nelson cruised to victory in the 300 meters with a time of 33.74 seconds, breaking his own school record of 34.78 seconds he set at the Commonwealth College Opener on Dec. 3. Dorian Craven finished fifth at 35.66 seconds and moved into second place on the program performance list, while Landen Locklear took 12th in 38.09 seconds and Keelen Lester was 14th in 38.58 seconds, all top 10 times in program history.

Gumm's second throw of the day broke his previous program record of 13.53 meters (44 feet, 4 3/4 inches) that he set last week at the VMI Winter Classic, which he followed with a mark of 13.96 meters (45 feet, 9 3/4 inches) on his third throw to set the new program record en route to a fifth-place finish.

Freshman Mikeal Pillar had two throws better than his previous season best of 13.22 meters (43 feet, 4 1/2 inches) which he set at the Mondo College Invitational on Jan. 14, the latter coming on his fifth throw of Friday's competition at 13.42 meters (44 feet, 1/2 inch) which left him eighth in the final standings.

In the 60 meters, the Pioneers qualified four for Saturday's finals led by Marquel Pittman who finished first overall at 6.83 seconds and Jordan Taylor who was second in 6.89 seconds. Also advancing was Jarvis Barber Jr. in fourth place at 6.94 seconds and Devan Hart, who was seventh overall at 6.97 seconds. Isaiah Olson just missed giving Tusculum a fifth qualifier, but he placed 10th overall at 7.01 seconds.

Advancing to the Saturday finals in the 60 hurdles were Jamal Cash, who ran 8.63 seconds and took fifth place, along with Daryl Smith Jr. who finished seventh and tied his season best with a time of 8.72 seconds. Smith added a fifth-place finish in the triple jump at 13.54 meters (44 feet, 5 1/4 inches), and Jerry Ricker finished seventh in the 1000 meters with a time of 2:47.23, the ninth-fastest in program history.

WOMEN'S RECAP
Hogan crushed her personal record by more than three feet and set a new Tusculum record in the weight throw with her second throw in trials, then hit a mark of 14.02 meters (46 feet) on her fifth attempt to break the previous record of 13.49 meters (44 feet, 3 1/4) inches set by Alyssa Farmer at the Carolina Challenge on Jan. 31, 2020. Hogan, who had legal marks on all six of her attempts and broke the old school record in four of them, placed eighth overall in the final standings.

Tusculum advanced two runners to the finals of the 60 meters, with Kiera Taylor taking third place at 7.81 seconds and Theresa Green-White in fifth at 7.84 seconds. Aliyah Adderley was tenth overall with a career-best time of 7.99 seconds.

In the 300 meters, Judy Chellah finished eighth overall at 45.77 seconds for the second-best time in program history, with Emily Coddington in 10th place at 46.85 and Inmaculada Delgado taking 11th at 49.15 seconds.

VMI Winter Relays - Day 1 of 2
Tusculum results
MEN
60 prelims: 1. Marquel Pittman, 6.83 (advances); 2. Jordan Taylor, 6.89 (advances); 4. Jarvis Barber Jr., 6.94 (advances); 7. Devan Hart, 6.97 (advances); 10. Isaiah Olson, 7.01.
60 hurdles prelims: 5. Jamal Cash, 8.63 (advances); 7. Daryl Smith Jr., 8.72 (advances).
300: 1. Zackary Nelson, 33.74 (school record); 5. Dorian Craven, 35.66; 12. Landen Locklear, 38.09; 14. Keelen Lester, 38.58.
1000: 7. Jerry Ricker, 2:47.23.
Weight throw: 5. Adrian Gumm, 13.96m (45-9 3/4) (school record); 8. Mikeal Pillar, 13.42m (44-1/2).
Triple jump: 5. Daryl Smith Jr., 13.54m (44-5 1/4).

WOMEN
60 prelims: 3. Kiera Taylor, 7.81 (advances); 5. Theresa Green-White, 7.84 (advances); 10. Aliyah Adderley, 7.99; 15. Silvia Bah, 8.27.
300: 8. Judy Chellah, 45.77; 10. Emily Coddington, 46.85; 11. Inmaculada Delgado, 49.15.
Weight throw: 8. Amber Hogan, 14.02m (46-0) (school record).