LEXINGTON, Va. --- The Tusculum University men's and women's indoor track & field teams competed on the opening day of the VMI Invitational Friday at the Corps Physical Training Facility.
The Pioneers had four men qualify for finals in the 60 meters, while the women received an NCAA Division II qualifying time from freshman A'jaylah Yates in the 60 meters and a school record from sophomore Kiera Taylor in the 300 meters.
Tusculum will resume competition on Saturday at 9 a.m. at VMI.
MEN'S RECAP
Four Pioneers advanced to Saturday's finals in the 60 meters, as senior Jordan Taylor ran 6.83 seconds in the semifinals, senior Marquel Pittman and senior Tyrell Edwards at 6.89 seconds, and sophomore Isaiah Olson at a career-best 6.90 seconds.
Grad student Zack Nelson took fourth place in the 300 meters at 35.04 seconds, the fourth-fastest time in program history. Senior Dorian Craven finished fifth at 35.05 seconds, fifth-best in school history, with junior Stephen Brewer turning in a career-best time of 35.62 seconds for 11th overall. Freshman Kayvon Pickett moved into fifth place on the Tusculum performance list in the 300 with a time of 38.02, with freshman Noah Girard claiming ninth place all-time at Tusculum at 39.90 seconds.
The Pioneers competed in the distance medley relay on Friday, and claimed fourth place overall with a time of 10:55.86. The team of freshman Pau Valdepenas, freshman Sam Shipp, junior Xay Bogus and grad student Antonio Aparicio posted the fifth-fastest time in program history.
In the long jump, freshman Lansford Cunningham tied his season best and finished fifth overall at 6.86 meters (22 feet, 6 1/4 inches), with senior Jamal Cash in seventh with a career-best mark of 6.60 meters (21 feet, 8 inches).
Cash also advanced to the finals of the 60 hurdles after running 8.61 seconds in preliminaries for eighth place.
WOMEN'S RECAP
Yates ran 7.62 seconds in the semifinals of the 60 meters to advance to Saturday's finals along with Taylor, who was time at a season-best 7.69 seconds. Yates broke her own school record of 7.68 seconds set at the Commonwealth College Opener on Dec. 2 while moving into the top 50 nationally in the event.
Taylor took seventh place in the 300 meters at 42.39 seconds, more than a second faster than the previous school record of 43.56 seconds set by Silvia Bah at the Commonwealth College opener. The Pioneers had four runners break what was the previous school record in the 300 meters, with freshman Alonda Shelton taking eighth place at 42.60 seconds, junior Jada Martin in 10th place at 42.72 seconds, and sophomore Theresa Green-White in 13th place at 43.21 seconds.
Green-White advanced to the finals of the 60 hurdles by taking fourth place in preliminaries at 9.08 seconds, the fifth-best time of her careeer in the event.
In the weight throw, junior Amber Hogan posted her best mark of the season at 12.84 meters (42 feet, 1 1/2 inches).
VMI Invitational - Day 1 of 2
Tusculum results
MEN
60 prelims: 3. Lansford Cunningham, 6.98 (advances); 4. Isaiah Olson, 6.99 (advances); 10. Joshua Stephens, 7.08.
60 semifinals: 4. Jordan Taylor, 6.83 (advances); 5. Marquel Pittman, 6.89 (advances); 6. Tyrell Edwards, 6.89 (advances); 8. Isaiah Olson, 6.90 (advances).
60 hurdles prelims: 8. Jamal Cash, 8.61 (advances); 20. Hunter Burkey, 9.09.
300: 4. Zack Nelson, 35.04; 5. Dorian Craven, 35.05; 11. Stephen Brewer, 35.62; 32. Kayvon Pickett, 38.02; 51. Noah Girard, 39.90.
Distance medley relay: 4. Tusculum (Valdepenas, Shipp, Bogus, Aparicio), 10:55.86.
Long jump: 5. Lansford Cunningham, 6.86m (22-6 1/4); 7. Jamal Cash, 6.60m (21-8); 13. Joshua Stephens, 6.46m (21-2 1/2); 19. Daryl Smith Jr., 6.35m (20-10); 34. Keelen Lester, 5.70m (18-8 1/2); 38. Carlos Turner, 4.98m (16-4 1/4).
WOMEN
60 prelims: 25. Kieley Smith, 8.13.
60 semifinals: 3. A'jaylah Yates, 7.62 (advances/school record); 5. Kiera Taylor, 7.69 (advances); 9. Alonda Shelton, 7.79; 16. Theresa Green-White, 7.88.
60 hurdles prelims: 4. Theresa Green-White, 9.08 (advances).
300: 7. Kiera Taylor, 42.39 (school record); 8. Alonda Shelton, 42.60; 10. Jada Martin, 42.72; 13. Theresa Green-White, 43.21; 30. Caley Sosnowski, 46.43; 38. Macey Snapp, 48.79.
Weight throw: 16. Amber Hogan, 12.84m (42-1 1/2).
Long jump: 30. Kieley Smith, 4.93m (16-2 1/4).
