Baylor claims four titles at Michael Johnson Invitational

Senior Blake Rawls prepares for his javelin throw during the Michael Johnson Invitational Saturday at the Clyde Hart Track & Field Stadium. Josh Aguirre | Multimedia Journalist

By Bailey Brammer | Editor-in-Chief

Despite on-and-off rainstorms throughout the day, the Baylor track & field team finished the Michael Johnson Invitational with four event titles on Saturday afternoon at the Clyde Hart Track & Field Stadium.

Along with the four event wins, 40 total athletes achieved personal records for the season, and one in particular ran away with the second best time in the NCAA.

Junior Wil London’s 44.73 in the men’s 400-meter race gave him the event title, an NCAA record, and the fifth-best time in the world.

Junior Kiana Horton’s 52.11 in the women’s 400-meter race was not only enough to sweep the 400-meter titles for the invitational, but also to record the fifth-fastest time in the NCAA and the seventh-best time in program history.

The women continued to dominate the track with event titles from both Taylor Bennett and Aaliyah Miller in the 200-meter and 800-meter races, respectively. Miller now holds the third-quickest time in program history at 2:03.84, and is an indoor and outdoor top-10 performer in the 800-meter.

In the field events, junior Megan SaxvanderWeyden recorded the second-best javelin throw in Baylor history at 154-9 (47.18m). She took fourth overall in the invitational, and can claim six of the top-10 throws at Baylor.

Baylor honored its 14 seniors at its second and final home invitational of the season, and also recognized Baylor alumni Tiffany Townsend and Terril Davis as this year’s Baylor “B” Association Legends.

The invitational also featured the first ever media 4×100-meter relay, where KXXV took home first place, and the Lariat took home the silver medal.

The Bears will take to the track again this weekend in the National Relays Championship, which begins on Friday in Fayetteville, Ark.