By Gio Gennero | Sports Writer
Baylor track and field took home 10 gold medals at the 44 Farms Team Invitational at E.B. Cushing Stadium in College Station on Friday and Saturday.
“I thought today went really well,” head coach Michael Ford said. “We had some good performances with some national top-15 marks. We just need to continue improving going into the Big 12s and get ready for the Michael Johnson Classic in two weeks. I was really happy with the jumps, the sprinters and the pole vault. We just need to keep improving.”
To kick things off, freshman sprinter Laurenz Colbert set not only a new personal best of 20.99 in the men’s 200, he also set a new meet record for the event to take gold.
In the women’s 200, freshman sprinter Imaobong Uko did the same as Colbert. Setting a new personal best as well as a 44 Farms record time of 23.47 seconds for a first-place finish.
Baylor swept the podium in the women’s long jump. Senior jumper Alex Madlock recorded her first ever over-21 mark, recording a 21-0½ jump, taking gold. Senior jumper Caira Pettway took silver with a 20-7 ¼ and junior jumper Koi Johnson’s 18-11 ¾ earner her bronze.
Freshman jumper Johnny Brackins was able to come away with a silver medal in the men’s long jump with a 24-8¼ jump.
In the men’s 400-meter hurdles, freshman hurdler Nathaniel Ezekiel ran a 50.35-second race to earn another gold for the Bears. Not far behind was senior hurdler Jayson Baldridge who took bronze with a 50.83. In the women’s, sophomore hurdler Gontse Morake finished with a 59.06-second race to earn a silver medal in the event.
In the javelin throw, senior thrower Chris Stoudt threw for 163-flat for a silver medal.
Sophomore Alex Kubicek finished the pole vault in the silver-medal position after her 12-8 clearance on the first attempt. Senior Tuesdi Tidwell followed in third, clearing the same height on her second attempt.
“It was a solid Day One for the team and we had several personal-best tonight,” Ford said. “I was proud of Laurenz (Colbert) for getting his first collegiate win, plus Imaobong (Uko) for both getting meet records. I am looking forward to the competition tomorrow for Day Two.”
On the second day, the Bears had two groups run in the men’s 4×100. The group of Colbert, senior sprinter Isaiah Cunningham, junior sprinter Kamden Jackson and freshman sprinter De’montray Callis ran a 39.30-second race, taking first place and recording another new meet record. In third place was the group of senior hurdler Jayson Baldridge, junior sprinter Hasani Barr, sophomore sprinter Dillon Bedell and senior sprinter Matthew Moorer, finishing just behind in 40.18 seconds.
Barr also broke a meet record in the 400 meter, beating his PR of 46.18 seconds. Right behind him was Bedell with a time of 46.42 for a second-place finish. Moorer rounded out the podium sweep for the Bears with a 46.87 race. In the women’s, sophomore sprinter Kavia Francis got a bronze medal in the with a season-best 52.85-second time.
In the women’s 4×100 meter relay, senior sprinter Alexis Duncan, Pettway, Washington and junior sprinter Mariah Ayers ran a 44.28 for the victory. Duncan also placed second in the 100-meter hurdles with a 13.25, followed by senior hurdler Kennedy Bailey’s 13.55-second finish for bronze. In the men’s edition of the race, junior hurdler Elijah Morris finished in 13.92 seconds for a bronze medal, barely making the cut with a +4.0 wind measurement.
Senior middle distance runner Aaliyah Miller took home another meet record in the 1,500 meter running a 4:22.45 for first-place.
Pettway climbed up to No. 3 on Baylor’s all-time list with a 11.2 second time in the women’s 100 meter for a gold medal. In third was senior sprinter Sydney Washington with a time of 11.45 seconds. Cunningham ran the seventh-fastest time in program history with his winning men’s 100 meter race time of 10.17.
Senior high jumper Moorea Long recorded a new personal best with a 5-7¼ during her silver medal win. Madlock and Johnson took the top two spots in the tripe jump with Madlock putting up a 42-4 and Johnson a 41-2 ¼.
In the shot put, senior thrower Cole Hardan finished in first place with a throw of 59-9¾.
The Bears will take off for Easter weekend and will return the following weekend back at home for the Michael Johnson Classic on April 22 and 23.
