Continued Improvements Help WKU Track & Field to 17 Top-Eight Performances on Weekend

Friday, January 26

State University, Ark.

Western Kentucky University

Arkansas State Invitational

Continued Improvements Help WKU Track & Field to 17 Top-Eight Performances on Weekend

1/27/2018 10:19:00 PM | Track & Field

A-State Invite Results | IU Relays Results

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – With 17 top-eight performances over the last two days, WKU Track & Field has another weekend of competition in the books after sending representatives to two meets. Julius Morris headed to the A-State Invite and Multis where he secured one of the Hilltoppers' 17 top-eight showings while the remainder of the squad visited Bloomington, Ind., for the two-day Indiana University Relays.

"This was another quality weekend for us," head coach Erik Jenkins shared. "I saw significant improvements in areas where we have to perform well."

Nine of WKU's top-eight showings came on Friday. On the women's side, Brianna Eskridge used a personal-best long jump reading of 5.47 meters (17'11.5") to secure a sixth place finish. The Lady Topper distance medley relay unit of Rebecca Cook, Aairiona Hayden-Ransom, Ariel Terrell and Savannah Ames picked up a third place finish, clocking a time of 12:34.30.

Will Bush claimed a pair of top-eight times when he ran a 6.92 60-meter preliminary mark to earn a spot in Saturday's finals before following it up with a second-place performance in the 200-meter with a season-best time of 21.93. Jonathan Hayden added his own second-place finish in the 60-meter hurdles prelims after posting an 8.04 – his second quickest time on the season. Eli Minor tallied a fifth place outing in the 600-meter with a 1:23.44 for WKU's fastest time in the event this year. Not far behind Minor in the 600 was Oliver Alexandre, who finished eighth with a 1:23.96, a personal best. The men's distance medley relay squad consisting of Denzel Villaman, Alec Tanksley, Maor Seged and Taylor Scarbrough brought home a third place finish with a time of 10:46.50.

Down at the A-State Invite and Multis on Friday, Morris registered a second-place showing in the 200-meter with WKU's fastest time of 21.35 in the event this season.

On Saturday, the Red and White recorded eight more top-eight finishes. Morgan McIntyre continued her pole vault dominance, taking home second place only after losing a jump off. Her new indoor career-high clear of 3.98 meters (13'0.75") goes down as the second-best mark ever recorded indoors by a Lady Topper. Also in the pole vault, Getter Lemberg finished just outside the top-eight, sitting in ninth place with a career-best reading of 3.68 meters (12'0.75"). Continuing the success in the field events was Eskridge, taking home a runner-up finish in the triple jump after a bound of 11.74 meters (38'6.25"). On the track, Ames used a personal record 3,000-meter time of 10:21.77 to secure a fourth place finish.

In the men's 60-meter hurdles finals, Hayden ran an 8.18 to take home the bronze. Bush added another top-eight showing of his own with a 60-meter finals mark of 6.98 for fifth place. Rounding out the individuals on the track was Scarbrough, who ran a season-best 3,000-meter time of 8:38.36.

WKU wrapped up the meet with two 4x400-meter relay teams finishing in the top-four. The Hilltoppers' 'A' squad consisting of Alexandre, Minor, David Saruni and Tanksley ran a WKU season-best 3:16.81 mark to lock up second place. The Red and White's 'B' unit of Villaman, Seged, Bush and Austin Hayes grabbed fourth place with a 3:20.87 reading.

Both of the Hilltoppers entered in the men's weight throw on the day went on to record personal-bests. Chard Muhwanga tossed a 14.66 meter (48'11.25") while Julien Lewis registered a 13.14 meter (43'1.5") reading.