HOUSTON, Texas – WKU Track and Field put out strong performances Saturday at the 2018 Conference USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships as seniors Desmond Mobley and Julius Morris etched their names in the record books. Mobley finished as the men's long jump champion and Morris broke the meet record, previously set by himself in 2017, for the men's 100-meter dash. The championships will conclude tomorrow beginning at 3 p.m. CT with field events.
Senior Mobley went out with a bang on Saturday evening, jumping a season best and personal record of 7.99 meters. With his championship effort, the Hilltoppers earned 10 points. Morris also made a name for himself Saturday after breaking his own record, set in 2017, in the 100-meter at the Outdoor Championships. In the 2018 preliminaries he recorded a new PR and time of 10.12. Morris along with Eli Minor will advance to the men's 100-meter finals tomorrow.
Morris also led the preliminary round of the 200-meter dash with a time of 20.52 heading into the finals.
Chard Muhwanga and Alec Tanksley also scored points in the Hilltoppers favor. Muhwanga finished eighth in discus with a throw of 45.68 meters and Tanksley placed fifth in long jump with a jump of 7.58 meters, a PR for the freshman.
Moving past the preliminary round of the 110-meter hurdles was Hilltopper Jonathan Hayden. Hayden notched a season best 14.05 today and finished the prelims in second.
All three Hilltoppers that competed in the preliminary round of the 400-meter advanced to tomorrow's finals, including Kymari Gates, Austin Hayes and Oliver Alexandre. Gates led the prelims with a WKU season best and new PR, clocking a time of 45.87, besting his previous PR by almost two seconds.
Three additional Hilltoppers qualified for tomorrow's final run of the 400-meter hurdles. Denzel Villaman, Maor Seged and David Saruni will all look to score for the Red and White in the event tomorrow.
Briana Eskridge started the day for the Lady Toppers, notching a WKU season best and new PR in the long jump at 5.67 meters. She finished 12th in long jump and eighth in high jump.
In the preliminary round of the women's 1500-meter run, Savannah Ames clocked a time of 4:34.39. The new PR was good enough to advance Ames to the event finals tomorrow evening.
Ariel Terrell flew past her competition in the 400-meter hurdle prelims finishing first with a time of 58.14 seconds. Her closest competitor was over two seconds behind her and she notched a new PR, breaking her last one by almost a second. She will compete for the 400-meter hurdle title at approximately 7:40 p.m. CT tomorrow evening.
Wrapping up action for the Lady Toppers was junior Juannae Lewis in the 200-meter prelims. She clocked a time of 23.59, just two tenths back from the top preliminary finisher. Lewis notched a new PR by almost an entire second.
The men's squad currently sits in seventh with 15 points and the women have yet to score on the board.
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