Baylor T&F Alexis Brown Soars in Season Debut at McFerrin-12 Degree Invitational

Fri Jan 10 20:57:23 CST 2025

BAYLOR ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS – Jan. 10, 2025

Baylor T&F Alexis Brown Soars in Season Debut at McFerrin-12 Degree Invitational
Bears leave College Station with five gold medals
Results (PDF)<https://baylorbears.com/documents/2025/1/10/011025_McFerrin12Degree_Results.pdf>
For more information contact: Josie Hutton; 254-709-7720, josie_hutton at baylor.edu<mailto:josie_hutton at baylor.edu>

COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Baylor track & field senior star Alexis Brown jumped to new heights in Baylor’s season-opening meet at the McFerrin-12 Degree Invitational at the R.A. 'Murray' Fasken '38 Indoor facility.

The reigning Big 12 Female Athlete of the Year for track & field opened her indoor season  with a bang, winning the long jump competition with an impressive mark of 21-10.25. The jump by Brown broke the indoor long jump Baylor program, meet and facility record. Brown currently ranks No. 1 in the NCAA with a 7.5 inch lead and is only 1.25 inches away from entering the all-time NCAA indoor top-25.

Overall, the Bears left College Station with five gold medals, three of those being in field events. On the track, Baylor dominated in the 200m, winning gold in both men’s and women’s with Demar Francis with a 20.93 time and Tiriah Kelley at 23.20, a new indoor personal best. Molly Haywood tied her indoor personal best mark at 14-5.25 while also breaking the meet record by 3.5 feet. Iyanna Webb, who made her collegiate debut, earned her first gold medal in the triple jump with a 42-2 mark.

The freshmen Bears showed out, including Webb with her triple jump gold medal and Royaltee Brown, who finished with two silver medals in the 60m (7.36) and the 200m (23.82). Sameena Mathew earned a silver medal in the women’s 400m (55.03), while Janae De Gannes, an NACAC U18 Champion in long jump, also earned a silver medal in the women’s long jump behind Brown at 20-9.75. Additionally, Kaylah Braxton finished fourth in the 60m hurdles and Hannah Lowe earned a fifth-place finish in the 200m.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Alexis Brown broke the indoor long jump program, meet and facility record with her mark of 21-10.25, coming home with gold

  *   Brown currently ranks No. 1 in the NCAA by 7.5 inches and she is 1.25 inches shy from entering the all-time indoor top-25

• Janae De Gannes finished with silver in the long jump with an indoor personal best 20-9.75 mark

• Royaltee Brown made her collegiate debut and placed first the in preliminary rounds of the 60-meter dash, finishing in 2nd in the finals with a time of 7.36, just 0.02 seconds behind first

• Michaela Francois finished with bronze in the 60m at 7.41

• Molly Haywood earned gold in the women’s pole vault, breaking the meet record by 3.5 feet and tying her indoor career-best with a mark of 14-5.25

• Baylor took home gold in both men and women in the 200m

  *   Tiriah Kelley earned a personal indoor best with a time of 23.20 and finished in 1st. Royaltee Brown earned her second silver medal of the day with a time of 23.82. Freshman Hannah Lowe finished 5th at 24.63.
  *   Demar Francis won gold with a 20.93 time. Laurenz Colbert earned silver with a time of 21.33.

• Freshman Iyanna Webb began her collegiate debut with a gold medal in the triple jump with a 42-2 attempt. Bella Copeland finished in fifth at 39-1.25.

QUOTABLE

“I thought overall, we did really well,” head coach Michael Ford said. “I think the things we talked about in our meeting were to compete hard and then we can make some adjustments in training. I thought our freshmen did really well, definitely starting off with Royaltee Brown. To run two PRs in the 60 and 200, that’s awesome that she was able to do that. Then you go to Alexis Brown, who breaks the facility record with one of the, probably the top jump in the country. Molly Haywood with another facility record and basically continue to ride the momentum she had for last year where she won the Worlds U20. I thought Demar Francis ran really well in the 200 and ran a good leg in the relay. Our freshman group in particular, especially our jumpers, Janae and Iyanna, I thought they did really well. Both of them jumped indoor PRs. I think that right now we’ll go back, get some training in and get ready for Texas Tech.”

WHAT’S NEXT

The Bears now prepare for the Corky Classic, set for Jan. 17-18 in Lubbock, Texas.

- BaylorBears<http://www.baylorbears/>.com -

Josie Hutton | Associate Director of Athletics Communications (FB, T&F/XC, MTEN)
Department of Athletics | Baylor University
C: (254) 709-7720

[signature_2230589939]<http://www.baylorbears.com/>

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