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<h1 align="right" style="text-align:right"><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">BAYLOR ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS – Jan. 15, 2025<o:p></o:p></span></b></h1>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:black">Baylor T&F Francis Opens Season with Big 12 Athlete of the Week Honors<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">The graduate earns his second Big 12 AOTW honor in his career<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">For more information contact:
</span></b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">Josie Hutton; 254-709-7720,
</span><a href="mailto:josie_hutton@baylor.edu"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">josie_hutton@baylor.edu</span></a><u><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:blue"><o:p></o:p></span></u></p>
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<p class="MsoBodyText"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">IRVING, Texas –</span></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"> Baylor track & field landed the Big 12 Men’s Athlete of the Week honor in the first
week of indoor competition with Demar Francis, the conference announced on Wednesday afternoon.
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<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">Francis earned his second-career recognition after an impressive performance at the season-opening meet at McFerrin-12 Degree Invitational in College Station on Friday. In
the meet, Baylor tabbed five overall titles. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">The grad student began the 2025 indoor season with a time of 20.93 in the men’s 200m, taking home gold. The 20.93 mark ranks 1<sup>st</sup> in the Big 12, 2<sup>nd</sup> in
the NCAA and 4<sup>th</sup> in the World in 2025. Francis also won Baylor’s Performer of the Week reward for his impressive run.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">BU is back for another weekend of track & field at Texas Tech’s Corky Classic on Friday and Saturday at the Sports Performance Center in Lubbock, Texas.
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<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">To stay up to date throughout the year on all things Baylor track and field, follow the team on Facebook, X and Instagram: @BaylorTrack.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoBodyText" align="center" style="text-align:center"><a href="http://www.baylorbears/"><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:black">- BaylorBears</span></i></a><span class="MsoHyperlink"><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:black">.com</span></i></span><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:black">
-<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="layout-grid-mode:both"><b><span style="font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:#0F5C1A">Josie Hutton</span></b><span style="font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:black"> | Associate Director of Athletics Communications (FB, T&F/XC, MTEN) <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="layout-grid-mode:both"><span style="font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:black">Department of Athletics | Baylor University<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="layout-grid-mode:both"><span style="font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:black">C: (254) 709-7720<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="layout-grid-mode:both"><a href="http://www.baylorbears.com/" title=""Original URL:
http://www.baylorbears.com/
Click to follow link.""><span style="font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:blue;text-decoration:none"><img border="0" width="159" height="43" style="width:1.6562in;height:.4479in" id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image001.png@01DB675A.6CED2500" alt="signature_2230589939"></span></a><span style="font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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