Baylor Track & Field: Relays Highlight Final Day in Austin

Sat Mar 27 22:52:07 CDT 2021

BAYLOR ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS – March 27, 2021

Baylor Track & Field: Relays Highlight Final Day in Austin
The men’s 4x100-meter relay team ran the fifth-fastest time in school history.

*COMPLETE RESULTS ATTACHED*

AUSTIN, Texas – The men’s 4x100-meter relay team ran the fifth-fastest time in school history to highlight Baylor track & field’s final day at the Texas Relays Saturday at Mike A. Myers Stadium.

“I thought we opened up well, especially with the 4x1 on the men’s side,” associate head coach Michael Ford said. “It’s been a couple years since we won the 4x1. I thought the guys ran very well. Maxwell (Willis) hadn’t run since the first outdoor meet, but we made a switch to put him on the first leg and they ran 39.11. We can just keep moving on from there.”

The team of Willis, Isaiah Cunningham, Ryan Croson and Kamden Jackson clocked in at 39.11 to take home the victory and stamp themselves into the Baylor record books as the No. 5 all-time performance.

“They have been handing off really well in training,” Ford said. “They’ve been doing really well in practice, and I thought that we could run 39 low this year. Especially not doing handoffs on the first exchange at all with those two. I was really pleased with the other handoffs. I thought we were really crisp, and we just have to keep getting better.”

The Bears ran two 4x400-meter relays apiece between the men and women, one invitational and one “main event.”

“That was one of the things we discussed last year as a staff was to try to get our 4x4 back to where it was,” Ford said. “Also, trying to build some depth with the group.”

In the women’s invitational 4x4, the team of TT Sanders, Sydney Washington, Lily Williams and Morgan Stewart placed third with a time of 3:38.71.

“I thought the ladies’ B team ran really well,” Ford said. “On average we were 54 splits, which was a good sign for them.”

The men’s invitational 4x4 team of Isaiah Cunningham, Maxwell Willis, Elijah Gifford and Chris DuPree also took third in a time of 3:07.61.

“The men’s B team ran really well,” Ford said. “They averaged 46 a leg. To see Maxwell back out there and to see Elijah Gifford run really well, and then Chris. Then for Isaiah to come back after running the 4x1, I thought they ran awesome.”

In the Sanya Richards-Ross Women’s 4x400, the Bears’ squad of Arria Minor, Mariah Ayers, Aaliyah Miller and Kavia Francis took sixth with a time of 3:33.31.

“The ladies ran well, almost four seconds faster than last week,” Ford said. “We know we can do better considering what we did indoor, we just have to get the girls a little more race-ready.”

The men’s team of Hasani Barr, Ryan Croson, Dillon Bedell and Howard Fields III placed fourth in the Cleburne Price Jr. Men’s 4x400, recording a time of 3:02.19.

“On the A relay, the men ran fantastic,” Ford said. “I can’t remember the last time we opened up with a 3:02, but I thought they all ran solid legs. I think we still have some room to improve to keep dropping. We’re going to need to drop to make finals at nationals, and I think they can.”

Jackson capped off another successful day with a personal-best 20.80 to take fifth in the men’s 200 meters.

“I thought Kamden ran an awesome 200 from lane one,” Ford said. “He got a PR. He still has to get a little stronger, but I was happy with that.”

In the women’s 200 meters, Kavia Francis recorded a personal best of 23.14 to place fourth.

“Kavia ran really well in the 200,” Ford said. “Then she came back and ran a great leg on the 4x4.”

Dillon Bedell capped off a strong weekend by placing fourth in the men’s 400 meters (46.74) and then running on the “A” 4x4.

“Dillon put together another solid day,” Ford said. “Even though he didn’t PR in the open quarter, for him to run 46.6 and then come back and run another 46.7, I thought that was solid day. Then he comes back and splits 44.8. I was impressed with that.”

Howard Fields III ran in the men’s 400 meters invitational and clocked a time of 45.79 to finish in third place.

“That was Trey Fields’ first open quarter in about a month and a half,” Ford said. “For him to run 45.9 was solid, and then to come back and run another split of 45 flat, he had a good meet.”

Next up for the Bears is the Baylor Invitational next Saturday (April 3) at Clyde Hart Track & Field Stadium.

For continued updates on the Baylor Track & Field team, follow the team's social media accounts all season long: @BaylorTrack.

__________________________________

Kellen Coleman | Associate Director of Communications
Department of Athletics | Baylor University
O: 254-710-4049 | C: 254-749-6507

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