No. 12/No. 20 Baylor T&F Finishes Day One of Michael Johnson Invitational

[Pirtle, Colin]

BAYLOR ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS – April 22, 2022

No. 12/No. 20 Baylor T&F Finishes Day One of Michael Johnson Invitational
Baldridge sets national-leading mark in 400-meter hurdles
For more information contact: Colin Pirtle, 940-564-0351, Colin_Pirtle1 at baylor.edu

THE RUNDOWN
WACO, Texas – Baylor track and field opened up the Michael Johnson Invitational at the Clyde Hart Track & Field Stadium on Friday and won two collegiate championships in the process.

Jayson Baldridge beat out Nathaniel Ezekiel’s national-leading mark in the men’s 400-meter hurdles on Friday, recording a 49.10 race to win the collegiate title. Ezekiel finished just behind in second place with a 49.35-second finish.

Gontse Morake finished the women’s 400-meter hurdles as the collegiate champion behind her 57.80 personal-best. Jasmine Gryne also recorded a PR in the event, finishing in third with 59.30.

In a packed field of 62 for the women’s 200 meters, Mariah Ayers found the second-place position with a time of 23.44 seconds. Imaobong Uko finished just behind in fourth, followed by Arria Minor in 13th and Sydney Washington in 14th.

Matthew Moorer finished as the collegiate silver medalist in the men’s 200-meter dash, posting a 20.96-second finish. Isaiah Cunningham finished two spots behind in fourth with 21.13 seconds, followed by Kamden Jackson in seventh, Laurenz Colbert in ninth and De’montray Callis in 10th.

Hannah Link secured the bronze medal with a 183-05 chunk in the hammer throw, followed by Samone Turner in seventh. For the men, Cole Hardan threw 188-02 in the finals to finish the event in fifth place.

Taylor Whitfield turned in a 4:33.93 in the women’s 1,500-meter run to lead the Bears in sixth place. Celia Holmes finished in the 10th-place spot after 4:43.40, followed by Mazie Larsen in 13th and Kate Avery in 17th. In the men’s edition, Ryan Hodge carried the banner for the Bears with a 10th-place finish after 4:01.37.

In the pit, Alex Madlock finished highest for the Bears in the fifth-place spot after a 20-01 jump on her second attempt. Koi Johnson followed in ninth and Caira Pettway in 10th.

Mikayla Deshazer finished the discus in 13th place, throwing into a gusty wind with a 151-05 mark on her last attempt.

In the B section of the women’s pole vault contest, Kierstyn Ballard recorded a sixth-place finish with an 11-8 ½ jump.

For the latest news on the Baylor track and field team all season long, follow its official Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts: @BaylorTrack.

HIGHLIGHTS

  *   Jayson Baldridge and Nathaniel Ezekiel finished the 400-meter hurdles back-to-back, winning gold and silver, respectively.
  *   Gontse Morake completed the collegiate sweep in the 400-meter hurdles with a 57.80-second finish in the event.

STAT OF THE MEET
49.10 – Seconds ran by Jayson Baldridge in the 400-meter hurdles to place the top collegiate mark in the nation.

TOP QUOTE
Michael Ford on the team’s performance…
“I thought we had a good crowd today. Thanks to the fans for coming out for the first day of the MJ. I was really happy with Jayson (Baldridge) and Nathaniel (Ezekiel) finishing collegiate 1-2 in the 400-meter hurdles, plus Jayson’s big PR. With the wind blowing like it was today, it was very impressive. Just overall the team did really well. It was good to see Trayvon Bromell back on our track for the first time a few years and to win his race. We’ll get going again tomorrow, hopefully with another great crowd and good performances.”



www.BaylorBears.com

__________________________________________
Colin Pirtle | Communications Intern (Interim-T&F/XC)
Department of Athletics | Baylor University
C: 940-564-0351

[signature_3470553299]<http://baylorbears.com/>


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