Baylor T&F: Men’s 4x400 Lands Top-8 National Finish

[Pirtle, Colin]

BAYLOR ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS – Jan. 29, 2022

Baylor T&F: Men’s 4x400 Lands Top-8 National Finish
400-meter squads boast season-best finishes on Saturday.

For more information contact: Colin Pirtle, 940-564-0351, Colin_Pirtle1 at baylor.edu

THE RUNDOWN
LEXINGTON, Kentucky – Baylor track and field wrapped up its time in Lexington with a solid performance in Day Two of the Rod McCravy Memorial.

Ackera Nugent advanced to the finals and tied the fourth-fastest 60-meter hurdles race as a Bear in the semifinal round with a time of 7.93 seconds. Kennedy Bailey also advanced after finishing fifth at 8.41 seconds. In the finals, Nugent edged out Masai Russell from Kentucky to bring home the gold medal, while Bailey finished fifth at 8.382 seconds.

Trey Fields won gold in the 400 meters after winning a 46.32-second race that doubled as a new PR. Matthew Moorer ended in third and Dillon Bedell finished fifth.

Koi Johnson and Alex Madlock ended triple jump with silver and bronze medals, respectively. Johnson moved to the No. 6 position all-time as a Baylor Bear with her 41-9 ¼ jump, while Madlock finished with a 41-1 ½ jump.

Bedell, Moorer, Jayson Baldridge and Fields ended the men’s edition of the 4x400 relay in the eighth-fastest time in the nation as of Saturday afternoon, finishing their relay in 3:06.23.

Kavia Francis, Mariah Ayers, Aaliyah Miller and Imaobong Uko put out a second-place finish in the 4x400-meter relay, finishing in 3:36.04.

In the 60-meter semifinals, Michaela Francois, Caira Pettway and Sydney Washington all qualified to the final round of the event, led by Francois’ 7.39-second race. In the final round, Washington claimed fourth after a photo-finish with Pettway, both runners completing in 7.40 seconds.

Isaiah Cunningham was the lone Bear to advance in the 60-meter dash after a 6.76 semifinal race. In the finals, Cunningham finished fifth in 6.75 seconds.

Moorea Long opened up Day Two for the Bears in the high jump with a fourth-place finish. The senior cleared 5-4 ¼ and tied the No. 4 position with four other competitors.

In the single round of the 400-meter race, Uko finished fourth after 53.47 seconds with Francis following closely behind in fifth. Demitra Carter ended the race in 17th-place with a new PR in the event. Gontse Morake finished in 19th and Jasmine Gryne finished 22nd.

Elijah Morris and Johnny Brackins finished their heat of the 60-meter hurdle semifinals in a photo-finish. Morris ended in sixth place with 8.045 seconds, and Brackins seventh in 8.047 seconds.

In the shot put, Mikayla Deshazer finished in seventh after a 49-5 throw. It’s the second-consecutive week that Deshazer has recorded a new PR in the event.

Brackins finished the triple jump with a 50-foot flat measurement, which landed him in seventh.

Ellie Friesen, Hayden Gold and Taylor Whitfield ended their competition of the 800 meters in the middle of the pack, in 12th, 13th and 16th, respectively.

The Bears now set their sights on College Station, where they will be competing in the Charlie Thomas Invitational next Friday and Saturday.

HIGHLIGHTS

  *   Ackera Nugent got another slot on the Baylor all-time performance list after her 7.93 semifinal race in the 60-meter hurdles.
  *   Trey Field earned a personal-best in the 400 meters, finishing in 46.32.
  *   Koi Johnson set a new PR in the triple jump with a 41-9 ¼ jump.

STAT OF THE DAY
3:06.23– Men’s 4x400 relay time recorded by Dillon Bedell, Matthew Moorer, Jayson Baldridge and Trey Fields sets them currently at the No. 3 spot in the nation.

TOP QUOTE
Michael Ford on the team’s performance…
“I was really impressed with the 400 group today. For the men and women to go out and run season-bests or PRs, that was one of the reasons that we wanted to come to Kentucky; we wanted to run on a bigger track. I am also proud of the team overall. We’ve had a three-week stretch of traveling and competing at a high level. We’ll rest some up for the A&M meet and get ready to take others to the meet. Overall, I am pleased with the team and happy with the direction that we’re going.”


www.BaylorBears.com

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

[signature_981807251]<http://baylorbears.com/>


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