Baylor T&F Wins Three Races in Regular Season Finale

Sat Apr 29 20:50:00 CDT 2023

BAYLOR ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS – April 29, 2023

Baylor T&F Wins Three Races in Regular Season Finale
Women’s 4x100-meter relay ties fifth-fastest program mark
For more information contact: Colin Pirtle; 940-564-0351, colin_pirtle1 at baylor.edu<mailto:colin_pirtle1 at baylor.edu>

BATON ROUGE, La. – Baylor track and field completed its final regular season meet on Saturday evening at the LSU Invitational. The Bears brought home three wins in the one-day meet and put four more in podium positions.

Due to scattered showers in Louisiana, men’s pole vault and women’s high jump were completed indoors at the Carl Maddox Fieldhouse and those marks will not count for the 2023 outdoor season.

THE RUNDOWN

It was a rainy afternoon, but that was no problem for Ryan Day. The super-senior clocked a 3:50.21 to win the men’s 1,500 meters, just before Noah Monroy finished fifth and Kade Hulett finished 10th. In the women’s race, Annamaria Kostarellis ran a 4:28.22 to win the silver medal.

Nathaniel Ezekiel was the only competitor on Saturday to find a place in the sub-50 club, winning the event with a 49.47-second race.

Sophomore Hayden Gold was the lone competitor in the women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase and finished with a personal-best time of 10:54.35.

Imaobong Uko had a day on the track, winning two collegiate bronze medals in her two individual events. The sophomore ran a 51.89 in the 400 meters, before putting up a 23.22 in the 200 meters.

Another silver medal came to the Bears after Chinecherem Prosper Nnamdi threw a 237-8 measurement in the javelin. The sophomore hit the mark on his first attempt to qualify for the finals, where he passed the three additional throws.

The women’s 4x100-meter relay put their first mark of the season in the books, as Mariah Ayers, Uko, Bria Bullard and Michaela Francois ran a 43.75. That mark ties the fifth-fastest ever at Baylor and is third in the Big 12 this season.

Bullard and Francois returned to the track, where they finished 14th and 34th, respectively, in the women’s 100-meter dash. Bullard clocked an 11.42, while Francois hit 12.08.

After Uko’s bronze in the 200, Ayers was next at 11th overall, followed by Bullard in 13th and Kavia Francis in 34th. For the men, Demar Francis led in seventh, while Matthew Moorer crossed 15th.

It was an outdoor season-best mark for Moorer in the men’s 400 meters, as he finished in 46.02 seconds. The fifth-year senior led Dillon Bedell in 10th and Hasani Barr in 15th.

Gontse Morake ran a solid 400-meter hurdle race with a 58.04-second mark to show for it. Jasmine Gryne was next in seventh after breaking 60 seconds at 59.54, while Allie Scott finished ninth.

Elijah Morris improved on his 110-meter hurdle time in just his second outdoor meet. The senior went 14.11 to finish in ninth place.

A 1:54.34 earned Nicholi Brown 22nd place in the 800 meters. Brown was the only Bear to compete in the race, men or women.

In the throws, Makayla Long went to the finals of the discus throw where she finished seventh at 157-1. Just before, the redshirt freshman threw 49-5 ½ in a rainy shot put competition.

Cole Hardan led the Bears in the men’s shot put taking fifth with a 57-8 ½ throw. Gary Moore Jr. was behind in eighth, followed by Cooper Mack in ninth. Just before, Moore Jr. competed in the discus and finished 16th with a 141-4 throw.

Nikayla Fitzgerald made the finals of the women’s long jump and took eighth. Her day-best mark of 18-6 ½ was jumped on her third attempt. Kevia Ealy jumped 18-0 ¼ on her first attempt for 11th.

Ukurugenzi Kojo crossed two bars for fifth at 6-6 ¾, while Moorea Long also finished fifth after going three to end at 5-6 ½ in the indoor women’s event.

QUOTABLE

Head coach Michael Ford

On Saturday’s meet…

“Our last tune-up before Big 12s went well. The weather definitely affected some of our athletes, but it may be like this at Big 12s or NCAA regionals, so you have to get mentally prepared and compete as hard as you can because you never know. Some handled it better than others, and that is something we can address. Ima [Uko] had a great meet and ran some great times in the 200 and 400 and had a great 4x100 leg. I was really proud of that relay group to come out like that without running the relay all year. Hayden Gold did an awesome job in the steeplechase. You never think you will run by yourself, but she did and got a PR from it to get mentally prepared for conference. Nate [Ezekiel] ran a solid race to win his hurdles, as did Ryan Day in the 1,500 meters. We still have to get some people healthy and ready to go, but now we can train for the next 10 days before Big 12s.”

WHAT’S NEXT

The Bears take next week off for exams and to train before the 2023 Big 12 Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Norman, Okla., May 12-14.

- BaylorBears.com -

_________________________________________
Colin Pirtle | Associate Director of Athletics Communications (T&F, XC, MTEN)
Department of Athletics | Baylor University
C: 940-564-0351

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

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