Baylor T&F Hosts Michael Johnson Invitational

[Pirtle, Colin]

BAYLOR ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS – April 18, 2024

Baylor T&F Hosts Michael Johnson Invitational
Bears welcome 22 schools to the Clyde Hart Track and Field Stadium
For more information contact: Colin Pirtle; 940-564-0351, colin_pirtle1 at baylor.edu<mailto:colin_pirtle1 at baylor.edu>


WACO, Texas – Baylor track and field is back home on Friday and Saturday with the Michael Johnson Invitational at the Clyde Hart Track and Field Stadium on the banks of the Brazos River.



The women’s hammer throw competition starts the meet on Friday morning at 11 a.m. in the throws area adjacent to Touchdown Alley, behind the Hart Stadium grandstands. Saturday begins at the same time with the women’s javelin throw competition on the infield of the stadium.



The Michael Johnson Invitational is scheduled to end with the men’s 4x400-meter relay around 4:40 p.m. CT on Saturday evening.



Head coach Michael Ford will honor the senior class on Saturday morning beginning at 10:30 a.m.



Live results will be provided online by Delta Timing<https://live.deltatiming.com/meets/34900>.



LAST TIME OUT

The Bears competed at the Tom Jones Memorial Invitational in Gainesville, Florida in a meet that saw one event win for the Bears. Molly Haywood vaulted to a new personal-best outdoor mark of 14-4 ¾ to collect the first win of her college career. Nathaniel Ezekiel took third in the men’s 400-meter hurdles, but not before breaking the program record. A small distance crew also made the trek to the Bryan Clay Invitational in Azusa, Calif., where Ryan Hodge became the third-best Bear to ever run the 10,000 meters at 30:02.



OH, HOW THEY’VE FALLEN

The Bears have toppled three program records in the first four weeks of the outdoor season. Alexis Brown tabbed a 21-11 at the Clyde Hart Classic to take the long jump record, Chinecherem Prosper Nnamdi threw for 271-8 at the African Games to win the javelin title with the record and Nathaniel Ezekiel improved his nearly two-year-old mark in the 400-meter hurdles to a 48.29 at the Tom Jones Memorial Invitational in Florida.



WELCOME TO WACOTOWN

BU will be one of 23 total teams competing at the Clyde Hart Track and Field Stadium over the two-day meet. Three top 25 squads will compete on the men’s side in Texas Tech at No. 5, Oklahoma State at No. 11 and Baylor at No. 20, while the women’s competition will feature four ranked teams of Texas Tech at No. 9, Nebraska at No. 12, Oklahoma State at No. 14 and Baylor at No. 25.



OUR NEWEST FIXER UPPER

Debuting the newly renovated Beynon Hobart BSS 2000 track surface, the Clyde Hart Track and Field Stadium will host two regular season meets across March and April before hosting the 2024 Big 12 Outdoor Track and Field Championship meet on May 9-11. The stadium is in its 10th season and holds 5,000 spectators and participants with grandstands on both sides of the track.



UP IN THE RANKINGS

The USTFCCCA Ratings Index featured both men’s and women’s track and field squads in the top 25 for the first time in 2024 on Tuesday, with the men rising 14 spots to No. 20 and the women at No. 25. Among Big 12 track programs, Baylor is one of five schools with both squads in the top 25. Moving over to mark rankings, 33 Baylor entries are top 48 individually in the west or top 24 in the relays and currently boast qualified marks to the NCAA West Preliminary Rounds in Fayetteville, Ark. From there, the top 12 finishers will have a spot at the NCAA Championships in Eugene, Ore.



To stay up to date throughout the year on all things Baylor track and field, follow the team on Facebook, X and Instagram: @BaylorTrack.



- BaylorBears.com -

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

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

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