=?Windows-1252?Q?Ezekiel, _Haywood_and_Men=92s_4x400_Close_Baylor_T&F=92s_?= Regular Season with Wins in Arizona

Sun Apr 28 02:06:33 CDT 2024

BAYLOR ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS – April 27, 2024

Ezekiel, Haywood and Men’s 4x400 Close Baylor T&F’s Regular Season with Wins in Arizona
Bears close the outdoor regular season at Desert Heat Classic
For more information contact: Colin Pirtle; 940-564-0351, colin_pirtle1 at baylor.edu<mailto:colin_pirtle1 at baylor.edu>

TUCSON, Ariz. – Baylor track and field finished off its regular season on Saturday at the University of Arizona’s Desert Heat Invitational.

In the single-day event, Nathaniel Ezekiel (men’s 400 meters), Molly Haywood (women’s pole vault) and the men’s 4x400-meter squad compiled three titles for the Bears, while the sprint group dashed to new personal-best times.

THE RUNDOWN

Ezekiel gave the Bears their first win of the meet by way of a PB 45.40-second win in the men’s 400 meters. The junior improved his best time by 14-hundredths of a second and bettered his season-best time by just over three-tenths of a second. Also competing and logging a top-10 spot, Demar Francis took sixth place at 46.15.

Molly Haywood won her third-consecutive pole vault competition on Saturday evening, taking the top spot in a field of 36 at 14-4. Alencia Lentz was one height behind in the bronze medal position at 14-0 and Tenly Kuhn was fifth at 13-4.25.

Closing the meet, the men’s 4x400-meter relay improved their season-best time by just under two seconds to a 3:03.73. The group of Kamden Jackson, Francis, Laurenz Colbert and Ezekiel now sit 14th in the NCAA this season. The women’s group of Imaobong Uko, Tiriah Kelley, Kayla Hunt and Jasmine Gryne ran their best time this year, a 3:35.52, for third.

There were three Baylor competitors that left the women’s 100-meter dash with new personal-best times. Alexis Brown dropped her new PR by going from 11.42 to 11.29 and finished third, Michaela Francois dropped her 11.39 to 11.37 for seventh and Tiriah Kelley logged the very first 100-meter race of her career at 11.57 for 12th.

Putting their best time of the season in the books, Kelley, Hunt, Brown and Francois jolted out to a 43.86 to secure the bronze medal. The BU squad finished behind Tennessee’s winning mark of 42.52 that ranks No. 1 in NCAA DI this season.

The men’s 4x100-meter relay recorded a 39.33-second race as Ricquan Graham, Colbert, Jackson and De’montray Callis took the fifth-place position.

Uko ran her best quarter mile race of the season in 53.17-second style to take fourth place. Summer Sergeant tabbed the second 400-meter race of her career and ended 26th.

Victoria Adu had the best throw in her BU career on Saturday afternoon in the women’s hammer throw, landing at 185-8 for the seventh-overall spot. On the infield but also finishing seventh, Makayla Long threw to 159-8 in the women’s discus throw and returned in the shot put for eighth at 49-11.

Callis led the Bears in the men’s 100, finishing in eighth place with a 10.29-second race. Graham was 18th and Colbert found 21st. Returning in the 200 meters, Callis again led in fifth place at 20.72 with Graham in 19th.

In front of a family-filled crowd, Sima Lucero found the 60-second mark for the first time in the 400-meter hurdles, running a 1:00.15 for 15th place, leading Jasmine Gryne in 31st.

Both Baylor jumpers in the women’s long jump tied at 19-2 ½. Nikayla Fitzgerald took the 12th-place position ahead of Koi Johnson in 13th.

Aïcha Moumin and Sydney Smith went ninth and 10th, respectively, in the women’s high jump crossing 5-7 and 5-5. In the men’s event, Ukurugenzi Kojo leaped to fifth, clearing three bars on the first attempt to 6-8.75.

Hunt was the highest-finishing member of the Baylor contingent in the women’s 200 meters, clocking a windless 23.88 for 17th, ahead of Sergeant in 29th.

Southern Arkansas transfer Carter Cheek clocked a 14.65 in the men’s 110 high hurdles, taking 18th with a legal wind of +0.6 m/s.

QUOTABLE

Head coach Michael Ford

On the meet…

“Definitely a long meet for the Bears, but the team really performed well with the conditions, being so late and cool. You have to start with Nathaniel [Ezekiel’s] awesome job in the open 400, getting a new PR at 45.4 and he also ran a great anchor leg of our 4x4 that had their season’s best. They continue to get back and it is good to see them perform well. The ladies also ran well, and it was especially good to see Ima [Uko] get back with a good meet of two races today, leading into the ladies’ 4x400 that ran well. Then, there’s always Molly [Haywood], who found her niche for another pole vault win, Alencia [Lentz] was in the top three also. Alexis [Brown] had a big PR in the 100 today and then had a great leg on a season’s best from the 4x100 relay. We had a lot of PRs and SBs today, including Sima [Lucero] in the 400 hurdles. I thought everyone just did really well. We are headed in the right direction headed into Big 12s. Now it’s just time to get healed up, get ready for exams and get refocused for the championship portion of the season.

UP NEXT

The Bears return home to host the 2024 Big 12 Outdoor Track and Field Championships on May 9-11 at the Clyde Hart Track and Field Stadium. Tickets for the three-day, championship event are on sale now<https://baylorbears.evenue.net/events/TRAS?_ga=2.36953440.1995432005.1714259043-563801125.1705438901>.

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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