Baylor T&F Women Lead in Day One of Pepsi Florida Relays

[Hutton, Josie]

BAYLOR ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS – April 4, 2025

Baylor T&F Women Lead in Day One of Pepsi Florida Relays
Alexis Brown makes outdoor debut, breaking program record in long jump
For more information contact: Josie Hutton; 254-709-7720, josie_hutton at baylor.edu<mailto:josie_hutton at baylor.edu>



GAINESVILLE, Fla. – In the first day of competition at the Pepsi Florida Relays hosted by the University of Florida, Baylor track & field found success in the field athletes of Alexis Brown and Molly Haywood, both claiming gold for the first time this outdoor season.



Brown, making her 2025 outdoor debut in the long jump after winning the national title in indoors, became the first Baylor woman to hit 7.0 meters with her 22-11.75 (2.8 m/s) mark. The graduate ranks sixth in collegiate history outdoors and is only the sixth collegian all-time to break seven meters in any wind.



Haywood, after earning a PR last weekend at the Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays, showed out in the women’s pole vault collegiate, earning a 14-7.25 mark. This is the Big 12 Indoor Champion’s first gold medal of the outdoor season thus far.



THE RUNDOWN

Beginning in the women’s 4x100 relay preliminary round, the team of Tiriah Kelley, Hannah Lowe, Brown and Michaela Francois won their heat at 44.14 to advance to the finals.



Following up, Kelley earned a top-10 finish in the 200m coming out of lane nine. Kelley ran for a 23.18 to finish 10th.



In the women’s 400m hurdles, Sima Lucero continues her standout sophomore season with claiming another PR of 57.67. Her new personal best is the sixth fastest time in Baylor history.



The women’s 4x400 squad of Aaryona Kinchen, Kelley, Calisha Taylor and Mariah Ayers finished the day off in the running events with a season-best and fastest time of the event at 3:33.46 to advance to the final round on Saturday.



In the field events among Brown and Haywood, Janae De Gannes picked up a top-three finish in the women’s long jump invite with a 20-5.75 (2.8 m/s) mark. The freshman has not finished outside the top-three since January.



Sydney Smith jumped to a new PR in the high jump collegiate at 5-7.75, improving her personal best by nearly an inch and finishing in eighth place.



MIKE ON THE MIC

“After a long travel day yesterday, I honestly thought a lot of kids were flat,” head coach Michael Ford said. “I was really pleased with the 4x100 ladies. We didn’t get a chance to do any handoffs yesterday, but we got to stick around and hopefully tomorrow we’ll run a little faster. I thought Molly did a great job. She’s so consistent right now. Coach Richards is doing a great job with her. With Alexis, what do you even say? First time over seven meters, even though there was a little wind, it’s still college legal and a school record. She’s been ready to jump that and to get it in the first meet, that’s a good. Now we just go back to the drawing board to get ready. I thought the 200s were just okay, we still got some work to do in the 200. But I thought the ladies did good in the 4x400 for a season best. We’ll see what we can do tomorrow. Sydney Smith had a PR in the high jump. So overall, I thought we had a good day.”



WHAT’S NEXT

Baylor will continue its time in the Sunshine State on Saturday in the final day of competition at the Pepsi Florida Relays, beginning in the women’s 100m hurdles at 11:00 a.m. CT.



- BaylorBears<http://www.baylorbears/>.com -



Josie Hutton | Associate Director of Athletics Communications (FB, T&F/XC, MTEN)
Department of Athletics | Baylor University
C: (254) 709-7720

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


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