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<p class="MsoNormal" align="right" style="text-align:right"><a name="_Hlk490052374"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">BAYLOR ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS – </span></b></a><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">May
16, 2021</span></b><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="right" style="text-align:right"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Baylor Track & Field: Three Big 12 Champions Highlight Final Day</span></b><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Aaliyah Miller won her seventh-career conference title</span></i><i><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">MANHATTAN, Kan. –
</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Deshaun Jones, Aaliyah Miller and Howard Fields III captured Big 12 titles to lead the way for Baylor track & field Sunday on the rainy final day of the outdoor conference championships.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">“It was definitely one for the ages to go along with the season we’ve been through,” head coach Todd Harbour said. “We had unbelievable weather yesterday and today was kind of
crazy and chaotic. We got through it healthy, and that was the biggest concern. We had some great individual performances, but we needed a few more to affect the team standings. We got some more qualified for nationals, so we can look forward to the remaining
part of the season.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Jones got things started in the men’s 110-meter hurdles final, running away with the victory in a personal-best time of 13.70 to win by .34 seconds. The sophomore from San Antonio,
Texas, is now a two-time Big 12 Champion as he won this season’s indoor crown in the 60-meter hurdles.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">“That’s the second one Deshaun has won now,” Harbour said. “That’s outstanding for him. He looked so good. Big things lie ahead of him down the road as we continue to move forward.”
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Roughly 20 minutes after Jones won the title, Fields III followed up with a championship performance of his own in the men’s 400 meters. The senior from Manvel, Texas, took home
the title with a time of 45.72, becoming Baylor’s sixth-consecutive outdoor 400-meter champion and 22<sup>nd</sup> all-time.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">“Trey was the sixth that we’ve won consecutively in the 400, so that’s a pretty big deal,” Harbour said. “That was good for him to uphold that legacy. He ran a great, smart race.
He executed very well. It was a good win for him.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Miller completed the trifecta with her seventh-career Big 12 Championship, winning the 800 meters wire-to-wire in a time of 2:04.42.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">“What can you say about Aaliyah?” Harbour said. “She broke her old meet record yesterday, so that was a nice weekend for her.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Kavia Francis scored in three events for the Bears, placing fourth in both the 200 meters and 400 meters before running the fastest split of the 4x400-meter relay to help the
Bears to a runner-up finish. The freshman from Clarendon, Jamaica, clocked in at 52.96 in the 400 and 23.40 in the 200.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">“Kavia was just a warrior,” Harbour said. “To run the 400-200 double and then come back and run our fastest split on the 4x4, that was pretty impressive. It was a big weekend
for her.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Arria Minor, Miller and Mariah Ayers joined Francis on the 4x4 to record a season-best time of 3:31.34 and place second.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Ackera Nugent made it to the podium twice, finishing as the runner-up in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 13.07 and taking seventh in the 100 meters with a time of 11.50.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">The women’s 4x100-meter relay squad of Minor, Nugent, Sydney Washington and Ayers started the day in the pouring rain with a runner-up finish, clocking in at 44.82.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">The men’s 4x4 of Hasani Barr, Elijah Gifford, Dillon Bedell and Fields III finished the day with a third-place finish, recording a time of 3:03.80.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Ayers scored for the Bears in the women’s 200 meters with a fifth-place finish, running a time of 23.44.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Minor earned a podium spot in the women’s 400 meters with a sixth-place finish, running a time of 53.30.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Jayson Baldridge finished seventh in the 400-meter hurdles to earn a medal with a time of 52.98, and Kamden Jackson took eighth in the 100 meters to make the podium with a time
of 10.41.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Jackson, Isaiah Cunningham, Ryan Croson and Baldridge finished fourth in the men’s 4x100-meter relay in a time of 40.13.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Ben Conacher (men’s pole vault) and Alyssa Miller (women’s high jump) competed indoors due to the weather and placed sixth and fifth, respectively. Conacher recorded a mark of
16-7.25 (5.06m), while Miller jumped 5-5.25 (1.66m).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">“I’m proud of all of them,” Harbour said. “Our freshmen stepped up big today. We had a bunch of them that scored and were all-conference. They did a good job getting their first
taste. It was a great conference meet. We wanted to finish a little higher, but we’ll hopefully improve upon that in the weeks to come at the NCAA meet.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">For continued updates on the Baylor Track & Field team, follow the team's social media accounts all season long: @BaylorTrack.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">QUOTES<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">WOMEN’S 800 METERS CHAMPION</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">AALIYAH MILLER, BAYLOR</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">On today’s race... </span></i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">“Yeah it felt pretty good. I wanted to come out and finish really strong.”</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white"> </span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">On the difference between running the prelims yesterday to the finals today…</span></i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">“Yeah, yesterday was a different plan. We had nice weather, so I wanted to come out and try to break two (minutes), but It didn’t happen.”</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white"> </span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">On the victory… </span></i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">“For sure, I was really excited. I just hope it’s an inspiration for people. Just make sure for people to, no matter what happens, stay focused and
you can always come back.”</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">MEN’S 400 METERS CHAMPION</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">HOWARD FIELDS III, BAYLOR</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">On his performance today…</span></i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">“It feels good. I’ve been working. All I really thought about was just winning. I really wasn’t going for a time. Just get out, run my race, and
get the win.”</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white"> </span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">On the weather conditions...</span></i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">“Pretty normal. At that point when it rains, it’s cold, windy. It is what it is.”<br>
<br>
<br>
</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">On looking forward to regionals and nationals…</span></i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">“Win. That’s always on my mind.”</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">MEN’S 110-METER HURDLES CHAMPION</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">DESHAUN JONES, BAYLOR</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">On his performance…</span></i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">“Yesterday, after the prelims coming in second, I wouldn’t say that I was nervous, but I knew what I had in the tank coming out here today. And then
it wasn't a false start, but with the double gun and coming back, I just had to lock in. And at that point, I knew whoever had the best focus was going to win. Today, I showed that through adversity, I won’t fold.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white"> </span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">On if dealing with the weather and multiple starts and stops makes the win mean even more...</span></i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">“Everything that I do on this track this year means a little bit more to me. Dealing with everything I had to deal with at the beginning of the season
and getting to this point, it means a lot. I’m grateful.” </span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;color:black">__________________________________</span></b><span style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:6.5pt;color:black"> </span></b><span style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:#154734">Kellen Coleman</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:#18481F"> </span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black">|
</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt">Associate Director of Communications</span><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:10.0pt">Department of Athletics | Baylor University</span><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:10.0pt">O: 254-710-4049 | C: 254-749-6507</span><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:7.5pt;color:black"> </span><span style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black"> </span><a href="http://baylorbears.com/"><span style="color:windowtext;text-decoration:none"><img border="0" width="153" height="43" style="width:1.5937in;height:.4479in" id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image001.png@01D74A88.B1981220" alt="/var/folders/pf/02zg9swd0fz7qy7f5nkl4mymsr0bxx/T/com.microsoft.Outlook/WebArchiveCopyPasteTempFiles/cidimage004.png@01D50713.9CE40560"></span></a><o:p></o:p></p>
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