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<h1 align="right" style="text-align:right"><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;text-decoration:none">BAYLOR ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS – January 13, 2022<o:p></o:p></span></b></h1>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<h1 align="left" style="text-align:left"><b><span style="font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;text-decoration:none">Baylor Track Opens Indoor Season at Texas Tech’s Corky Classic<o:p></o:p></span></b></h1>
<h2 align="left" style="text-align:left"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;font-style:normal">The Bears look to the track for the first time under Ford.</span></b><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;font-style:normal"><o:p></o:p></span></b></h2>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">For more information contact:
</span></b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Colin Pirtle, 940-564-0351, Colin_Pirtle1@Baylor.edu
</span><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="left" style="text-align:left"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt">WACO, Texas –
</span></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt">Baylor Track & Field is set to open their season on Friday at the Corky Classic, hosted by Texas Tech in Lubbock. This will be the first meet under the new head coaching leadership of Michael Ford.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="left" style="text-align:left"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="left" style="text-align:left"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">“One of the big things is the team has actually been looking really good,” said Ford. “The fall training is probably one of our better falls in a while. I think, honestly,
the weather helped. We didn’t have as many injuries. So now, it’s go time and that first meet kind of getting the rust off. And me as a head coach now, I guess I’m paying attention to everything, but I’m looking forward to it.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="left" style="text-align:left"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="left" style="text-align:left"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">Baylor is set to return six of the seven 2021 indoor All-Americans: Aaliyah Miller, Ackera Nugent, Kavia Francis, Arria Minor, Lily Williams and Tuesdi Tidwell.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="left" style="text-align:left"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="left" style="text-align:left"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">“On the ladies’ side, all of our All-Americans are back from last year’s team,” said Ford. “So, I’m looking forward to being at a really high level at the conference
meet and then also at the national championships, because we did well indoor last year on the ladies’ side, at least at the national meet. On the men’s side, we’re kind of more projected towards the national meet. But, I think with Trey Fields, Jayson Baldridge,
the 4x4, I think Ben Conacher is looking good over the vault. And then we’ve got some good freshmen, like Johnny Brackins is one of our freshmen long jumper/triple jumpers, and then De’montray Callis in the sprints, and I think our team is going to do really
well.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="left" style="text-align:left"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="left" style="text-align:left"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">The Bears will be up against 20 other schools in Lubbock, including Power 5 foes Arizona and Texas Tech.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="left" style="text-align:left"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="left" style="text-align:left"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">“When we had our team meeting (Tuesday), we just talked about a couple of things,” said Ford. “We talked about having fun, being focused for what their events are and
just about having faith in themselves. I think our No. 1 thing is staying injury-free going into this meet. And then, especially for the freshmen and newcomers that we do have, just seeing how they act on a new stage in front of other teams that they probably
won’t see (again).”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="left" style="text-align:left"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="left" style="text-align:left"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><a href="https://live.pttiming.com/?mid=4748">Live results</a> and a
<a href="https://texastech.com/sports/2021/10/19/sports-track-and-field-meet-info-html.aspx">
meet schedule</a> will both be available online.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="left" style="text-align:left"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">For the latest news on the Baylor track and field team all season long, follow its official Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts: @BaylorTrack. </span><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="left" style="text-align:left"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-size:10.0pt">www.BaylorBears.com<o:p></o:p></span></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;color:black">__________________________________________<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:#0A5026">Colin Pirtle</span></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:#0A5026"> </span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black">| Communications Intern (Interim-T&F/XC) </span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black">Department of Athletics | Baylor University<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black">C: 940-564-0351</span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:3.0pt;color:black"> </span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://baylorbears.com/" title="http://baylorbears.com/"><span style="color:windowtext;text-decoration:none"><img border="0" width="160" height="44" style="width:1.6666in;height:.4583in" id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image001.png@01D80855.356DCBA0" alt="signature_1956356974"></span></a><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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