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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 – April 22, 2022<sub><o:p></o:p></sub></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">No. 12/No. 20 Baylor T&F Finishes Day One of Michael Johnson Invitational<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">Baldridge sets national-leading mark in 400-meter hurdles<o:p></o:p></span></b></h2>
<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="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt">THE RUNDOWN</span></b><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt">
</span></b><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt">WACO, Texas – </span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt">Baylor track and field opened up the Michael Johnson Invitational at the Clyde Hart Track & Field Stadium on Friday and won two collegiate championships
in the process. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt">Jayson Baldridge beat out Nathaniel Ezekiel’s national-leading mark in the men’s 400-meter hurdles on Friday, recording a 49.10 race to win the collegiate title. Ezekiel finished just behind in second place
with a 49.35-second finish.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt">Gontse Morake finished the women’s 400-meter hurdles as the collegiate champion behind her 57.80 personal-best. Jasmine Gryne also recorded a PR in the event, finishing in third with 59.30.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt">In a packed field of 62 for the women’s 200 meters, Mariah Ayers found the second-place position with a time of 23.44 seconds. Imaobong Uko finished just behind in fourth, followed by Arria Minor in 13<sup>th</sup>
and Sydney Washington in 14<sup>th</sup>. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt">Matthew Moorer finished as the collegiate silver medalist in the men’s 200-meter dash, posting a 20.96-second finish. Isaiah Cunningham finished two spots behind in fourth with 21.13 seconds, followed by Kamden
Jackson in seventh, Laurenz Colbert in ninth and De’montray Callis in 10<sup>th</sup>.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt">Hannah Link secured the bronze medal with a 183-05 chunk in the hammer throw, followed by Samone Turner in seventh. For the men, Cole Hardan threw 188-02 in the finals to finish the event in fifth place.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt">Taylor Whitfield turned in a 4:33.93 in the women’s 1,500-meter run to lead the Bears in sixth place. Celia Holmes finished in the 10<sup>th</sup>-place spot after 4:43.40, followed by Mazie Larsen in 13<sup>th</sup>
and Kate Avery in 17<sup>th</sup>. In the men’s edition, Ryan Hodge carried the banner for the Bears with a 10<sup>th</sup>-place finish after 4:01.37.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt">In the pit, Alex Madlock finished highest for the Bears in the fifth-place spot after a 20-01 jump on her second attempt. Koi Johnson followed in ninth and Caira Pettway in 10<sup>th</sup>.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt">Mikayla Deshazer finished the discus in 13<sup>th</sup> place, throwing into a gusty wind with a 151-05 mark on her last attempt.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt">In the B section of the women’s pole vault contest, Kierstyn Ballard recorded a sixth-place finish with an 11-8 ½ jump.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt">For the latest news on the Baylor track and field team all season long, follow its official Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts: @BaylorTrack.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:115%"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%">HIGHLIGHTS</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<ul style="margin-top:0in" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:115%;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;layout-grid-mode:char">
<span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%">Jayson Baldridge and Nathaniel Ezekiel finished the 400-meter hurdles back-to-back, winning gold and silver, respectively.
<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:115%;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;layout-grid-mode:char">
<span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%">Gontse Morake completed the collegiate sweep in the 400-meter hurdles with a 57.80-second finish in the event.
<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in;line-height:115%"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:115%"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%">STAT OF THE MEET
<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%">49.10
</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%">– Seconds ran by Jayson Baldridge in the 400-meter hurdles to place the top collegiate mark in the nation.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt">TOP QUOTE<br>
</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt">Michael Ford on the team’s performance…<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt">“I thought we had a good crowd today. Thanks to the fans for coming out for the first day of the MJ. I was really happy with Jayson (Baldridge) and Nathaniel (Ezekiel) finishing collegiate 1-2 in the 400-meter
hurdles, plus Jayson’s big PR. With the wind blowing like it was today, it was very impressive. Just overall the team did really well. It was good to see Trayvon Bromell back on our track for the first time a few years and to win his race. We’ll get going
again tomorrow, hopefully with another great crowd and good performances.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">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@01D85694.8AF721B0" alt="signature_3470553299"></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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