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<h1 align="right" style="text-align:right"><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;text-decoration:none">BAYLOR ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS – January 12, 2023<o:p></o:p></span></b></h1>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:13.0pt;color:black">Baylor T&F Opens Indoor Season at Corky Classic</span></b><b><span style="font-size:13.0pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:black;background:white">Fifteen set to make Baylor debut<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt">For more information contact:
</span></b><span style="font-size:9.0pt">Colin Pirtle; 940-564-0351, </span><a href="mailto:colin_pirtle1@baylor.edu"><span style="font-size:9.0pt">colin_pirtle1@baylor.edu</span></a><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoBodyText"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">LUBBOCK, Texas –</span></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> Baylor track and field will start the 2023 season on Friday afternoon in the
Corky Classic at Texas Tech’s Sports Performance Center.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">The meet is scheduled to begin with the weight throw at 2:30 p.m., followed by running events at 5. Saturday’s schedule begins with the shot put and mile at 11 a.m.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">The Bears return 12 All-Americans after the storied 2022 season that marked the first year under head coach Michael Ford, with 12 new program records set across the indoor
and outdoor campaigns. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">“I am super excited going into year No. 2 as the head coach at Baylor,” said Ford. “We as a staff have set high expectations for both men and women’s teams for this season,
and we want to see how the groups compete during an actual meet.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Baylor is one of 20 teams competing in the Corky Classic, joining Texas Tech as the only other Power Five program. Out of the remaining 18 teams, West Texas A&M and Texas
A&M-Commerce finished top-10 in the NCAA Division II Indoor Championships, while South Plains and New Mexico CC finished top-10 at NJCAA Indoors.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Fifteen Bears are slated to dawn the green and gold for the first time. For the women, Simone Ballard, Aïcha Moumin, Lillianna Ifft, Alexis Brown, Nikayla Fitzgerald, Makayla
Long, Kourtney Kennard, Allie Scott and Keviah Ealy look for their first marks with Baylor, while Demar Francis, Aren Spencer, Chandlar Ifft, Cooper Mack, Gary Moore and Ricquan Graham suit up for the men.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">The Corky Classic is the first of Baylor’s four meets for the regular indoor season, and is a practice run for the Big 12 Indoor Championships that will be held Feb. 24-25
back at the Sports Performance Center.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">“The Corky Classic is the first step to our ultimate goal of reaching Albuquerque, N.M., for the NCAA Indoor Championships,” said Ford.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">The meet will be streamed on
<a href="https://www.espn.com/watch/player/_/id/2e109c0f-93a7-4f6b-a809-a6344fcd4b4c">
Big 12 Now on ESPN+</a>, with commentary provided by Bart Castle, the in-venue PA announcer. Live results will also be provided
<a href="https://live.pttiming.com/?mid=5362">online</a>. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">To stay up to date throughout the season on all things Baylor track and field, follow the team on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @BaylorTrack.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="center" style="text-align:center"><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">- BaylorBears<span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="color:black;text-decoration:none">.com</span></span><span style="color:black">
-<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black">_________________________________________</span><span style="font-size:13.5pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color:#073D1E">Colin Pirtle</span></b><span style="color:#073D1E"> </span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black">| Associate Director of Athletics Communications (T&F, XC, MTEN) </span><span style="font-size:13.5pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black">Department of Athletics | Baylor University</span><span style="font-size:13.5pt;color:black"><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:13.5pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:3.0pt;color:black"> </span><span style="font-size:13.5pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://baylorbears.com/" title="http://baylorbears.com/"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;color:black;text-decoration:none"><img border="0" width="160" height="44" style="width:1.6666in;height:.4583in" id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image001.png@01D92676.0F217E70" alt="signature_2230589939"></span></a><span style="font-size:13.5pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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