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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 ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS – May 24, 2023<o:p></o:p></span></b></h1>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:13.0pt;color:black">Baylor T&F Advances Two to NCAA Championships on Day One of West Prelims</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="color:black">Eight Bears advanced through to Friday’s national quarterfinal<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>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">SACRAMENTO, Calif. –
</span></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Baylor track and field opened the 2023 NCAA West Preliminaries on Wednesday at Sacramento State’s Hornet Stadium. On the first day of competition, only the men competed to punch their
tickets to the next round. <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">Chinecherem Prosper Nnamdi and Ben Conacher both qualified to the NCAA Outdoor National Championships in Austin, Texas. It is the second-straight year that the javelin thrower
qualified to the meet and the first pole vaulter since KC Lightfoot in 2019. <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"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">THE RUNDOWN<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Prosper Nnamdi punched his ticket to a second-straight NCAA Championship final on Wednesday, throwing a 243-9 mark for third place in the event. The sophomore finished behind
two competitors from Nebraska, the winner being the Michael Johnson Invitational silver medalist, Arthur Peterson.<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">Conacher qualified to his first NCAA championship with a personal-best jump of 17-8½. That mark puts him in a well-deserved T-10<sup>th</sup> spot on the program’s all-time
list. <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">In the running events contested on the opening day of the meet, eight of the nine total BU entries qualified to Friday’s quarterfinal round.
<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 three Bears that ran the 400 meters moved on, including Matthew Moorer (45.65), Dillon Bedell (45.86) and Hasani Barr (46.15). Moorer and Barr secured an automatic bid
after finishing top-three in their respective heats, while Bedell’s time was the fastest mark out of the bubble three.<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">Nathaniel Ezekiel ran the fastest time of the night in the 400-meter hurdles and was one of only two competitors that went sub-50 in the event. His 49.22-second mark is the
third-fastest race this season, the best being a 48.52 in the finals of the Big 12 Championships.
<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">Kamden Jackson advanced in both the 100- and 200-meter races. His 10.26 in the 100 was good enough for 10<sup>th</sup> overall in the 100, while a 20.49 got him sixth in
the 200. Demar Francis will join Jackson in the 200 finals, finishing just behind in seventh after 20.51. Both runners received automatic qualification to the quarterfinals.<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">Elijah Morris got another automatic qualification in the 110-meter hurdles, running a season-best 13.88 for 18<sup>th</sup> overall.<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 only BU runner to not advance was sophomore De’montray Callis. The 200-meter runner finished just two spots outside of an advancing spot with a 21.01-second race.
<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">It was a bittersweet day in the shot put circle, as sixth-year senior Cole Hardan threw his final event in a Baylor uniform. He finished 27<sup>th</sup>, just ahead of freshman
Gary Moore Jr., who came in 31<sup>st</sup>. <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"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">QUOTABLE<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Head coach Michael Ford<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><i><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">On Wednesday’s competition…<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">“It was a solid first day. I am proud of Zaza [Prosper Nnamdi] for getting to his second-straight national meet. He came into today’s meet and competed like we knew he could.
I am also so proud of Ben Conacher. This is something he and Coach [Brandon] Richards have been shooting for and I’m glad he was able to do it with a new PR to find a spot on the all-time list. It was also a good night on the track. Eight of our nine made
it to the quarterfinals for a chance to race for a spot in Austin. Nathaniel [Ezekiel] had a great race to win the night in the hurdles. Now we rest to get back and do it all tomorrow with the women!”<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"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">WHAT’S NEXT<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">The Bears continue the 2023 NCAA West Preliminary Rounds on Thursday with the women’s competition. Action for BU begins at 8 p.m. CT.</span><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>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black;mso-ligatures:none">_________________________________________</span><span style="font-size:13.5pt;color:black;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color:#073D1E;mso-ligatures:none">Colin Pirtle</span></b><span style="color:#073D1E;mso-ligatures:none"> </span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black;mso-ligatures:none">| Associate Director of Athletics Communications
(T&F/XC, MTEN) </span><span style="font-size:13.5pt;color:black;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black;mso-ligatures:none">Department of Athletics | Baylor University</span><span style="font-size:13.5pt;color:black;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black;mso-ligatures:none">C: 940-564-0351</span><span style="font-size:13.5pt;color:black;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:3.0pt;color:black;mso-ligatures:none"> </span><span style="font-size:13.5pt;color:black;mso-ligatures:none"><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@01D98E93.3397E6B0" alt="signature_2230589939"></span></a><span style="font-size:13.5pt;color:black;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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