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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 – Jan. 20, 2024<o:p></o:p></span></b></h1>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black">Baylor TF’s Ezekiel Sets NCAA 600-Yard Record to Close Corky Classic</span></b><b><span style="font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black">Bears tally nine podium finishes in two days<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">For more information contact:
</span></b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Colin Pirtle; 940-564-0351,
</span><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><a href="mailto:colin_pirtle1@baylor.edu"><span style="font-size:9.0pt">colin_pirtle1@baylor.edu</span></a></span><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="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">LUBBOCK, Texas –</span></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> Baylor track and field wrapped up the Corky Classic on Saturday evening at
Texas Tech’s Sports Performance Center. In record-breaking fashion, junior Nathaniel Ezekiel posted the best 600-yard time on a banked track in NCAA history as the Bears ended the meet with nine competitors landing in medal position.
<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">Taking the track for the 600-yard timed finals, Ezekiel blasted out and held the lead for the entire race. Clocking in at 1:07.44, he put the fastest NCAA 600-yard race on
a banked track in the record books. Worth noting, the mark keeps him at No. 2 in Baylor history, as Floyd Thompson’s record set in 2000 (No. 1 NCAA all-conditions best from 2000-2022) was contested on Iowa State’s flat, 300-meter indoor track surface. Nicholi
Brown also competed, finishing seventh. <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">Back in action, the freshman duo of Molly Haywood and Alencia Lentz, who were already ranked top-10 in the nation, improved their season-best marks in the pole vault both
crossing 14-5 ¼. Haywood took second and Lentz took third with the first over 14-foot pole vault result since the 2022 Larry Wieczorek Invitational when Tuesdi Tidwell won the event MVP honors.
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<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 60-meter finals, both De’montray Callis (6.62) and Laurenz Colbert (6.67) recorded personal-best marks. Callis crossed second, only nine-thousandths behind the winner
and Colbert got fourth. Callis moves to five all-time at Baylor, while Colbert lands at ninth.
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<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">Not long after, Colbert returned to the track for a silver medal in the men’s 200-meter after a 20.67 indoor personal best. Demar Francis ran his first race of the meet in
the 200, taking third in another 20.67-second mark and was followed by Callis in fifth. Freshman Jack Jackson took 16<sup>th</sup> in the first 200-meter race of his college career.
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<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">Demario Prince returned to action after his season-opening win in College Station to take fifth in the event finals. The freshman improved to 7.69 seconds and was bumped
to No. 2 in program history. <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">Gary Moore Jr. returned to the throws again with a fiery performance, throwing a personal-best mark of 59-8.5. That throw improed him to No. 2 on the Baylor program record
lists and won him the silver medal. Makayla Long competed in the women’s competition, taking fourth with a 50-2 throw.
<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 women’s triple jump saw Koi Johnson advance to the finals to place fourth. Her 43-3 is a new indoor-best mark. Bella Copeland followed in 12<sup>th</sup>, at 39-5 ¼.
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<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 a packed women’s 200-meter field, three Bears earned top-20 finishes. Mariah Ayers led in 10<sup>th</sup> with a 23.70, Tiriah Kelley was 13<sup>th</sup> in 23.82 and
Michaela Francois was 20<sup>th</sup> in 24.19. Other Bears included Kavia Francis in 22<sup>nd</sup>, Alexis Brown in 23<sup>rd</sup> and Bria Bullard in 26<sup>th</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"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">There were three Bears that found a top-10 finish in the B section of the women’s 200-meter dash, as Kayla Hunt (24.35) led in fourth with Gontse Morake (24.37) in fifth
and Jasmine Gryne (24.68) in sixth. Kourtney Kennard also ran, finishing 15<sup>th</sup> with Cierra Wash in 19<sup>th</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"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">The women’s 4x400-meter relay was contested with two Bear squads. The “A” team of Gryne, Francis, Morake and Imaobong Uko put up a 3:41.35, with Uko’s leading split of 52.88.
The “B” squad ran with Summer Sergeant, Sima Lucero, Kelley and Kourtney Kennard to take 15<sup>th</sup> in 3:52.85. The men’s 4x400 closed out the meet after a 3:09.77 performance by Francis, Ezekiel, Brown and Aren Spencer.
<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 pole vault B section, sophomore Tenly Kuhn and Lilliianna Ifft finished fourth and fifth, respectively, as freshman Katelyn Andrews tied with Ifft. Kierstyn Ballard
tabbed eighth while Raynah Cheng was ninth. <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">Behind a strong effort in the 60-meter prelims, Alexis Brown narrowly missed the finals by three-thousands of a second at 7.41. Also running was Francois in 12<sup>th</sup>,
Kelley in 14 and Bullard in 16<sup>th</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"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">The long jump featured Spencer, who put up a 22-10.5 performance to take fourth in the men’s competition. One pit over, Alexandra Rutenis took 15<sup>th</sup> in the women’s
event. <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 Hodges both competed in their respective one-mile race, as Ellie posted a 4:51.92 for third in the women’s edition and Ryan ran a 4:14.43 for fifth in the men’s.
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<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 1,000 meters opened the day for Baylor with a large showing, as the green and gold were represented with six across both races. In the women’s 1k, Jackie Addy and Hayden
Gold finished back-to-back in seventh and eighth, respectively. Following in the men’s, Straton Miller took sixth, Aiden Ramshaw took seventh, Devin Duran took eighth and Ben Archer recorded his first collegiate mark in ninth.
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<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">Lucero competed in her second collegiate meet on Saturday, finishing 24<sup>th</sup> in the preliminary round of the women’s 60-meter hurdles.
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<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 Saturday’s meet…<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">“We had a solid second meet. We had many personal bests, especially in events like the pole vault. Molly [Haywood] and Alencia [Lentz] did a great job finishing over 14-feet.
They will definitely be in the top-16 rankings and should have a great shot at nationals. De’montray [Callis] had another solid meet, running a PR with Laruenz [Colbert]. The 200 group, guys and ladies, did awesome overall too. It is good to keep moving and
keep getting better every week. Nathaniel [Ezekiel], to run the fastest time ever in that race on the banked track was just amazing. Just overall very pleased. Now we can get some work in before going to Nebraska with the team and I look forward to the direction
we are headed in.”<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">UP NEXT<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Baylor has an off week before heading to Nebraska for the Frank Sevigne Husker Classic on Feb. 2-3.<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"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></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="MsoBodyText" align="center" style="text-align:center"><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></p>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none">_________________________________________</span><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#073D1E;mso-ligatures:none">Colin Pirtle</span></b><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#073D1E;mso-ligatures:none"> </span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none">|
Associate Director of Athletics Communications (T&F/XC, MTEN, FB) </span><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none">Department of Athletics | Baylor University</span><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none">C: 940-564-0351</span><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:3.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none"> </span><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;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;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;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@01DA4BCB.ECA68030" alt="signature_2230589939"></span></a><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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