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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 – Feb. 23, 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 Lentz Secures First Big 12 Pole Vault Championship</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 have five score in first day of conference meet<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 opened up the Big 12 Indoor Track and Field Championship
on Friday afternoon at Texas Tech’s Sports Performance Center. With 27 scored by the women today, Alencia Lentz won her first Big 12 pole vault title as a freshman and was followed by Molly Haywood in third. Alexis Brown got the silver medal in the women’s
long jump with the second-best mark in program history, while the weight throw had All-Big 12 honors for Victoria Adu and Gary Moore Jr.
<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">Two program records also fell on the first day of competition, as freshman Demario Prince was welcomed back to his 60-meter hurdles and Moore Jr. continued his record-setting
run in the throws. <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">After Day One, Baylor women sit fourth with 27 points, while the men are 11<sup>th</sup> with two.
<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">Lentz had a record-breaking (and tying) day in the pole vault to open up the Big 12 Championships. The freshman jumped to break the meet record twice, at 14-7 ¼ and at 14-9
and tied the program record set by Tuesdi Tidwell in 2020 at that 14-9 mark. She became only the third Bear to ever win the indoor title (Annie Rhodes- 2017, Tidwell- 2021) and the first to do so as a freshman. Haywood, who’s been bar-for-bar with her throughout
the season, secured third place in the event, matching her season best from the Corky Classic at 14-5 ¼.
<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">Brown hit the second-best mark of her 2024 indoor season in the long jump on her sixth attempt for silver. The 21-2 is the second-best performance in program history, behind
only her own personal record from Clemson’s Tiger Paw Invitational two weeks ago.
<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">Adu found herself on the all-conference podium for the first time in her Baylor career on Friday afternoon, finishing sixth in the event at 60-0 ½. Makayla Long was first
out of the finals in the event in 10th with a 56-10 on her first 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">In the men’s weight throw, Moore Jr. put the men’s squad on the board with a seventh-place finish and another new program record. With three attempts breaking his previous
record, he ended the night at 68-9 ¾.<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 like he never left, Prince improved his collegiate-best time in the 60-meter hurdles to 7.62 to break the program record, get second in the preliminary rounds and get
a lane in Saturday’s final. He took down Jerome Miller’s 7.66 from at the NCAA Championships in 2006.
<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">Senior Demar Francis clocked the top time in the men’s 200 meters in the preliminary rounds with a new personal best of 20.42. Two spots back, Laurenz Colbert also advanced
with a personal best of his own, 20.56. Kamden Jackson was one spot out in 9<sup>th</sup> and De’montray Callis finished 12<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">With another two moving on, Tiriah Kelley had no problem in her heat of the women’s 200 meters, finishing fifth overall after 23.24 seconds. Program record-holder Mariah
Ayers went for 23.29 seconds to get seventh and a lane in tomorrow’s final. <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">Both men and women had one Bear advance to the final in the 400 meters in a preliminary round that took the top 8 times across as many as seven sections. Imaobong Uko was
third overall in the women’s race at a season-best 52.67. Nathaniel Ezekiel didn’t match his time that ranks sixth in the nation, but still made it through in fifth with a 46.21.<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">Again in the 60-meter sprint, one Bear each made it out of the preliminary rounds. Brown flashed out to a 7.25-second mark in the women’s race to grab one of the timed qualifying
spots. Climbing up yet another program list, Brown now has the second-fastest 60 time 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">The men’s event promoted Colbert to the conference final scheduled for Saturday. His race of 6.60 ties him at No. 3 in program history, putting him eighth overall. Callis
also tabbed a top-10 finish at ninth after 6.62 seconds.<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">Ellie Hodge opened Day One of the meet on the track finishing six spots out of finals contention in the women’s mile. Her 4:48 landed her in 12<sup>th</sup> and was three
seconds off her season- and personal-best mark ran in Boston.<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">Parker Brannon cleared two bars in the men’s pole vault to take 13<sup>th</sup> place in the event. He topped out at 16-2 on Friday, his second-best performance of the season.
<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">Closing the night, the women’s distance medley relay crossed 10<sup>th</sup>, and the men’s crossed 11<sup>th</sup>. For the women, Jackie Addy, Jasmine Gryne, Hayden Gold
and Hodge ran an 11:47.89. Straton Miller, Jack Jackson, Nicholi Brown and Ryan Hodge turned the men in at 10:21.86.
<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 Day One of the Big 12 Championship…<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">“You definitely have to shout out the field events for their performances on the first day of Big 12s. They did an awesome job today. Alencia Lentz won her first Big 12 title
as a freshman with a meet record while tying the school record. Molly [Haywood] getting third for us was big for us too. Happy for Vicki [Adu] to get her first points as a Baylor Bear in the weight throw before Gary [Moore Jr.] had another school record to
help us score. Alexis Brown, getting second place in the long jump, was a great thing for the Bears too. I just want to thank Coach Brandon [Richards], Coach Chak, Coach [Stacey] Smith and Coach Chase [Hood]. They just did such an awesome job with our group
today.”<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">“We ran really well. The student-athletes we were trying to get to the finals did, with the exception of one or two, so I am proud of them. Laurenz [Colbert] had a big day
in both the 60 and 200. Alexis [Brown] coming back and running the second-fastest 60 at Baylor was great as well. We just have to close it out tomorrow. We have a lot of people in the finals and we will see what we can do.”<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">The Bears close out the Big 12 Indoor Track and Field Championships on Saturday. The first Baylor-featured event begins at 1 p.m. and can be seen on Big 12 Now on ESPN+.<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="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></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@01DA66A4.99292090" 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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