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<h1 align="right" style="text-align:right"><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;text-decoration:none">BAYLOR ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS – April 27, 2024<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">Ezekiel, Haywood and Men’s 4x400 Close Baylor T&F’s Regular Season with Wins in Arizona</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">Bears close the outdoor regular season at Desert Heat Classic<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:"Aptos",sans-serif">TUCSON, Ariz. –</span></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"> Baylor track and field finished off its regular season on Saturday at the University
of Arizona’s Desert Heat Invitational. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">In the single-day event, Nathaniel Ezekiel (men’s 400 meters), Molly Haywood (women’s pole vault) and the men’s 4x400-meter squad compiled three titles for the Bears, while
the sprint group dashed to new personal-best times. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">THE RUNDOWN<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">Ezekiel gave the Bears their first win of the meet by way of a PB 45.40-second win in the men’s 400 meters. The junior improved his best time by 14-hundredths of a second and
bettered his season-best time by just over three-tenths of a second. Also competing and logging a top-10 spot, Demar Francis took sixth place at 46.15.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">Molly Haywood won her third-consecutive pole vault competition on Saturday evening, taking the top spot in a field of 36 at 14-4. Alencia Lentz was one height behind in the
bronze medal position at 14-0 and Tenly Kuhn was fifth at 13-4.25.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">Closing the meet, the men’s 4x400-meter relay improved their season-best time by just under two seconds to a 3:03.73. The group of Kamden Jackson, Francis, Laurenz Colbert
and Ezekiel now sit 14<sup>th</sup> in the NCAA this season. The women’s group of Imaobong Uko, Tiriah Kelley, Kayla Hunt and Jasmine Gryne ran their best time this year, a 3:35.52, for third.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">There were three Baylor competitors that left the women’s 100-meter dash with new personal-best times. Alexis Brown dropped her new PR by going from 11.42 to 11.29 and finished
third, Michaela Francois dropped her 11.39 to 11.37 for seventh and Tiriah Kelley logged the very first 100-meter race of her career at 11.57 for 12<sup>th</sup>.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">Putting their best time of the season in the books, Kelley, Hunt, Brown and Francois jolted out to a 43.86 to secure the bronze medal. The BU squad finished behind Tennessee’s
winning mark of 42.52 that ranks No. 1 in NCAA DI this season. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">The men’s 4x100-meter relay recorded a 39.33-second race as Ricquan Graham, Colbert, Jackson and De’montray Callis took the fifth-place position.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">Uko ran her best quarter mile race of the season in 53.17-second style to take fourth place. Summer Sergeant tabbed the second 400-meter race of her career and ended 26<sup>th</sup>.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">Victoria Adu had the best throw in her BU career on Saturday afternoon in the women’s hammer throw, landing at 185-8 for the seventh-overall spot. On the infield but also finishing
seventh, Makayla Long threw to 159-8 in the women’s discus throw and returned in the shot put for eighth at 49-11.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">Callis led the Bears in the men’s 100, finishing in eighth place with a 10.29-second race. Graham was 18<sup>th</sup> and Colbert found 21<sup>st</sup>. Returning in the 200
meters, Callis again led in fifth place at 20.72 with Graham in 19<sup>th</sup>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">In front of a family-filled crowd, Sima Lucero found the 60-second mark for the first time in the 400-meter hurdles, running a 1:00.15 for 15<sup>th</sup> place, leading Jasmine
Gryne in 31<sup>st</sup>. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">Both Baylor jumpers in the women’s long jump tied at 19-2 ½. Nikayla Fitzgerald took the 12<sup>th</sup>-place position ahead of Koi Johnson in 13<sup>th</sup>.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">Aïcha Moumin and Sydney Smith went ninth and 10<sup>th</sup>, respectively, in the women’s high jump crossing 5-7 and 5-5. In the men’s event, Ukurugenzi Kojo leaped to fifth,
clearing three bars on the first attempt to 6-8.75.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">Hunt was the highest-finishing member of the Baylor contingent in the women’s 200 meters, clocking a windless 23.88 for 17<sup>th</sup>, ahead of Sergeant in 29<sup>th</sup>.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">Southern Arkansas transfer Carter Cheek clocked a 14.65 in the men’s 110 high hurdles, taking 18<sup>th</sup> with a legal wind of +0.6 m/s.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">QUOTABLE<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",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:"Aptos",sans-serif">On the meet…<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">“Definitely a long meet for the Bears, but the team really performed well with the conditions, being so late and cool. You have to start with Nathaniel [Ezekiel’s] awesome
job in the open 400, getting a new PR at 45.4 and he also ran a great anchor leg of our 4x4 that had their season’s best. They continue to get back and it is good to see them perform well. The ladies also ran well, and it was especially good to see Ima [Uko]
get back with a good meet of two races today, leading into the ladies’ 4x400 that ran well. Then, there’s always Molly [Haywood], who found her niche for another pole vault win, Alencia [Lentz] was in the top three also. Alexis [Brown] had a big PR in the
100 today and then had a great leg on a season’s best from the 4x100 relay. We had a lot of PRs and SBs today, including Sima [Lucero] in the 400 hurdles. I thought everyone just did really well. We are headed in the right direction headed into Big 12s. Now
it’s just time to get healed up, get ready for exams and get refocused for the championship portion of the season.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">UP NEXT<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">The Bears return home to host the 2024 Big 12 Outdoor Track and Field Championships on May 9-11 at the Clyde Hart Track and Field Stadium. Tickets for the three-day, championship
event are <a href="https://baylorbears.evenue.net/events/TRAS?_ga=2.36953440.1995432005.1714259043-563801125.1705438901">
on sale now</a>. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">To stay up to date throughout the year on all things Baylor track and field, follow the team on Facebook, X and Instagram: @BaylorTrack.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",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:"Aptos",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 (WBB, T&F/XC, MTEN) </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@01DA98FF.EB376710" 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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