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<h1 align="right" style="text-align:right"><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">BAYLOR ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS – Feb. 7, 2025<o:p></o:p></span></b></h1>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:black">Baylor T&F Wins Two Events to Kickstart Charlie Thomas Invite<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">Bears come out on top in the men’s shot put and 200m<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">For more information contact:
</span></b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">Josie Hutton; 254-709-7720,
</span><a href="mailto:josie_hutton@baylor.edu"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">josie_hutton@baylor.edu</span></a><u><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:blue"><o:p></o:p></span></u></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">COLLEGE STATION, Texas –</span></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"> Baylor track & field concluded day one of the Charlie Thomas Invite at
the R.A. ‘Murray’ Fasken ’38 Indoor facility with two events won and a multitude of personal or season bests.
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<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 Bears took home the title in the men’s 200m and shot put. Demar Francis came out on top in first place at 20.96 in the 200m. This marks as the St. Thomas, Jamaican’s third
first place finish of the season. Thus far, every time Francis has competed in the 200m event, he has taken home the gold.
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<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 men’s shot put, another pattern emerged as freshman JL Van Rensburg grabbed his second first place finish of the season with a 60-3.25 mark, the fourth-best indoor performance
in Baylor program history. The South African freshman has medaled in all three meets he’s competed in with two first place and a third place finish.
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<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">The day began early as Baylor had two freshmen in Pablo Negre Smedema and Dexter Brice competing in the heptathlon for the first time this season. After the first day competing
in 60m, long jump, shot put and high jump, Smedema sits in 15<sup>th</sup> place with 2,567 points and Brice in 17<sup>th</sup> with 2,509 points. The two will return tomorrow to compete in the 60mH, pole vault and 1000m and wrap the heptathlon.
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<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">Beginning in the preliminary rounds of the 60m, all three women qualified with big Q’s as Royaltee Brown won her heat and finished fourth overall at 7.38. Michaela Francois
was right behind Brown in their heat to finish second and sixth overall at 7.44. Hannah Lowe also finished second in her heat and seventh overall at 7.44 to move on to the semifinals being conducted on Saturday.
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<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 men’s 60m prelims, freshmen Austen Diggs grabbed a new PB time of 6.87 to advance to the semifinals alongside RIcquan Graham at 6.90.
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<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">Demario Prince continued to have success in the 60-meter hurdle competition, as the sophomore won his heat and finished second overall at 7.86 to move on to the semifinals.
Freshman Kaylah Braxton also qualified to the semis in the women’s 60mH at 8.70.
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<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 200m alongside Francis who took home the title, Laurenz Colbert finished right behind the graduate student competing in the same heat and finished sixth overall at 21.20.
Diggs returned to the track with an eighth place finish at 21.26, just 0.02 seconds shy of his PB time.
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<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 freshmen ladies of Brown and Lowe had a solid performance in the women’s 200m. Brown grabbed a top-five finish in fifth place at 23.84 as Lowe earned a new PB time of 24.30
in 12<sup>th</sup> place. <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 field events, Van Rensburg carried with his shot put finish, but the jumpers also had a successful day. In the women’s long jump, Bella Copeland earned a new PB mark
at 18-2.25 to finish 15<sup>th</sup> overall. In the men’s pole vault, Parker Brannon grabbed a season-best mark of 16-2 to finish in ninth.
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<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">MIKE ON THE MIC<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">“Another solid meet for the small group of Bears competing Day One of the Charlie Thomas meet,” head coach Michael Ford said. “Congratulations to Demar in the 200m and JL in
the shot tonight. I was with the 60/60H all advancing to tomorrow semifinals. We have several personal best or season best today like Bella in the long jump, Parker in the men’s pole vault and Austen Diggs in the 200m and 60m just to name a few. Looking forward
to finishing up strong tomorrow.”<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">WHAT’S 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 to Aggieland for the final day of competition at the Charlie Thomas Invite with the heptathlon competition resuming at 11 a.m. and running events beginning
at 1:15 p.m. CT. <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"><a href="http://www.baylorbears/"><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:black">- BaylorBears</span></i></a><span class="MsoHyperlink"><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:black">.com</span></i></span><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:black">
-<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="layout-grid-mode:both"><b><span style="font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:#0F5C1A">Josie Hutton</span></b><span style="font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:black"> | Associate Director of Athletics Communications (FB, T&F/XC, MTEN) <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="layout-grid-mode:both"><span style="font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:black">Department of Athletics | Baylor University<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="layout-grid-mode:both"><span style="font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:black">C: (254) 709-7720<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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