DAY 1 RECAP
MOREHEAD, Ky. – It was not quite the raging success of last Friday's PNC Bank Bellarmine Classic, but Friday and Saturday's PNC Lenny Lyles Invitational at the Norton Healthcare Sports & Learning Center in Louisville, Ky., had its fair share of standout moments for the Morehead State track & field team.
Twenty-nine Eagles were entered 35 times over 16 events and finished the weekend with 10 "pr's", including five on the final day.
"(It was a) solid weekend. It will be tough to have personal best every time, but we managed some," said MSU head coach
Clay Dixon. "The encouraging thing is that if someone did not run as fast as last week, they ran with a pretty close acceptable range of that. I was pleased, especially considering the weather we had last week and training modifications we had to do."
MSU had some of its best performances at the beginning and end of Saturday's competition.
In its first action on the track, freshman
Kyle Stepteau made an historic impact in the open 60-meter dash by finishing second in his heat in a close race with Tennessee State's Damon Jackson (6.99) and Bellarmine's Grant King (7.006), crossing the line in 6.998 for the third-fastest time in recorded school history. MSU's all-time leaders, Ed Whitehead (2002) and Todd Chisley (2007), both registered a 6.95.
Stepteau finished in 34th overall and 31st collegiately. He was one of five to finish in 7.00 officially, but he was fourth out of that group. Still, it was his "pr" by just over six-hundredths of a second.
"The 60m felt solid overall, I got out well and stayed composed through the line," he said.
He finished ahead of entries from Arkansas State, Bellarmine, Belmont, Eastern Kentucky, Lipscomb, Louisville, Marshall, Michigan State, Northern Kentucky, South Florida and Southern Illinois.
Three other Eagles also were in the event. Running his first collegiate 60m, freshman
Sam Afari crossed the line fifth in his heat in 7.055 for 48th overall and 43rd collegiately. He actually tied Northern Kentucky's Bash Hedger at 7.06, but Hedger crossed the line in 7.056. Sophomore
Mark Whitener followed by placing seventh in his heat, 65th overall and 59th collegiately in 7.23. Freshman
Luke Kelly was fifth in his heat and 68th overall (62nd collegiately) in 7.247. He lost the tiebreaker with Ashland's Jaiden Smith, who was clocked in 7.246.
The final event of the day was the women's open 5,000-meter run and like Stepteau, sophomore
Meredith Campbell made her presence known. She obliterated her "pr", finishing second in her heat and 15th overall in 17:56.46. It was a "pr" by nearly 27 seconds and moved her into 12th all-time at MSU. She was the highest-finishing Ohio Valley Conference runner, defeating five league foes, as well as individuals from Arkansas State, Eastern Kentucky, Jacksonville State, Southern Illinois and Western Kentucky.
"I wanted to just stick with the front girls and see where that got me for the first mile. I was going back and forth with second place and when I got around her, I was just trying to hang on," Campbell said of her race. "I really wanted to break 18 (minutes) and I didn't think I was going to get it but I saw how close I was the last lap and kicked it. I'm really happy with today and my effort in general."
The Eagles' day began with the open triple jump, the first time this season Morehead State competed in the event. Junior
Ginger Hayden placed fifth in her heat, 26th overall and 24th collegiately. Her leap of 10.91m/35'09.50" was the second longest of her Eagle career. She finished in a tie with Southern Illinois' Na'Kyrah Cooks, but Hayden's second-best mark of 10.58m/34'08.50" gained her the edge. Cooks' second-best effort was 10.30m/33'09.50". In both cases, the deciding mark came on the third jump.
In the women's open 60m, freshman
Kennedi Alford, the reigning Ohio Valley Conference Female Track Athlete of the Week, clocked a 7.83 to place 43rd overall (40th collegiately) and seventh in her heat.
In the open mile, senior
Kaylyn Holman led the way, nearly matching her time from last week of 5:09.80. She finished in 5:10.63 to place 51st overall (49th collegiately) and 10th in her heat. Freshman
Sydney Filippazzo continues to drop time as she set another "pr" by covering the course in 5:36.44. She was fourth in her heat, 88th overall and 85th collegiately; while junior
Lani Baskett was seventh in her heat, 90th overall and 87th collegiately in 5:37.57.
The men's open mile featured a flip of results from last weekend as freshman
Josh Arnett got the better of his matchup with sophomore
Liam Parido. Arnett finished in 63rd overall, 56th collegiately and won his heat with a "pr" of 4:19.39; while Parido was 79th overall, 70th collegiately and fifth in his heat with a "pr" of 4:21.75. Former Eagle Kyle Crady, who transferred to the University of the Cumberlands (Ky.) in December, was one spot back of Parido in 4:21.76. All three were in the same heat.
Sophomore
AJ Hawkins rounded out the group in 95th overall, 87th collegiately and 12th in his heat in 4:29.02. It was his first mile race as an Eagle. There were 127 entrants in total.
In the women's 4x400-meter relay, sophomore
Olivia Miles, Alford, freshman
Kalynn Pease and sophomore
Maryah Counts placed 28th in 4:02.30. Counts came from last place with 200 meters to go to finish second in the four-team heat.
In the men's 4x400m, Afari, Stepteau, freshman
Jayce Stewart and freshman
Kyler Witt were 19th in 3:23.68. It finished second to Alabama in its heat by six-tenths of a second. Texas A&M set the nation's top time to date in winning the overall event in 3:02.71.
"In the 4x4, I felt strong again and liked how we executed as a group against tough competition," Stepteau said. "Overall, it was a good day with some things the team and I can still clean up moving forward."
On Friday, there were still several standout performances but, unlike every meet to date, no records.
"Some good improvements and 'pr's', some not so great. (It) happens though. Not every race can be a 'pr'," Dixon said. "Kalynn (Pease) making it to finals in the long jump is big for this meet."
The Eagles competed in eight events and registered four "pr's", Afari in the 200-meter dash, Combs in the 400-meter dash and sophomore
Weston Blair in the 800-meter run.
Although she did not match her school record performance in her last effort in the long jump, Pease qualified for the finals of the 71-person event, before finishing ninth (eighth collegiately). Competing in the fourth flight, Pease entered the finals sitting ninth after reaching 18'08.75"/5.71m on her third attempt but could not better her performance on her last three jumps.
Her result bettered the top results of athletes from Arkansas State, Cincinnati, Dayton, Grand Valley State, Jacksonville State, Kennesaw State, Lindenwood, Louisville, Marshall, Miami (Ohio), Middle Tennessee, Northern Kentucky, South Florida, Southern Illinois, Tennessee State and UT Martin. Louisville's Eve Divinity won the competition with a top distance of 6.34m/20'09.75".
Counts started the day with a promising result in the 400m. She recorded a time of 58.75, slicing 14-hundredths of a second off her "pr" and finishing 12th overall in the 43-member "C" Division competition.
"Overall, I think my race was well (run). I had good competition with a girl who ran a 56 in my heat, so my goal was to just keep close to them and not lose my stride," Counts said. "I tried something new this race, which was getting out of the blocks faster and then kicking at the last 150 (meters). But the race itself, I felt a lot better than the ones prior."
Counts was the top performing Ohio Valley Conference runner in the event, while also beating entries from Dayton, Eastern Kentucky, Indiana, Jacksonville State, Louisville, Marshall, Miami (Ohio) and Western Kentucky. She was fourth in the third heat.
Sophomore
Olivia Miles narrowly missed setting her "pr" after placing 32nd in 1:00.22. She was fourth in her heat as well.
In the men's open 800m, Blair finished sixth in his heat and 33rd overall (32nd collegiately) in 1:55.06, a 67-hundredth of a second drop off his race last Friday at the PNC Bank Bellarmine Classic. There were 82 runners in the field. An Eagle in the fall before transferring at the semester, Kyle Crady won Heat 7 and finished 49th overall in 1:56.91.
"It felt good to get another 'pr'. I was lucky where I got put into a pretty fast heat to where I knew if I was just able to hang around with everybody, I'd be able to run another pretty quick time," Blair said. "(The) race went out. It was quick. I settled in try to make a little bit of a move at the end. (I) got tripped up a little bit. There was a lot of people right there together but (I) was able to still run a pretty fast time. (I) would've liked it to be a little bit quicker, but it is what it is. (I) really just need take this, (there's a) little less than a month till we're back at the same spot for the OVC, so (I) really gotta work hard to where we can have another big 'pr' when we're back there for conference."
Freshman
Jesus Mendoza-Solis also bettered his time from last week's effort at the Bellarmine meet, finishing third in his heat and 71st overall (70th collegiately) in 2:01.09. It was his collegiate "pr".
In the women's open 800m, Holman made her first appearance this year in the event and placed 30th overall in 2:19.75. She was the second-highest finishing OVC runner in the event, while also bettering 12 other OVC entrants, including MSU juniors
Emily Spradlin, who was on one-hundredth of a second off her "pr" after recording a 2:31.07 and placing 69th overall (68th collegiately) and
Adi Fuller, who covered the course in 2:32.19 and claimed 71st overall (70th collegiately). Holman was third in her heat, with Spradlin sixth and Fuller eighth. There were 78 total entrants.
Afari cut six hundredths of a second off his "pr", winning his heat and placing fifth overall in the "C" Division 200m. Kennesaw State's Ca'Von Lucas won the race in 21.49. There were 65 individuals in the event, with Afari the highest finishing of the 14. He beat every runner from Alabama, Arkansas State, Belmont, Cincinnati, Indiana, Lipscomb, Marshall, Miami (Ohio), Middle Tennessee, Northern Kentucky and Western Kentucky.
Stepteau was 35th in 22.60 (22.600). He fell one-hundredth of a second out of 32nd, falling in a tie with Southeast Missouri's Jackson Witvoet, who also covered the course in 22.60 (22.591 when carried out to the thousandth of a second). Freshman
Luke Kelly tied for 48th in 22.95. He too was involved in a four-person tie, claiming second out of the group in 22.945. UT Martin's Ja'Kobe Ward placed 47th in 22.943. Tennessee State's Damon Jackson also was 48th in 22.945 and UT Martin's Isaac Boles was 50th in 22.950. Stepteau finished third in his heat, with Kelly fifth in his.
In the women's 67-runner "C" Division 200m, Alford was ninth overall in 25.04. Pease placed 54th in 26.45. Alford was the top OVC finisher and beat entries from Arkansas State, Bellarmine, Cincinnati, Dayton, Eastern Kentucky, Grand Valley State, Indiana, Jacksonville State, Kennesaw State, Lipscomb, Louisville, Marshall, Middle Tennessee, Miami (Ohio), Northern Kentucky, South Florida and Western Kentucky. Alford was second in her heat to Michigan State's Elizabeth Anderson (24.80). Pease was third in her heat.
Morehead State had five entries in the open 3,000-meter run. Senior
Abby Taylor had the best finish of the bunch, placing 45th (44th collegiately) in a season-best 10:44.84. Seven days ago, she covered the distance in 10:57.34. She was 14th in her heat. There were 60 total runners.
Among the men, graduate student
Aidan Massey was the top finisher of a loaded field that included 100 total entrants. He placed ninth in his heat, 49th collegiate and 51st overall in 8:32.97. Sophomore
Ryan Richendollar also was ninth in his heat, 80th collegiately and 87th overall in 9:13.12. Junior
Aidan Whitsell was 12th in his heat, 83rd collegiately and 90th overall in 9:22.87, with freshman
Lance Garner 13th in his heat, 85th collegiately and 92nd overall in 9:26.25.
Morehead State will have its third meet in three weeks next weekend when the team travels to Marshal for the third time this season. The Marshall Jewel City Invitational will take place on Friday, Feb. 6 and Saturday, Feb. 7 in Huntington, W.Va. It will be the final meet of the regular season, with the OVC Indoor Championships coming up on February 24-25 back at the Norton Center in Louisville.
