MOREHEAD, Ky. – Those at the Tom Samuels Track in Richmond, Ky., on Friday might have witnessed the single greatest individual performance in Morehead State athletic history.
Freshman
Kalynn Pease set three school records at the EKU Invitational as part of a dominant effort by the Eagle outdoor track and field team in its season opener.
Consider:
Pease began the day leading off the 4x100-meter relay, which along with sophomore
Olivia Miles, sophomore
Maryah Counts and freshman
Kennedi Alford finished in a dead heat at 47.42 with Chicago State, requiring the timing to be taken to the hundredth of a second to determine the winner. Unfortunately, that honor went to the Cougars (47.411 to 47.413). Still, the 47.413 was the fastest ever at MSU, breaking the old record of 48.78 set in 2021.
Pease returned about an hour and 25 minutes later to run the 100-meter dash, in which she finished second in 11.75, besting the old mark of 11.81 set in 2021.
She then turned to the long jump and obliterated her own record of 19'04.00" with a top leap of 19'10.25" to win that event by a foot and one and one-quarter inches. She went over the six-meter mark on her second attempt but hit the winning jump on her sixth.
"I feel like there's definitely more to give still this season but it was a great opener. I've been hitting everything I need to at practice in order to be at the point I am right now," Pease said. "I Just got to keep pushing through and executing so I can perform how I need to at OVC."
As amazing as Pease's individual accomplishments were, she was just one of multiple standouts for the Blue and Gold. Against just collegiate competition, Eagle athletes had a top-four finish in 12 of their 17 events.
Pease was not the only record-setter as junior triple jumper
Ginger Hayden broke her own mark by just over a foot in finishing second in 37'05.25"/11.41m. Hayden also made a splash in the long jump, claiming third and tying her "pr" of 17'11.75"/5.48m, which is fourth on MSU's all-time performers' list.
The men's 4x100m relay team of sophomore
Mark Whitener, freshman
Sam Afari, freshman
Luke Kelly and freshman
Kyle Stepteau nearly set a school record in its race after placing second in 42.09. It was MSU's second- fastest 400-meter relay and the best in 20 years, falling short of the record by 45-hundredths of a second. The University of Charleston won the event in 41.46.
More information to be available later.
