BALTIMORE, Md. – The UMBC track and
field teams split up this weekend with multiple athletes exceling
at both the Duke Invitational in Durham, N.C. and the Liberty
Collegiate Invitational in Lynchburg, Va.
At Duke, freshman Mercedes Jackson (Huntington, Md./Huntington)
continued her amazing rookie campaign by claiming victory in the
200m (24.20) and placing third in the 100m (11.90). In
addition, she combined with Ebonique Jones (New Castle, Del./William
Penn), Briana Young (Bowie, Elizabeth Seton)
and Imani Colbert (Upper Marlboro, Md./C.H.
Flowers) to break a school record and take top honors in the 4x100m
relay. The team's time of 47.07 breaks the UMBC record
of 47.18 set two years ago in 2010.
Young also took seventh in the 400m dash to move into fifth
all-time in school history with a time of
57.52. Sophomore Kirsten Jones (Brentwood, Tenn./M.L.K. Magnet) was
just behind, taking eighth and placing sixth on the school list
running the track in 57.55.
Multiple distance runners placed themselves on the all-time list
as well including sophomore Cody Mezebish (Westminster, Md./South Carroll) who
ran the fourth-fastest time in school history in the 800m
(2:16.34). Classmate Kirsten McGovern (Sykesville, Md./Century) and
freshman Julie Gessler (Ellicott City, Md./Institute of
Notre Dame) each ran personal-bests in the 10000m run to now place
seventh (38:48.54) and eighth (39.35.97), respectively.
In the hurdles, freshman Paulette Fogle (Washington, D.C./Bishop McNamara)
ran the second-fastest time in UMBC history while placing ninth in
the 400m hurdles (1:03.12).
For the men, distance runners TJ
Cowing (Severna Park, Md./Severna Park) and Tommy
Eldridge (Rocky River, Ohio/Rocky River) now rank second
(31:06.10) and fifth (31:36.40), respectively, in the 10000m
run.
In Virginia, multiple field athletes took top-10 finishes and
moved up of the school lists as well.
Senior Laura Walker (Eldersburg, Md./Liberty) broke her
own school record while finishing fourth in the pole vault at
Liberty, clearing a height of 3.35m (10'11.75). Walker
had previously set the school mark last year at a height of
3.15m.
Classmate Chrissy Robinson (Lusby, Md./Patuxent) also had a
record breaking day, setting a new personal-best in the discus and
finishing eighth in the competition. The senior moved
into third all-time with a toss of 41.16m (135'0").
Thrower Aaron
Brooks (Upper Marlboro, Md./DeMatha) paced the men's squad
taking two top-five finishes in the discus and shot
put. His throw of 47.21m (154'11") earned him third in
the discus while a toss of 15.01m (49'3") garnered him fourth in
the shot.
Junior Cameron
McDearmon (Owings Mills, Md./Franklin) and
sophomore Ray Stinsman
III (Mt. Laurel, N.J./Lenape) both bettered their standing
in the school record book with personal-bests in the hammer
throw. McDearmon took fifth place and moved to third in UMBC
history with a throw of 52.01m (170'8") while Stinsman finished
eighth at Liberty and is now seventh at UMBC with a mark of 48.91m
(160'05").
The UMBC track and field teams have a quick turnaround as they
head south once again to compete at the Sea Ray Relays beginning on
Wednesday. The four-day meet on the campus of the
University of Tennessee runs each day through Saturday.
