Baylor TF Racks Five Wins in Day Two of Clyde Hart Classic
WACO, Texas – Baylor track and field closed the Clyde Hart Classic on Saturday evening at the Clyde Hart Track and Field Stadium. The squad combined for five wins on the day, including the men’s 4x100 and women’s 4x400-meter relays.
THE RUNDOWN
Ricquan Graham, Demar Francis, Kamden Jackson and De’montray Callis opened up the day for the Bears on the track in style, taking the win in the 4x100-meter relay behind a 39.78-second race. That squad featured Jackson and Callis, who both set the program record in the event at the 2022 NCAA Regional meet in Fayetteville, Ark.
Baylor’s last win of the day came from Imaobong Uko, Kavia Francis, Gontse Morake and Lily Williams on the track in the 4x400-meter relay. The group opened the season with a 3:34.40.
Dillon Bedell and Mariah Ayers swept the title in the quartermile on Saturday, as Bedell won the men’s event with a 46.27, while Ayers took the women’s title after 53.32 seconds. Williams was next up in the women’s race and was followed by Kourtney Kennard, while the men had Nicholi Brown finish ninth, Preston York 11th and Luke Anthony 28th.
Noah Monroy had a strong, late kick in the last 200 meters of the men’s 3,000-meter race, to take first place in the event. The transfer from UC San Diego clocked an 8:29.39, while Devin Duran followed in 10th at 9:12.45.
Senior Ben Conacher earned the silver medal from a jump-off in the pole vault competition on Saturday with a 17-2 ¾ clearance. Nate Butler finished fifth, followed by Luke Anthony in ninth.
In the women’s pole vault, Lillianna Ifft led the Bears for a fifth-place finish, while Kierstyn Ballard had her 2023 season debut for seventh place.
Jackson was the silver medalist in the men’s 100 meters, boasting a 10.31, before Graham finished in fifth, Aren Spencer in 17th and Nicolas Rodriguez in 26th.
There was a tie for silver in the women’s high jump between two Bears, as Aïcha Moumin and Moorea Long both crossed 5-6 successfully.
For two more silver medal finishes, Cole Hardan and Mikayla Long both took home second in their respective shot put competitions. Hardan hit 59-11 ¾ , leading Gary Moore Jr. in third and Cooper Mack in seventh. Long threw for 50-1 ¾ in the women’s competition.
Bria Bullard (11.71) led the Bears in fourth in the women’s 100 meters, leading Michaela Francois in fifth, Summer Sergeant in 11th, Koi Johnson in 16th and Nikayla Fitzgerald in 22nd.
Kade Hulett was the lone Bear finisher in the men’s 800 meters. In the women’s competition, Jackie Addy crossed in 10th, while Jordan Ledington was 13th, Alaina Zamorano was 14th and Kate Avery was 17th.
Brooke Botha finished sixth in the women’s javelin throw with a 118-9 fling, while Rylie Smith finished in ninth.
Ukurugenzi Kojo, a transfer from Ole Miss, made his green and gold debut with a seventh-place finish in the men’s high jump at 6-4 ¾.
The men’s 4x400 squad, who didn’t run any member of the NCAA Indoor All-American group, saw Jackson, Graham, York and Brown clock a 3:09.32 for third place.
QUOTABLE
Head coach Michael Ford
On the meet…
“I thought it was good. We got some rust off some kids that ran last at the Big 12 Indoor Championships. We needed to see where they were because next week, Texas Relays, it’s kind of like a mini-nationals. Even though they didn’t win, I was really happy with the men’s 4x400 relay. With the guys we had on there with sprinters, a walk-on quarter-miler and a walk-on 800-meter runner, I thought they ran well. I was impressed with the ladies, because we basically had three legs back from nationals on our relay. I was happy with Mariah [Ayers] and Dillon Bedell running a great quarter.”
WHAT’S NEXT
The Bears travel to Austin for the 95th Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays March 29-April 1.