THE FLATS – Yellow Jacket track & field opened up the first day of the Georgia Tech Invitational at Griffin Track on Friday evening. Tech laced it up against Alabama-Huntsville (M/W), Augusta (M/W), Boston College (M), Charleston Southern (M/W), Chattanooga (W), Clark Atlanta (W), Emory (M/W), Georgia Southern (W), Georgia State (W), Hillsdale College (M/W), Jacksonville State (W), Kennesaw State (M/W), Lee (M/W), Mississippi College (M/W), Transylvania Univ. (M) and Valdosta State (M/W).
The Jackets had six student-athletes collect gold in their respective events throughout the first day.
Senior distance runner Andrew Kent had a massive personal best in the men’s 1500m, coming in at 3:44.37 shattering his previous PR of 3:47.00 to take first. Freshman teammate Alex Thomas posted a time of 3:47.40 in the 1500m, continuing his excellent outdoor season.
Kent paced sophomore crewmate Harrison Morris to a 14:21.69 PR in the men’s 5k race, giving Morris his first collegiate career first-place finish. During the final lap he came in at just around 60 seconds, putting in a valiant effort in crunch time.
Sophomore Claire Moritz had another first-place showing in the steeplechase, this time coming in first in the 3000m event with a time of 10:43.51. On the men’s end of the 3000m steeplechase freshman Cole Miller recorded a mark of 9:19.10 to place second.Fellow senior distance runner Nicole Fegans registered a mark of 4:19.07 in the women’s 1500m to take first in her second best effort in that event this season.
A trio of Tech jumpers swept the podium in the women’s long jump, guided by the performances of sophomores Taylor Grimes (1st, 6.00m/19′ 18.25″) & Alexis Kitchens (2nd, 5.78m/18′ 11.75″), as well as freshman Onyinye Chukka (3rd, 5.71m/18′ 8.75″).
The women’s 5K crew had five Tech runners finish in the top-six, led by juniors Liz Galarza (1st, 16:37.64) and Mary Claire Solomon (2nd, 16:51.24). Sophomore Mary Kathryn Knott (4th, 17:16.38), along with true freshmen Kenzie Walls (5th, 17:18.88) and Katy Earwood (6th, 17:21.78) joined the duo in that event.
Grimes was back on the podium again as she placed second in the women’s 100m hurdles, crossing the finish line at 13.43. Senior sprinter Tyson Spears also collected a second-place performance in the men’s 100m with a time of 10.72. Classmate and thrower Mark Kimura Smith rounded out the podium efforts for Tech on day one, as he earned bronze in the men’s javelin hitting a distance of 52.42m.
Day two of the Georgia Tech Invitational gets underway with the women’s pole vault, women’s high jump and men’s triple jump events starting at noon (EST).
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