UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Terps kicked off the 2019 indoor season with a personal best and a victory in the triple jump for Leah Blackall and in the men's 600m run for Kameron Jones and four additions to the Maryland all-time list Saturday at the Nittany Lion Challenge. The first competition of the 2019 season included Big Ten opponent Penn State as well as squads from Army, Bucknell, Georgetown, Pittsburgh, Point Park, UConn and Virginia.

Highlights

Junior Leah Blackall set a personal best in the triple jump at 12.36m (40'6 ¾"), good for first in the event and fourth on Maryland's all-time list.

Senior Jewel Smith set a mark of 6.16m (20' 2 ½") in the long jump, earning her second in the event, an indoor personal best, and fourth in the history books at the University of Maryland.

Maryland's freshman sprinters impressed in their first outing as Terps with Cameron Vereen taking fourth in the men's 60m dash with a 6.90 and Jaida Smith earning third in the women's 60m dash with a 7.59.  His time of 6.89 in the prelims moves Vereen into a tie for the fifth spot on the Maryland all-time list and puts Smith in the seventh position all-time.

Kameron Jones took first in the 600m run with a time of 1:17.51. Jones currently holds the school record in this event.  Teammates Hazem Miawad and TJ Bleichner finished seventh in this event with a 1:20.30 and a 1:21.59, respectively.

Women

Sophomore Cheyenne Jones ran 25.19 in the 200m dash, earning her seventh overall. Freshman Imani Gray finished just a step behind her, finishing in eighth with a 25.29.  Gray also competed in the 60m dash posting a mark of 7.80.  Transfer Venida Fagan ran 7.84 in the 60m dash and came back on the 4x400m relay squad.

Brittany Lang started her season off well running 5:03.96 in the mile, finishing in sixth place overall. 

Freshman Mackenzie Morgan finished fifth in the 600m run with a 1:35.88. Sophomore, Christine Laurie opened up her season running 2:58.82 in the 1000m run.  Junior Paige Novak ran a 3:03.20 in the 1000m run. 

Sophomore Nadia Hackett finished fourth in the in the 60m hurdles with a final time of 8.70.  Senior, Thaila Cooper also competed in the 60m hurdles in addition to doubling back in the 4x400m relay.

Junior transfer Mikella Lefebvre-Oatis took second in the high jump clearing 1.71m (5'7 ¼").

In the throws, Sophomore Bayli Smith finished seventh in the weight throw with a 16.36m throw.  Freshman Kamryn Henderson finished 10^th in the shot put with a 12.10m throw.

Men

Greg Thompson qualified for finals and finished sixth in the men's shot put competition throwing 16.18m (53'1"). 

Senior Ryan Scott took fifth in the 800m run with a 1:57.39. Hazem Miawad doubled back to run 1:59.65, good for 10^th.

Senior Andrew Alfano hit a mark of 6.78m in the long jump, landing him in fourth place overall in the event.

Maryland track and field will return to action January 19^th at the Michigan Invitational in Ann Arbor, Mich.

-Terps-