LYNCHBURG, Va. — Freshman Caleb Dean (60H) and senior Kameron Jones (500m) both set personal bests and new top-10 all-time marks in their respective events Saturday at the Darius Dixon Memorial Meet.
Dean set two consecutive personal bests within one hour between semifinals and finals. He set his first best in semifinals with a 8.09 finish, and shaved off .06 seconds in finals to take home fifth place and a new No. 7 all-time Terp finish (8.03).
Kameron Jones led the 500m race from the gun, posting a personal-best No. 2 all-time finish of 1:02.59.
The men's 4x400m relay team of Jones, Dean, Joseph Ewan and Maxwell Myers took home a No. 3 all-time finish of 3:13.41. The team, composed of three freshman and a senior, worked together to take home silver medals. Each one of the men hold at least one top-10 all-time title in an individual running event.
Mackenzie Morgan set a No. 9 all-time finish and personal best in the 1000m (2:52.91). As a sophomore, Morgan now holds top-10 all-time titles in three different races.
Women:
Nadia Hackett and Chloe Royce opened day two of the meet in the 60m hurdles. Hackett took first place in her heat (8.55) and auto-qualified for finals. Her finish in finals was good for a fourth-place finish. Royce ran a semifinal qualifying time of 9.14, and she continued to put in work for her pentathlon events, tying for second place in the high jump, with a mark of 1.63m.
Bria Mack and Jaida Smith were seeded with times that allowed them to auto qualify for the 60m semi final round, crossing the line in 7.72 and 7.75 respectively. Cheyenne Jones showed her speed this week in the 200m, crossing the line with a 25.08 finish.
Christine Laurie set a season-best 800m time of 2:16.62, good for a ninth-place finish. Imani Gray sprinted to the finish in her 400m heat with a personal best time of 58.10.
The mile run set the tone on the track, as the opening event for distance races. Senior Paige Novak set a season best 5:14.54 in the race.
Freshman Alexandra Hargrett set a personal best in her 1000m ( 3:03.95) along with junior Emily McAllister, who finished in 3:10.87.
Anna Coffin and Kathryn Gearhart closed the day for individual races in the 3000m run. Coffin ran a season best 10:01.46 and took home fifth after a strong kick to the finish in the last 400m. Gearhart finished within the top-10 (10:09.70).
Leah Blackall jumped 12.15m among a competitive field in the Triple Jump. The senior has been a steady force finishing in scoring positions at all of her competitions this season. Jaida Smith entered the long jump for the second time in her career and posted a mark of 5.38m.
Sarah George and Kamryn Henderson followed their successful performances from day one in weight throw, with shot put. George was among the top-10 throwers at the meet (13.28m).
The Maryland women's 4x400m relay team pieced together a strong finish. The team included Gray, Jones, Royce and Morgan.
Men:
Freshman Gerald Norgbe and senior Chris Speiss opened the field for the men. Norgbe took home sixth in the triple jump (13.96m), while Spiess vaulted across the bar set at 4.73m. Spiess cleared the height on his first attempt and set a season-best mark.
Senior Brady Snelson set a personal best 4:27.28 time in the mile, as he closed in on the pack of runners in the last 50m. William Jones also competed in the mile (4:31.83).
Ewan dashed across the 60m semi final line in 6.95. Freshman Nick Cross joined him in the semifinals with a 6.97 time. Both competitors were within the top-10 60m dash runners at the meet. Cross also competed in the 200m dash later in the day.
Myers made his 800m debut running 1:56.23 and taking home a ninth-place finish. Freshman, Chase McGeehan also ran the 800m.
Maryland returns to the track Friday Feb. 21 at Navy for the Navy Select in Annapolis, Md.
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