BRISTOL, Tenn. – Milligan University's men's and women's outdoor track and field programs sent athletes to compete at both the Raleigh Relays and the King Invitational this weekend, closing out both meets on Saturday. The majority of the Buff squad was in action at the King Invitational, where the squad turned in a strong two-day performance highlighted by multiple event victories and a wave of personal best times. Meanwhile, at the Raleigh Relays,the Buffs closed out their weekend with
Ellen-Mary Kearney returning to the track in the women's 800m and Marti Molins and
Carter Windham capping things off in the men's 800m.
Raleigh Relays
Milligan wrapped up its three-day stint at the Raleigh Relays on Saturday with strong performances from all three athletes.
Kearney closed out her weekend on the track in the women's 800m, finishing 62nd out of 172 runners in a loaded field with a time of 2:11.16.
On the men's side, Marti Molins and
Carter Windham capped off the three-day event in the men's 800m against a field of 193 elite competitors. Molins put together a blazing 1:51.69 to finish in the top 50, a mark that also hit the NAIA B qualifying standard in the event. Windham was right behind him with a time of 1:55.51 to close out Milligan's weekend at the Raleigh Relays.
RESULTS
King Invitational
The Buffs carried their day one momentum into the final day of the King Invitational on Saturday, turning in a strong showing across the track and field events. Day two got off to a great start in the field events, as
Phillip Lotivio claimed first place in the discus with a throw of 31.02m, while
Reese Pesterfield was right behind him in third at 29.46m and
Landon York rounded out the top six at 26.21m.
Faith Helton also got things started strong on the women's side, claiming first place in the javelin with a throw of 29.30m.
The Milligan men continued their strong showing with a one-two finish in the 110m hurdles, as
Brayden Simpson took the top spot with a time of 14.67, while
Kenny Carlton was right behind him in second at 15.34.
In the 400m hurdles, York continued to impress by claiming first place with a time of 15.81. Pesterfield finished third at 16.99,
Jordyn Winegar-Collis rounded out the top five in fifth at 17.06 and Lotivio came away with a personal best in eighth at 17.19.
The men's 800m was a highlight of the day, as Milligan put six runners in the top 12.
Luis Peralta led the way with a first-place finish at 1:52.20, while
Granville Sexton came away with a personal best in seventh at 2:00.34.
Mick Stokes finished ninth at 2:00.69,
Jaiden Carmichael was 10th at 2:00.97,
Evan Holbrook 11th at 2:01.00 and
Caleb Greene rounded out the group in 12th at 2:01.12.
The men's 4x400m relay team of
Kaleb Spears, Carlton, Peralta and Simpson closed out the day with a runner-up finish
On the women's side,
Aleah Soderman and
Jade Mansogo put together a one-two finish in the 100m hurdles, with Soderman taking the top spot at 16.32 and Mansogo right behind her at 16.42.
The women's 800m was another strong event for the Lady Buffs, with four runners in the top seven.
McKenzie Fitzgerald led the pack with a runner-up finish at 2:20.04,
Joanna Halterman came away with a personal best in fourth at 2:24.05,
Morgan Wilson posted a personal best in fifth at 2:24.33 and
Isabelle Johnson earned a season best in seventh at 2:25.46.
Mansogo added a third-place finish in the 400m at 1:10.16 to round out another strong individual performance on the day.
The Lady Buffs capped off the day in style, as the 4x400m relay team of
Gabriella Hoover,
Sophia Jeffers, Johnson and
Kerigan Lewis claimed the top spot with a winning time of 4:21.08.
Following the conclusion of all Decathlon events, Milligan's Lotivio became the new program record holder in the event, scoring a school-best 5921 points to take home the event crown for the Buffaloes.
RESULTS
Next up for the Track and Field program is a trip to Brevard, N.C. for the Tornado Classic that will take place on Friday, April 3.
