https://ucasports.com/news/2019/12/6/mens-track-and-field-criner-hanson-atkins-patton-pace-bears-in-season-opener.aspx?path=mtrackThe Birmingham Southern meet is one the very earliest indoor track meets and the Crossplex is a class venue. Ajah Criner off to a very good start in W60m; great to see Alex Hanson back and apparently healthy with a 4:12 mile for a UCA indoor record. Zach Jewell ran a very fine M60m.....within reach of NCAA indoor qualifying time.....
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The University of Central Arkansas men's and women's track & field teams travel to Birmingham, Alabama, to open the 2019-20 campaign at the BSC Panther Icebreaker.
Jordan Atkins, Alex Hanson and Aidan Patton led the men as they each produced the best marks in UCA history for their respective events. Atkins collected a third-place finish in the 60-meter hurdles. Hanson placed third in the mile. Patton put his name on the top of the list in the weight throw and finished in sixth.
Ajah Criner paced the women's team with a victory in the 60m final. The men's and women's teams combined for a total of
33 personal-best marks in the season opener at the Birmingham CrossPlex.
Atkins recorded a third-place finish in the 60m-hurdles with a career-best time of 8.10 and put his name at the top of the UCA record books in the process. Timon Dresselhaus finished in eighth place with a mark of 8.61.
In the mile run,
Hanson was the first Bear across the line and posted the fastest time in program history with a mark of 4:12.70. Max Nores (4:24.73) and Walter Reed (4:43.50) each produce the fastest times in their careers.
UCA sent three runners into the 800m field and nearly went a perfect three-for-three on the podium. Ryan Yarde led the field with an effort of 1:56.72. Niklas Iking brought home second place with a career-best run of 1:57.47. Jesse Applewhite added the best time of his career and finished with a fourth-place mark of 1:58.01.
Zachary Jewell notched a podium finish as he placed second in the 60m with a run of 6.85. In the semifinals, Logan Murray (6.99) and Johnathan Blair (7.04) each recorded a personal-best time.
Thomas Cain led the men's team in the 3,000m with a run of 8:51.98 and placed 10th. Tate Whaley (9:19.81) and Calvin Allen (9:21.45) added personal-best marks as they placed 20th and 22nd, respectively.
The men's 4x400 relay team of Jewell, Bruce White, Luis Colon, and Dresselhaus finished in sixth with a combined time of 3:26.33. The squad of Luke Anthony, Johnson Adegbite, Tanner Manasco, and Blair posted a group effort of 3:33.89 and placed ninth.
Adegbite led UCA with a career-best time of 22.34 and placed fifth men's 200m. Bruce White (51.11) and Tanner Manasco (53.27) picked up the best time of their careers in the men's 400m.
Patton recorded the top mark in program history for the weight throw with a personal-best toss of 14.77m and brought home sixth. Timquorian Johnson posted a fourth-place mark in the triple jump with a career-best leap of 14.33m.
Criner led the 60m final's field with a run of 7.57 and claimed the only individual event victory for the women's team.
Sierra Temple recorded a career-best mark of 7.66 in the prelims, which was the fourth-best time, but did not run in the semifinals.
Jordan Brock picked up a fifth-place finish in the 800m with a run of 2:19.99.
La Laylah Pleasant (9.06) and Ayana Harris (9.12) notched career-best times in the 60m hurdles semifinals.
Tyler Rose led UCA in the 400m with the 13th-best time of 59.21. Megan Lee (1:03.53) notched the fastest mark of her career.
Z'Kiah Kuykendall led the Bears in the 200m with a 29th-place finish. Laterrica Thomas (26.41) and Kayla Scott (26.92) each produced the best marks on their careers.
The team of Criner, Rose, Lee, and Taylor Coleman finished with a combined time of 3:58.49 and placed third in the women's 4X400 relay. The squad of Thomas, Demicya Griffin, Scott and Taylor Conway finished in fifth with a group effort of 4:06.33.
Lyndsey Hover placed inside the top-10 in the women's pole vault with a career-best height of 3.25m. Coleman produced a career -best leap of 11.67m and finished the triple jump in seventh place.
The Bears make a return trip to Birmingham on Jan. 17-18, 2020, for the Samford Invite.
From the Coach – Head Coach Richard Martin
"As a whole we did well for our first meet. We still have a lot to work on. Our freshmen did an outstanding job, as well as our returners. We still have a long way to go. I told them to make sure they work out over the break because that is important for continued improvements. We had three school records today and that's a solid start to our season with Jordan Atkins in the 60m hurdles, Alex Hanson in the mile, and Aidan Patton in the weight throw."
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