The Emory University men's and women's track & field each posted solid finishes at the Lee Flames Invitational in Cleveland, TN over the weekend.
The Eagles women's track & field team finished in ninth place scoring 31.5 points over the course of the two-day meet. Lee University took home gold posting a score of 108 points. The men's track & field team finished with 13.5 points for a 17th place finish. Division-II foe Alabama-Huntsville finished atop the podium with 111 points.
On the track for the women, junior Annika Urban finished the 5,000m run in a time of 17:00.46 which marks a new program record for the Eagles, surpassing her previous record of 17:03.81 that she set last April. Urban's time is the eleventh best time in the nation to this point in the season according to TFRRS. Senior Bella Racette finished just behind Urban in the 5,000m run crossing the finish line in 17:05.09 which is the third fastest time in program history. Freshman Savannah Haushalter posted the best time of her young collegiate career in the 3,000m steeplechase posting a time of 11:36.74 which is the 29th best time of any individual in the nation. The 4x400 relay team of freshman Dashiel Tao Harris, sophomore Libby Ranocha, freshman Kaya Binetti and junior Claire Evans scored four points for the Eagles registering a time of 4:02.18 to earn a sixth-place finish. Evans also recorded a time of 1:05.56 in the 400m hurdles to earn a fifth-place finish at the meet.
On the field for the women, freshman Sarah Fineman posted scoring distances for the Eagles in both the shot put and discus. Fineman posted a distance of 12.06m in the shot put which was good for a third-place finish while she registered a mark of 32.69m in the discus throw to finish in sixth at the meet. Junior Ticia King and freshman Alex Feurer tied for sixth in the pole vault each reaching a height of 3.15m.
On the track for the men, senior Spence Moore had a standout day competing in the 3,000m steeplechase where he registered a time of 9:18.67 to finish in fourth place. Moore's time is the eighth best time in program history and currently sits as the twelfth best time in the nation this season. Senior Thomas Perretta crossed the finish line in 1:54.64 in the 800m run which stands as the 29th fastest time of any individual in the country at this point in the season. Sophomore Tristan Olpin finished the 5,000m run in 14:49.29 which marks the best time of any Eagle this season. The 4x400 relay team of sophomore Dawit Dean, senior Tommy Davis, Perretta and freshman Jackson Price finished in fifth place with a time of 3:23.65 which is the 24th fastest time in the nation this season.
On the field for the men, graduate student Maxwell Prizant recorded a new personal and season best height of 4.35m in the pole vault which sits atop the conference. Senior Chris Jernigan scored two points for the Eagles with his 47.00m, seventh place finish in the javelin throw at the meet. Freshman John Zhai finished just outside of scoring position with a distance of 13.23m in the triple jump event.
The Eagles return to action on Friday, April 15th as they travel to Rome, GA for the Berry College Field Day which marks the last meet before postseason begins the following weekend with the conference championships in St. Louis, MO.