March 20, 2004
Complete Results
WACO, Texas - The Baylor track & field team got the outdoor season off on the right foot as the Bears hosted the Dr Pepper Invitational Saturday at Hart-Patterson Track & Field Complex.
The men's mile relay (4x440) team of freshman Kevin Mutai, sophomores Jamen Saziru and Jeremy Wariner and junior Darold Williamson coasted to victory, but still blew away the NCAA regional qualifying mark with a time of 3:07.05. The women's mile relay of freshmen Rena Napolean and Lauren Tillman and juniors Danielle Myricks and Lakadron Ivery also won and had a regional qualifying mark of 3:43.30.
Junior Jessa Chance cruised to the 1,500-meter title by clocking 4:34.41, while junior Jason Baker (3:58.05) and sophomore Rob Morrow (3:59.02) finished 1-2 in the event on the men's side. Junior Danielle Myricks had a regional qualifying time of 60.04 to win the 400 hurdles.
The Bears took the Top-3 spots in the 400 meters with Napolean (55.24), junior Jasmine Opusunju (55.77) and sophomore Shanta Bibbs (56.39). Ivery clocked an NCAA regional qualifying time of 11.67 to win the 100 meters, and sophomore Mary Pearce won the 800 with a time of 2:11.85.
Baylor took second through fourth places in the 800 meters with Mutai (1:52.36), junior Korey Wright (1:53.52) and freshman Bo Price (1:55.87).
Sophomore Marquisha Sefas (24.35) and junior Elizabeth Wilson (24.61) finished 2-3 in the 200, while Saziru (21.71) finished second on the men's side.
Junior April Holliness followed up her NCAA Indoor All-American performance last weekend by winning the long jump with a mark of 21-0 ? and added an NCAA regional qualifying mark of 40-6 ? to win the triple jump. Sophomore Mercy Wagner won the pole vault with a mark of 10-4.
Freshman Dominique Zeigler won high jump with a best leap of 6-6 ?, and finished third in the long jump by posting a 23-11. Freshman Blake Havran won the hammer throw with a mark of 118-3, and Chris Cardwell placed second at 112-7.
It was also an impressive day for former Baylor track athletes as Debbie Thornhill set the Masters record in the 3,000 meters with a time of 9:33.46. Seniors Megan McCoin (10:03.17) and Erin Dixon (10:11.60) finished 1-2 in the event, since Thornhill's finish does not count as a place. Assistant coach Stacey Smith, formerly Bowers and the American record holder in the triple jump, posted a mark of 44-0 ?.
Friday night at the College Station Multis, senior Jordan Willmann finished sixth while scoring 5,205 points in the heptathlon for a regional qualifying total.
The Bears return to action at the UTA Invitational Saturday, March 27 in Arlington, Texas.
