March 21, 2013
Meet Central | Heat Sheets | Live Results
WACO, Texas - After claiming 12 event titles in the first meet of the outdoor season, the Baylor track and field team will look to continue its success while hosting the Baylor Quad Invitational on Friday at the Hart-Patterson Track and Field Complex.
"It is always nice to be home," head coach Todd Harbour said. "This meet will give our newcomers a chance to compete at our facility in preparation for the Big 12 Championships. I don't think we have ever walked away from a home meet where we were disappointed, so we are definitely excited to be at home as opposed to traveling somewhere."
The single-day meet also features North Texas, SFA and TCU, along with SMU women's squad. Baylor is ranked No. 13 on the women's side in the latest USTFCCCA rankings, while the men are listed at 28th.
The invitational meet will open on Friday morning with the start of javelin competition at 11 a.m. Running events begin at 1:30 p.m. and conclude at 5:20 p.m. with the running of the 4x400-meter relays.
Last week at the TCU Invitational, Baylor was led by its throwers. Erin Atkinson won the hammer throw event with a school-record toss of 207-9 [63.32m]. That mark currently is second-best in the NCAA.
In the discus, senior Skylar White took top honors with a heave of 175-4 [53.44m], which ranks third in the country this season.
On the men's side, Desmine Hilliard was third in the discus with the second-best effort in school history at 182-1 [55.51m]. The sophomore sits in eighth place in the NCAA listings.
Javelin thrower Blake Mayberry, competing in his first meet with the Bears posted a throw of 207-7 [63.27m] to earn first-place honors.
Other Baylor athletes, who are among the NCAA's top 20 include: Ashley Fields, who is second in the 200-meters after winning the TCU Invitational crown in 22.98. In that same race Justise Dayries (23.45) was fourth, but is currently sitting in sixth in the NCAA.
In the quarter mile, freshman Isaiah Duke is ninth with a time of 47.59 that won him last week's event. Junior Joe Barb was third a week ago and now has the 15th-best time in the country in 47.88.
Christina Holland owns the nation's best time in the 400-meter hurdles (59.17), after taking the top spot at the TCU meet. At the shorter hurdle distance, freshman Taije Jordan boasts the country's 19th-fastest time of 13.80, while Bryce Grace owns the seventh-best mark in the 110-hurdles at 14.05.
Both of Baylor's 4x400-meter relay teams opened the outdoor season strong with victories last week in Fort Worth. Now the BU women (Idia Omogiate, Fields, Holland, Raena Rhone) sit in the nation's sixth spot with a mark of 3:41.49.
The BU men's quartet of Justin Allen, Duke, Barb and Richard Gary are third-best in 3:10.06.
Sophomore Kaitlin West was second in the triple jump with a personal-best leap of the 40-2 [12.24m]. She is now ranked 16th in the country.
Along with current Bears, former Baylor All-Americans Marcus Boyd, Zwede Hewitt and Jeremy Wariner will all be in action this Friday. Just last month, Wariner and Boyd took first and second, respectively, at the USA Indoor Championships in the 400-meters.
After hosting Friday's meet, Baylor will take part in the Texas Relays, which begin on March 27.
A complete schedule, heat sheets and live results from the meet can be accessed on BaylorBears.com.
Admission to the meet is $5 with gates opening at 10 a.m.
Follow @BaylorTrack on Twitter for updates on the team all season.
