By Payton Manis
On Thursday, April 23-25, the Tennessee Wesleyan Track and Field team attended the AAC Appalachian Track and Field Championship.
TWU started the weekend strong with running events on Friday.
The men’s team had 10 top 10 runners throughout the day. Kicking off the Bulldogs success was Adrian Nelka-Hernandez who placed 9th in the 10000 with a time of 36:41.99.
TWU’s 4×1 relay team was able to secure 3rd overall with runners Savir Fentye, KT Buchanan, Roni Bailey, and Matt Murphy, together they ran 40.82 seconds. The next relay was the 4×8 where TWU placed 8th with Noah Addison, Conner Craig, Jeremiah Jones, and Jack Headrick, who ran 8:50.76.
In the 100-meter dash Buchanan did what he knows how to take home 3rd place with a time of 10.37 seconds.
Murphey placed 7th in the 400-meter dash with a time of 49.79 seconds. Bailey also made the top 10 in the 400-meter dash, he ran a time of 50.03 securing him 9th overall.
Dakota Caldwell, with a strong finish to the day for the men’s running events, taking home the gold in the racewalk with a time of 26:17.69.
On the women’s side, the Bulldogs had nine top 10 finishers.
Starting the women off strong was the women’s 4×1 team consisting of Sariyah Cox, Mckenna Hubbard, Sheridan Cruz, and Joelle Bixby. The 4×1 team finished 6th overall with a time of 49.46 seconds. The next relay was the women’s 4×8 where Kaeylyn Pluta, Josephine Zeoli, Anna-Lise Kirton, and Victoria Verran finished 8th running a time of 12:09.17.
In the 400-meter dash Cox placed 5th by running a time of 59.02 seconds.
Finishing day for the women’s side running events was Lydia Weaver in the racewalk with a time of 40:42.35 scoring her 4th overall.
TWU’s men’s field athlete also got it done on Friday.
Murphy showing out in long jump with a jump of 6.61 meters earning him 6th overall.
The women’s side also made a statement in field events.
Starting with Lisa Schoen in shotput throwing 12.87 meters securing her 2nd. In long jump Payton Manis placed 9th with a mark of 4.79 meters. Schoen in javelin throwing 34.97 meters earning her 3rd overall. Manis made a statement in high jump by jumping 1.53 meters, landing her in 3rd overall.
The Bulldogs kept the energy up going into day three where Hernandez placed 5th overall in the steeplechase with a time of 10:21.20. Dontae Campbell showed off his skills in the 110 hurdles by running a 17.33 securing him 9th place.
Dani Meinsen did what he knows how to do in the 800-meter dash running 1:53.63 where he placed 5th. In the 200-meter dash, TWU had two top 10 athletes.
Buchanan placed 2nd running a time of 21.46 seconds and Murphy placed 6th with a time of 21.97 seconds.
In the 4×4 the Bulldogs, Buchanan, Bailey, Meinsen, and Murphy, finished 2nd overall with a time of 3:15.52.
On the women’s side there was one athlete who placed in the top 10 in a running event. Cox placed 9th overall in the 200-meter dash with a time of 26.13 seconds.
For the field events TWU had one top 10 finisher. Murphy finished 4th overall in triple jump with a mark of 13.88 meters.
TWU two top 10 field athletes on the women’s side. Schoen in discuss with a throw of 41.93 earning her 3rd place. In triple jump Manis finished 10th overall with a jump of 9.92 meters.
Photos by Dakota Caldwell
