Wildcats win four events, collect 19 personal bests at Kittley Invitational

Track & Field | 4/9/2016 8:22:00 PM

Results

ABILENE - At its long-awaited first home meet of the outdoor season, Abilene Christian track and field celebrated four event victories and eight additional NCAA Division I triumphs over Texas Tech and Sam Houston State Saturday at the third-annual Wes Kittley Invitational.
 
The Wildcats also collected 19 personal bests, and broke three meet and stadium records, while Corneil Lionel and Kimone Green cracked ACU's all-time top-10 performer lists in the 100-meter dash and 400-meter hurdles.
 
Green moved into third place at ACU with her meet and stadium record time of 59.08 seconds that was .84 ticks faster than runner-up Ruth Amaku of the defending Southland Conference indoor champions from Sam Houston State. Green's previous best of 59.78 was recorded two weeks ago in Lubbock, and the only two Wildcats faster than her in school history are Yolanda Henry (57.45) and Justine Craig (57.83).
 
Lionel broke his own personal record of 10.26 seconds with a wind-aided time of 10.25 that was second among all 19 sprinters with the fastest time of 10.23 belonging to Ian Kerr of Western Texas College. Lionel, however, was by far the best DI sprinter today, beating runner-up Justin Jenkins of Sam Houston by .07 seconds and Texas Tech's Joel Latson by .54 seconds.
 
Lionel's 10.25 was the fastest by any Wildcat since Desmond Jackson in 2011 and gave him sole possession of 10th place all-time at ACU for wind-aided marks, eclipsing Darren Williams and Ralph Roberts, each of whom posted a time of 10.26 in 1983 and 1990, respectively.
 
Others to set meet and stadium records today were Marina Guerrero in the steeplechase and Kenzie Walker Mascorro in the pole vault. Guerrero clocked a first-place time of 11:05.61, while Mascorro reached a personal best of height of 13-04.25 (4.07m). Her vault would also have broken the long-time school record of 13-3.5 held by ACU volunteer coach Angie Aguilar, however, Mascorro is redshirting this outdoor season and competed today unattached.
 
Walker tied Texas Tech's Haley Cook for the highest vault but had three fewer misses as she cleared 12-8.25, 13-0.25, and 13-04.25 all on the first attempt. She then struck out on a height of 13-6.25.
 
Elsewhere in the jumps, Keaton Hart beat Sam Houston State's Saige Revell (22-03.75) in the long jump with a fourth-place and wind-aided distance of 23-04.75 and Jeremy Tatham was tops among all DI triple jumpers (second overall), reaching a distance of 48-04.50 (14.74m). Tatham's mark was not wind-aided.
 
The Wildcats also put forth a strong effort in the throws. Morgan Knight was first among six DI competitors in the shot put (second overall) with a toss of 53-03.00 (16.23m), and Kai Schmidt beat nine DI discus throwers (fourth overall) with his launch of 183-05 (55.90m).
 
Kayla Melgar lost the overall title in the women's discus to unattached D'Andra Carter, 173-04 (52.83m) to 165-01 (50.32m), but was tops in her division, beating two competitors from Sam Houston State and teammate Lonnie Smith, who recorded PRs today in the discus (144-03 / 43.96m) and shot put (41-06.50 / 12.66m).
 
On the track, Jessica James was first overall vs. 12 other runners in the 400m dash with a PR of 55.07 and placed third overall (first in division) in the 200m with another lifetime best of 25.39. Finishing ahead of her was South Plains' Aaliyah Telesford (24.79) and Western Texas' Rene Medley (25.13).
 
Michaela Hackett also won her second consecutive 1500m in as many weeks, leading an ACU sweep of the top-three places with Aubrey Till and Carnley Graham finishing right behind her. Hackett posted a PR of 4:46.26. Till was runner-up in 4:48.87 and Graham was third in 4:48.99.
 
The Wildcats return to action next Saturday for Texas Tech's Red Raider Open. However, junior Alexandria Hackett in scheduled to compete at the prestigious Mt. SAC Relays.
 

---

 
ACU Track and Field Results at Wes Kittley Invitational
Men's 100m Dash
2.) Corneil Lionel - 10.25 (w)*
-10th fastest wind-aided performer in ACU history -
12.) Keaton Hart - 12.98 (w)*
 
Women 100m Dash
12.) Jessica King - 12.31 (w)
 
Women's 200m Dash
3.) Jessica James - 25.39*
9.) Jessica King - 26.38
15.) Kiah Rayford - 29.13
 
Women's 400m Dash
2.) Jessica James - 55.07*
4.) Chartia Hurt - 1:02.93*
 
Men's 400m Dash
4.) Deandre McBride - 48.38
7.) Devan Brown - 49.58
10.) Samuel Garcia - 50.79
 
Women's 800m Run
2.) Diana Garcia Munoz - 2:16.14
3.) Petrene Plummer - 2:17.73
 
Men's 800m Run
9.) Sterlen Paul - 1:57.25
11.) Reid Rivers - 1:58.39
14.) Lincoln Jones - 2:09.76
 
Women's 1500m Run
1.) Michaela Hackett - 4:46.26
2.) Aubrey Till - 4:48.87
3.) Carnley Graham - 4:48.99*
 
Women's 3,000-meter Steeplechase
1.) Marina Guerrero - 11:05.61#$
2.) Gabby Thompson - 11:38.98*
 
Women's 100m Hurdles
6.) Taylor Yantis - 15.22 (w)
 
Men's 110m Hurdles
6.) Jeremy Tatham  - 14.53 (w)*
8.) Luke Woods - 15.17 (w)
 
Women's 400m Hurdles
1.) Kimone Green - 59.08*#$
-Third fastest performer in ACU history -
 
Women's 4x100m Relay
4.) Kimone Green, Chartia Hurt, Jessica James, Jessica King - 46.84
 
Men's Pole Vault
5.) Luke Woods - 15-00.00 (4.57m)
6.) Wyatt French - 15-00.00 (4.57m)
 
Women's Pole Vault
8.) Mackenzie West - 11-02.50 (3.42m)
 
Women's High Jump
6.) Taylor Yantis - 5-01.75 (1.57m)
 
Men's Long Jump
4.) Keaton Hart - 23-04.75 (7.13m) (w)*
 
Men's Triple Jump
2.) Jeremy Tatham - 48.04.50 (14.74m)
 
Women's Shot Put
4.) Taylor Posey - 42-09.50 (13.04m)*
5.) Lonnie Smith - 41-06.50 (12.66m)*
6.) Kayla Melgar - 40-02.00 (12.24m)
 
Men's Shot Put
2.) Morgan Knight - 53-03.00 (16.23m)
 
Women's Discus
2.) Kayla Melgar - 165-01 (50.32m)
5.) Lonnie Smith - 144-03 (43.96m)*
 
Men's Discus
4.) Kai Schmidt - 183-05 (55.90m)
7.) Morgan Knight - 174-06 (53.18m)
8.) Josh Hunter - 170-09 (52.04m)*
9.) Jelani Rainey - 161-11 (49.35m)*
12.) McKennon Cecil - 147-02 (44.87m)*
13.) Wyatt French - 129-07 (39.50m)
 
Women's Hammer
4.) Lonnie Smith - 154-08 (47.14m)
5.) Taylor Posey - 140-03 (42.76m)*
6.) Reagan Mabery - 136-02 (41.51m)*
7.) Kayla Melgar - 136-01 (41.49m)
 
Men's Hammer
2.) Jelani Rainey - 182-03 (55.56m)
 
Men's Javelin
3. ) McKennon Cecil - 166-10 (50.85m)*
 
*Personal Record
#Meet Record
$Stadium Record