Senior Kayla Melgar registers third varsity throwing record

Friday, March 22

Lubbock, Texas

All Day

Abilene Christian

Fearless Champion Open (Throwers)

Photo by: Michael Wade/Southland Conferenc

Senior Kayla Melgar registers third varsity throwing record

3/24/2019 9:22:00 PM | Track & Field

ABILENE – Senior Kayla Melgar made Abilene Christian track and field history Saturday at Texas Tech's Fearless Champion Open by becoming an active varsity record holder in three different throwing events.

A native of Tempe, Ariz., Melgar claimed the school's discus record (55.51m / 182-1) in March of 2018 in Ft. Worth. Several months later at the Southland Conference Championships she set the hammer throw record (58.00m / 190-3), and yesterday she eclipsed one of the longest-standing records on the Wildcats' performer charts by sending the shot put 15.97 meters (52 feet, 4.75 inches) at the Terry & Linda Fuller Track & Field Complex.

ACU's previous shot put record of 15.31m (50-3) was set by Marlene Lewis 33 years ago in April of 1986 at a meet hosted by Baylor. Lewis also left as the school's leading discus thrower (53.58m / 175-9), but has since been surpassed by Melgar, current sophomore Annina Brandenburg (54.23m / 54.23) and Monique Kuenen, who held the record of 54.22m (177-11) between 1997 and 2018.

Brandenburg's aforementioned discus throw also was recorded this weekend, moving her up all the way to No. 12 in the NCAA – seventh in the West Region.

Melgar's shot put distance, meanwhile, is not only is No. 1 at ACU and within the Southland Conference, but it's also No. 5 in the region and No. 8 in the nation.

Melgar began Saturday's shot put competition composed of 15 throwers second to West Texas A&M's Zada Swoopes before hitting the record-setting mark on her second-round attempt. Swoopes also launched the shot better than 15.00m three times, but her best effort topped out at 15.69m (51-05.75).

Brandenburg and ACU freshman Calyha Brown also hit PRs to round out the top four in the shot put. Brandenburg shot up to No. 3 on the Wildcats' performer list with a lifetime best of 15.08m (49-05.75) and Brown cracked the top 10 with her third-round push of 14.78m (48-6).

ACU's men's throwers were just as successful as the women in Lubbock with seniors Kai Schmidt and Morgan Knight winning the shot put and hammer throw, respectively, and Josh Hunter moving up to No. 4 nationally in the discus throw.

Hunter, a native Abilenian, finished second in the competition to Texas Tech senior Eric Kicinskig with a PR of 58.69m (192-6), which he recorded in the third round after reaching 55.65m (182-7) in the first round.

Kicinski touched 60 meters or better in three of his six tries, while Schmidt placed third at 58.31m (191-3). The Krefeld, German native is right behind his teammate Hunter in both the national rankings and program performance list, on which they currently sit sixth and seventh behind ACU legends Andy Kokhanovsky (64.44m / 211-5), Nick Jones (61.95m / 203-4), Cliff Felkins (61.00 / 200-1), David Simmons (60.50 / 198-6) and Martin Guerrero (59.85 / 196-4).

The remainder of ACU's track and field roster was dispatched to Waco, Texas for the Baylor Invitational, where the Wildcats collected a dozen PRs and three victories.

Winning for ACU were freshman Denis Lagat in the 2,000-meter steeplechase (6:04.34), Zoe Spinn in the high jump (1.63m / 5-04.25), and the men's sprint relay of Le'Gari Daniels, Ryan Linton, Harrison Manuel, Avery Williams (40.55).

Manuel, a freshman, recorded two PRs on his own with a wind-legal 14.76 in the 110m hurdles and 56.09 in the 400m hurdles. His classmate Jamal January also had a successful meet with runner-up lifetime bests of 14.44 in the sprint hurdles and 6.97m (22-10.50) long jump.

Elsewhere on the track, Jared Williams was second in the 400m dash (47.04), while freshman Payton Kirk and sophomore Briahna Gerlach earned silver in the 400m hurdles (1:03.72) and 2K steeplechase (7:22.99).

The Wildcats return to action later this week with the start of the 92nd annual Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays. ACU is expected to have close to 30 entries based on the initial qualifier lists released last Thursday

Fearless Champion Open
Women's Shot Put
1. Kayla Melgar – 15.97m / 52-04.75 (No. 8 in NCAA, No. 1 in Southland and new varsity record)
3. Annina Brandenburg – 15.08m / 49-05.75 (PR and ACU's No. 3 all-time performer)
4. Calyha Brown – 14.78m / 48-06.00 (PR and ACU's No. 8 all-time performer)
7. Taylor Posey – 14.07m / 46-02.00
11. Lonnie Smith – 11.82m / 38-09.50

Women's Discus Throw
2. Annina Brandenburg – 54.23m / 177-11 (No. 12 in nation, PR and ACU's No. 2 all-time performer)
3. Kayla Melgar – 53.71m / 176-02
8. Lonnie Smith – 45.04m / 147-09
16. Calyha Brown – 32.66m / 107-02

Women's Hammer Throw
3. Kayla Melgar – 52.18m / 171-02
7. Taylor Posey – 48.57m / 159-4
11. Lonnie Smith – 45.08m / 147-11
12. Reagan Mabery – 44.43m / 145-09

Women's Javelin
3. Annina Brandenburg – 41.14m / 135-00
6. Reagan Mabery – 35.26 / 115-08

Men's Shot Put
1. Kai Schmidt – 18.28m / 59-11.75
3. Morgan Knight – 17.07m / 56-00.00
7. Joshua Hunter – 15.64m / 51-03.75

Men's Discus
2. Josh Hunter – 58.69m / 192-07 (No. 4 in nation, PR and ACU's No. 6 all-time performer)
3. Kai Schmidt – 58.31m / 191-03 (No. 5 in nation, PR and ACU's No. 7 all-time performer)
7. Ryan Simmons – 55.26m / 181-03
8. Morgan Knight – 54.73m / 179-06
9. McKennon Cecil – 49.48m / 162-04

Men's Hammer Throw
1. Morgan Knight – 52.21m / 171-03
2. Ryan Simmons – 49.72m / 163-01
3. Thomas Wilson – 47.96m / 157-04

Men's Javelin Throw
2. McKennon Cecil – 55.86m / 183-03
6. Ryan Simmons – 47.58m / 156-01

Baylor Invitational
Men's 200m Dash
8. Riley Ellis – 22.24 (3.5w)
13. Bo Lott – 23.60 (3.5w)
14. A.J. Brown – 23.66 (3.5w)

Men's 400m Dash
2. Jared Williams – 47.04
4. Avery Williams – 47.54
5. Blaze Brownlow – 47.68

Men's 1500m Run
8. Conner Miller – 4:15.76

Men's 110m Hurdles
2. Jamal January –14.44 (1.6w) (PR)
4. Harrison Manuel – 14.76 (1.6w) (PR)
5. Riley Ellis – 15.55 (1.6w) (PR)
7. Jimmie Horton – 15.87 (1.6w) (PR)

Men's 400m Hurdles
4. Harrison Manuel – 56.09 (PR)
5. Jamal January – 56.33
6. Cole Palka – 57.24
7. Jimmie Horton – 57.34 (PR)

Men's 2,000m Steeplechase
1. Denis Lagat – 6:04.34
4. Colton Gates – 6:44.34

Men's 4x100m Relay
1. Le'Gari Daniels, Ryan Linton, Harrison Manuel, Avery Williams – 40.55

Men's 4x400m Relay
5. Riley Ellis, Cole Palka, Ross Dean, Jimmie Horton – 3:26.42

Men's Long Jump
2. Jamal January – 6.97m / 22-10.50 (1.9w) (PR)
3. Riley Ellis – 6.67m / 21-10.75 (0.3w)
4. Cole Palka – 6.54m / 21-05.50 (0.7w)

Men's Pole Vault
3. Ross Dean – 4.61m (15-01.50)
5. Grant Baker – 4.16m (15-01.50) (PR)

Women's 200m Dash
6. Mya Henson – 25.06 (3.2w)
8. Karrington Lewis – 25.10 (3.2w)
14. Taylor Tolen – 25.61 (3.1w)
16. Megan Kirby – 26.02 (3.1w)
20. Payton Wall – 27.75 (2.3w)

Women's 800m Run
8. Soren Underwood – 2:33.38

Women's 1500m Run
7. Sarah Wagler – 5:06.95 (PR)

Women's 100m Hurdles
4. Megan Kirby – 14.44 (2.9w)
6. Jaycee Pannell – 14.84 (1.6w)
9. Abby Claire Brown – 16.47 (1.6w) (PR)
10. Payton Wall – 16.81 (1.6w)

Women's 400m Hurdles
2. Payton Kirk – 1:03.72 (PR)
7. Jaycee Pannell – 1:11.18
8. Abby Claire Brown – 1:12.70 (PR)

Women's 2,000m Steeplechase
2. Briahna Gerlach – 7:22.99
9. Taylor Reinhold – 8:20.76
10. Loren Rivera – 8:33.41

Women's 4x400m Relay
5. Taylor Tolen, Mya Henson, Payton Kirk, Megan Kirby – 4:02.48
7. Payton Wall, Soren Underwood, Abby Claire Brown, Irene Akwitti – 4:15.32

Women's High Jump
1. Zoe Spinn – 1.63m (5-04.25)

Women's Long Jump
4. Megan Kirby – 5.74m / 18-10.00 (3.0w)
8. Payton Wall – 4.80m / 15-09.00 (3.4w) (PR)