ABILENE – Abilene Christian track and field Thursday turned in 37 personal records at the Oliver Jackson Twilight Open but none were as dramatic as those registered by the Wildcats women's long jump crew.
Freshman
Payton Wall improved from a wind-aided 4.80 meters (15-9) to a wind-legal 5.27m (17-3.5), while classmate
Payton Kirk cracked the school's all-time top-10 performer list at seven with her lifetime best leap of 6.02m (19-9). Kirk's previous best was a jump of 5.80m (19-0.5).
However, at the very top of the standings was sophomore multi-athlete
Megan Kirby who reached a school-record distance of 6.28m (20-07.25) on her very first attempt (1.9w). Her next two jumps reached 6.15 (20-2.25) and 6.13 (20-1.5) meters with respective wind readings of 2.1 and 1.9.
Not only did Kirby tie Mazel Thomas' 30-year varsity record from Lubbock (April 1989) with that effort, she also became the first Wildcat to surpass 20 feet since 2000, joining a distinguished group that features Thomas, Carla Jackson, Dawnyel Newhouse, Lindsay Welsh, Regina Swaim and Sylvia Dyer.
Kirby's win was one of a dozen tonight for the Wildcats with half of those attained by ACU's throwing corps. Shot put victories were claimed by seniors
Kayla Melgar (15.81m / 51-10.5) and
Kai Schmidt (18.28m / 59-11.75) while the hammer crowns went to classmates
Morgan Knight (56.30m / 184-08) and
Taylor Posey (55.57m / 182-05).
Posey's hammer distance is the third best in school history behind teammates
Lonnie Smith (58.26m / 191-2) and Melgar (58.00 / 190-3). Further down the senior
Reagan Mabery cracked the hammer's all-time performer list at No. 8 with her top throw of 52.19m (171-03)
The Wildcats also were tops in the javelin led by senior
McKennon Cecil (58.29m / 191-03) and sophomore
Annina Brandenburg (42.53m / 139-06).
ACU's women's additionally won two distance races with sophomore
Briahna Gerlach clocking the school's seventh best 3,000-meter steeplechase performance of 11:09.42 , and
Aubrey Young topping a small field in the 5K with her time of 20:39.01.
Earlier in the afternoon
Irene Akwitti moved into ninth place on the 100m hurdles performers list with her gold-medal time of 14.09 (1.9w), and the sprint relay composed of
Taylor Tolen,
Karrington Lewis,
Jamie Kennedy,
Mya Henson clocked a season best mark of 45.87.
The men's team's lone win on the track was courtesy of freshman
Colton Gates, who ran a 10:16.43 PR to capture the 3K steeplechase over six additional runners.
Halfway through the meet, the Wildcats' coaching staff honored its 16-person senior class. Those recognized on the Elmer Gray Stadium infield tonight were distance runner
John Baker,
Ryan Cleary,
Carnley Graham and
Travis Nichols, sprinter / hurdlers
Brielle Collett,
Samuel Garcia and
Jessica King, and a large concentration of throwers:
McKennon Cecil, Joshua Hunter,
Morgan Knight,
Reagan Mabery,
Taylor Posey,
Kai Schmidt,
Lonnie Smith and
Ryan Simmons.
Next up for the Wildcats is the Southland Conference Outdoor Championships, which will take place May 3-5 at Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, La.
Oliver Jackson Twilight Open Results
Women's 100m Dash
14.
Gloria Jones – 13.22 (1.6w)
Women's 200m Dash
23.
Jordan Anglin – 26.57 (1.9w)
24.
Brianna Douglas – 26.92 (3.0w) (PR)
25.
Gloria Jones – 26.98 (3.0w) (PR)
Women's 400m Dash
6.
Jordan Anglin – 59.10 (PR)
8.
Soren Underwood – 59.61
11.
Brianna Douglas – 1:00.92 (PR)
16.
Jamie Kennedy – 1:04.84
Women's 1500m Run
14.
Taylor Reinhold – 5:22.97 (PR)
21.
Chase Nolan – 5:33.19 (PR)
26.
Alyssa Schroeder – 5:42.91
Women's 5000m Run
1.
Aubrey Young – 20:39.01
2.
Loren Rivera – 20:40.26 (PR)
Women's 100m Hurdles
1.
Irene Akwitti – 14.09 (1.9w) (PR and ACU's No. 9 all-time performer)
2.
Megan Kirby – 14.13 (1.9w)
7.
Jaycee Pannell – 15.00 (1.9w)
12.
Abby Claire Brown – 16.14 (2.4w) (PR)
14.
Payton Wall – 17.11 (3.5w)
Women's 400m Hurdles
6.
Payton Kirk – 1:03.85
14.
Abby Claire Brown – 1:11.15
15.
Payton Wall – 1:14.04
Women's 3,000m Steeplechase
1.
Briahna Gerlach – 11:09.42 (PR and ACU's No. 7 all-time performer)
Women 4x100m Relay
1.
Taylor Tolen,
Karrington Lewis,
Jamie Kennedy,
Mya Henson – 45.87 (SB)
Women 4x400m Relay
2.
Taylor Tolen,
Karrington Lewis,
Mya Henson,
Megan Kirby – 3:49.92 (SB)
Women's Pole Vault
7. Kacey Middlekoop – 2.90m / 9-06.25 (PR)
Women's High Jump
2.
Zoe Spinn – 1.62m / 5-03.75
3.
Megan Kirby – 1.62m / 5-03.75 (PR)
Women's Long Jump
1.
Megan Kirby – 6.28m / 20-07.25 (1.9w) (PR and tied ACU's varsity record)
2.
Payton Kirk – 6.02m / 19-09.00 (1.6m) (PR and ACU's No. 7 all-time performer)
8.
Payton Wall – 5.27m / 17-03.50 (1.5w) (PR)
Women's Shot Put
1.
Kayla Melgar – 15.81m / 51-10.5
2.
Annina Brandenburg – 15.65m / 51-04.25
5.
Taylor Posey – 13.53m / 44-04.75
Women's Discus Throw
2.
Kayla Melgar – 53.96m / 177-00
3.
Annina Brandenburg – 51.91m / 170-04
7.
Lonnie Smith – 39.30m / 128-11
14.
Taylor Posey – 28.48m / 93-05
Women's Hammer Throw
1.
Taylor Posey – 55.57m / 182-05 (PR and ACU's No. 3 all-time performer)
2.
Kayla Melgar – 55.02m / 180-06
3.
Lonnie Smith – 53.99m / 177-01
4.
Reagan Mabery – 52.19m / 171-03 (PR and ACU's No. 8 all-time performer)
Women's Javelin
1.
Annina Brandenburg – 42.53m / 139-06
3.
Reagan Mabery – 41.75m / 137-00
5.
Megan Kirby – 34.96m / 114-08 (PR)
9.
Payton Wall – 28.86m / 94-08 (PR)
Men's 100m Dash
16.
Samuel Garcia – 10.89 (2.6w) (PR)
20.
Bo Lott – 11.24 (2.6w)
Men's 200m Dash
2.
Ryan Linton – 21.06 (3.8w) (PR)
4.
Jared Williams – 21.13 (1.8w) (PR)
11.
Jamal January – 21.84 (3.4w)
20.
Le'Gari Daniels – 22.17 (1.8w)
34.
Bo Lott – 22.99 (3.3w) (PR)
Men's 400m Dash
3.
Blaze Brownlow – 48.02
26.
AJ Brown – 53.33 (PR)
Men's 1500m Run
6.
Conner Miller – 4:02.33 (PR)
9.
Seth Crockett – 4:09.51 (PR)
26. Troy MacDonald – 4:40.74
Men's 5000m Run
2.
Travis Nichols – 15:38.18 (PR)
Men's 110m Hurdles
3.
Jamal January – 14.33 (3.1w) (PR)
7.
Harrison Manuel – 14.84 (3.1w)
16.
AJ Brown – 16.73 (0.7w) (PR)
Men's 400m Hurdles
10.
Cole Palka – 55.61
13.
Samuel Garcia – 56.31
16.
Jimmie Horton – 56.68 (PR)
Men's 3,000m Steeplechase
1.
Colton Gates – 10:16.43 (PR)
Men's 4x100m Relay
2.
Harrison Manuel,
Jared Williams,
Ryan Linton and
Avery Williams – 40.70
Men's 4x400m Relay
2.
Le'Gari Daniels,
Riley Ellis,
Ross Dean,
Samuel Garcia – 3:21.80
Men's Pole Vault
5.
Justin Haines – 4.65m / 15-3
10.
Grant Baker – 4.50m / 14-9
11.
Ross Dean – 4.50m / 14-9
16.
Riley Ellis – 4.05m / 13-3.5 (PR)
18.
Cole Palka – 3.60m / 11-09.75 (PR)
Men's High Jump
3.
Riley Ellis – 2.03m / 6-8 (PR)
10.
Cole Palka – 1.83m / 6-0
Men's Long Jump
6.
Jamal January – 7.09m / 23-03.25 (2.5w) (PR)
7.
Riley Ellis – 7.06m / 23-02.00 (1.9w) (PR)
14.
Cole Palka – 6.35m / 20-10.00 (3.4w)
17.
AJ Brown – 5.79m / 19-00.00 (0.8w) (PR)
Men's Shot Put
1.
Kai Schmidt – 18.28m / 59-11.75
2.
Morgan Knight – 17.33m / 56-10.25
4. Joshua Hunter – 15.76m / 51-08.50
Men's Hammer Throw
1.
Morgan Knight – 56.30m / 184-08
2. Thomas Wilson – 52.88m / 173-06
3.
Ryan Simmons – 51.59m / 169-03
Men's Discus
2.
Kai Schmidt – 60.39m / 198-01
4.
Morgan Knight – 56.92m / 186-09
5.
Ryan Simmons – 54.98m / 180-04
7.
McKennon Cecil – 49.30m / 161-09
10. Thomas Wilson – 47.06m / 154-05
24.
Riley Ellis – 29.90m / 98-01
Men's Javelin
1.
McKennon Cecil – 58.29m / 191-03
3.
Ryan Simmons – 52.44m / 172-00
7.
AJ Brown – 42.17m / 138-04
