sports.trackandfield

The UCR track and field team kicked off their 2016 indoor season last Friday and Saturday at the Northern Arizona University (NAU) Mountain T’s Invitational at Flagstaff, Ariz. Three Highlanders broke records including Jorden O’Neal, Breana Jemison and Vesta Bell in the long jump, shot put, and weight throw.

Both the men and women’s team fared well, as they placed third and fourth overall, with several individual first-place finishes.

The meet started on Friday, which is when O’neal broke UCR alumna Danielle Littleton’s record with a 5.85m jump, which gave her second-place finish. Jemison placed first with her record-breaking 16.85m throw in the shot put, while Jazmine Harper placed fifth in the pentathlon with 3,059 points.

On the men’s side, Ethan Van Setten placed first in the 600m with 1:21.44. Michael Harris placed first in the long jump with 6.92m jump while Ejere Okorie placed second with a 6.62m leap.  Wesley Braddock placed second in the shotput with a 16.41m throw and Matthew Sam finished second place in the Heptathlon with 2,399 points.

On the second day, Bell broke her own indoor weight throw by throwing 19.98m, which put her in first place. In the 4×400 relay, a team consisting of Sydney Hunter, Asha Giles, Keisha May and Rachel Wiggins placed second with a time of 3:52.86.

For the men’s team, Michael Harris and Darren Richardson Jr. placed first and second in the triple jump with 14.27m and 14.22m marks. The 4×400 relay placed third with a time of 3:20 which included Michael Pare, Zach Lewis, Dylan Gates and Mathew Vasel.

Just last year, several Highlander records were broken at this meet. Littleton broke records in the 60m hurdles, long jump and pentathlon, Noelle Abboud broke the 200m record and Camille Deadwiler broke the 60m dash record.