Three Trojans record NCAA marks at home meet

MOUNT OLIVE – The University of Mount Olive women’s track & field team set four NCAA provisional standards, a conference record, and two school records while hosting the Adidas Trojan Challenge at Ray McDonald Sr. Sports Complex March 25.

Senior Mary Brigid Keck set the new conference and school record in the hammer throw after reaching a distance of 58.08 meters to place second overall while hitting an NCAA standard. She eclipsed the previous league mark held by former teammate Candy Lockett, who set the previous record in 2022. Additionally, she improved her conference standard in the discus with a toss of 41.42 meters to place third, while hitting the qualifying mark and placing second in the shot put with a distance of 12.40 meters.

Fellow senior Jaylin Reeves registered a pair of NCAA provisional standards in the 100 and 200 meters. She set the top time in the Conference Carolinas in the 100 meters with a time of 11.83 seconds in the preliminaries. In the 200 meters, Reeves claimed first place in the event after crossing the line in 24.17 seconds, which ranks second in the conference and team history.

Junior Danielle Trimbur established her first NCAA standard of the outdoor season and placed first overall in the javelin with a toss of 42.03 meters, which is the top mark in the Southeast Region. Freshman Channie Jefferson shattered the school record in 400-meter hurdles with a time of 1:02.79 while claiming first place in the event. She also hit the league standard and placed second in the long jump after recording a mark of 5.81 meters, the second-best distance in program history. Additionally, in the 400-meter hurdles, senior Samantha Hamrick and sophomore Kiwanna Pemberton delivered league championship marks in the event. Hamrick finished third overall with a time of 1:09.16, while Pemberton placed fourth after crossing the line in 1:09.73.

In the 200 meters, sophomore Vinesha Briggs finished third in the event and hit the conference mark after recording a time of 24.92 seconds, which is the fourth-best in UMO history. Senior Jaiden Moody registered a fourth-place finish in the 200m after setting a league time of 25.07 seconds, the seventh-fastest in school history. Senior Mora Smith established a conference mark and finished second overall in the triple jump with a distance of 11.47 meters. She also set a personal best in the long jump with a mark of 5.65 meters, which ranks third all-time at Mount Olive.

Additionally, in the triple jump, sophomore Kiana Hatchett improved her league qualifying distance in the event after posting a mark of 11.09 meters. In the discus, freshman Ashley Lindsey finished fifth in the field and improved her conference mark with a distance of 39.75 meters, the fourth-best in Mount Olive history. Senior Kaliya Sutton improved her league qualifying mark with a toss of 37.42 meters. Freshman Cynthia Thomas hit a conference standard in the event with a distance of 35.18 meters, while also qualifying in the shot put with a mark of 11.52 meters.

Freshman Kenisha Barnes posted a conference championship standard in the hammer throw after reaching a distance of 39.52 meters. She also qualified in the discus with a toss of 33.26 meters. Junior Tylyia Briggs improved her league qualifying mark in the 100-meter hurdles after crossing the line in 15.89 seconds in the prelims, which ranks ninth all-time in school history.

Sophomore Celine Fleurilus enhanced her conference championship time in the 1,500 meters behind a mark of 5 minutes, 13.65 seconds. Additionally, freshman Ciara Sulton registered a league mark in the event after posting a time of 5:13.65.

Sophomore Jamesha Howell placed sixth in the long jump and reached a distance of 5.58 meters, the seventh-best mark in program history. Freshman Trinity Frayer tied her season-best clearance of 2.90 meters in the pole vault and captured third place.

— From University of Mount Olive Athletics