Hawks, Lady Hawks keep making strides

The Latest Local News from the Rome News

While three of their teammates turned in record-setting performances at one of the nation’s most premier meets in Florida, the Shorter Hawks and Lady Hawks track team continued to make strides in South Carolina over the weekend.

Highlighting Shorter’s appearance at the Pepsi Florida Relays in Gainesville, an event that attracts some of the best national- and world-ranked athletes, was Ayana Walker, Supun Randeniya and Emily Bulwalda, all who came home stopping the clock in record times.

Walker, who has established herself as the program’s best-ever 400 meter runner, broke her own school record at the Relays when she ran the distance in 52.60 to win her heat by more than a second and good enough to secure an eighth place in a strong field that was topped by Florida’s Kyra Jefferson, a 2014 NCAA Division I Indoor All-American who won with a 51.50.

In the men’s 110 high hurdles, Randeniya covered the obstacles in 14.3 seconds to set a new freshman record for the Hawks in an event that was won with a time of 13.23 by former Southern Cal and Pac-12 champion Aleec Harris, who last year he showed his vast potential by running 13.18 in the 110 hurdles to post the second-fastest time in NCAA history, trailing only a 1979 time by the legendary Renaldo Nehemiah.

Bulwada bettered her own personal record in the 800, posting a time of 2:14.67.

At the Wofford Terrier Relays in Spartanburg, Shorter’s men and women, top 10 outings were aplenty with jumper Anelise Aldana having one of her best single-day performances of her career when she finished second in the triple jump going 37 feet, 3 inches and third in the long jump with a 17-8 effort.

Ashley Ballard and Leah Sikorski claimed third places in the 400 and 100 hurdles with respective times of 56.59 and 15.29 times; Leah Sikorski was third in the 1,500 (4:48.46); the 4×400 was sixth (4:10.73); and Kemor Anderson had top 10 finishes in the 100 (12.72) and 200 (25.38.)

Jonathan Willman had a solid showing to head up the Hawks’ effort as he took a second place in the long jump going 23-2, then finished seventh in the 200 going 22.64.

Joshua Jenkins earned a third place in the 3,000 steeplechase with a 9:50.73; the 4×400 relay team was third (3:23.08); securing fifth places were Jamiel Neal (high jump, 6-3), Kedemah Howard (triple jump, 44-11) and Albert Chelimo (5,000, 15:51.47.)

Shorter will head to Knoxville, Tenn., this weekend to compete in the Sea Rays Relays, hosted by the University of Tennessee, and tune up for the Peach Belt Conference Championship that will be held April 16-17 in Montevallo, Ala.

Source: Rome News

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