WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – A win by senior Dakota Peachee in the 3,000-meter run highlighted a strong performance by the High Point University men’s track and field team at the JDL Wake Forest Invitational on Saturday afternoon in Winston-Salem, N.C.
“This was a very good day for team here in Winston-Salem,” head coach Mike Esposito said. “Dakota is one of our veterans and he did a good job closing to win the race. Christian Spaulding also has continued to grow and perform better each time out. We are real excited coming out of this competition with so many young guys getting great experience.”
Peachee battled with Abraham Kemboi throughout the race before using his kick in the final lap to pull away and pick up the win with a career-best time of 8:37.75.
Sophomore Christian Spaulding continued his strong indoor season, breaking the HPU record in the weight throw for the second time in as many competitions with a toss of 14.60 meters. Spaulding bested the previous record of 14.34 meters to finish in sixth for day. Freshman Jim Wilson finished in eighth with a career-best throw of 11.52 meters. Wilson also recorded a new career-high in the shot put with a toss of 12.44 meters to finish ninth.
Freshman Jordan Carr matched his career-high in the high jump, clearing 1.93 meters to finish in a tie for fourth. Carr tied with three other jumpers with the second-best height of the day but tied for fourth on total jumps.
Freshman Austin Miller picked up another top-five finish for the Panthers, coming in fourth on the day in the pole vault with a vault of 4.25 meters. Junior Tristan Faure finished in 10th with a height of 3.65 meters while freshman Harris Coley finished 11th in his first collegiate competition with a vault of 3.35 meters.
Competing in the long jump for the first time freshman Adam DeVito finished in eighth with a jump of 6.41 meters. Fellow freshman Will Narramore finished in 10th with a career-long jump of 6.35 meters and Carr finished in 13th with a jump of 6.12 meters in his first collegiate long jump competition.
On the track, freshman Eddie Whitlock finished in sixth in the 800-meter run with a career-best time of 1:59.57. Fellow freshman Kevin Maguire finished in ninth with a career-best time of 2:00.59.
HPU will return to action next weekend when the Panthers head to Lynchburg, Va., to compete in the Liberty Open.