TRACK & FIELD: Panther Women Provide Impressive Start To Indoor Season; HPU Men Collect Top Performances In Winston-Salem

Women Panthers Provide Impressive Start To Indoor Season

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – High Point University women’s track and field lands seven top-three finishes this Sunday as the Panthers open up the indoor season at the JDL Early Bird Duals. A number of new student-athletes made their collegiate debut on the weekend, while four new personal records were set.

“By-and-large you want to see where you’re at. You want to give [the athletes] a little taste of competition for the first time,” said Head Track Coach Mike Esposito. “For 20-plus of these kids, this was their first collegiate competition, and everything is measured in our sport. Watching how our women competed in the 4x400m at the end, regardless of the time, I thought that they competed very well. Those are the types of things that you look for.”

The day’s events started in the shot put for the women’s side, where freshman thrower Toni Lamond became one of 10 female freshman to make her collegiate debut. In the same time frame, fellow first-year Katie Gregory made her first appearance over in the sand pit competing in the long jump.

Senior Keaton Case was the first to earn a top-three finish for the Panthers, crossing the finish line in 5:07.87 for third-place in the one mile. Franzi Jakobs finished just 13 seconds off her teammate’s time in seventh (5:20.85), while freshmen Lucy Clayton (5:31.53) and Camryn Harper (5:40.57) both finished in the top-20.

Lexi Crompton had a big day for the Panthers, tying for third in the women’s high jump after clearing a height of 1.60m, and running a team best 9.32 in the 60m hurdles. Freshman teammate Leah Bolden impressed on the track as well, running to second in the 60m dash, with her pace of 7.73.

Coming in as the heavy favorites to win the pole vault, the HPU women swept the top-marks in the event, as sophomore Nathalie Elliott’s clearance of 3.65m came in first ahead of Rachel Berndsen and Jessica Keys in second (3.50m).

Three of the top-five runners in the 3000m came from High Point, led by a 10:25.54 second-place finish from Zoe Geis. Julia Hellman and Lindsey Ickes followed in third and fourth place, running respective times of 10:27.24 and 10:30.46.

The women’s last big result would come in the 4x400m, as the combination of Taylor Arthur, Nylie Facey, Leah Bolden and Emmy Geis ended in a third-place time of 3:59.70.


HPU Men Collect Top Performances In Winston-Salem

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – High Point University men’s track and field kicked off a successful opening campaign this Sunday, completing their day’s long competition at the JDL Early Bird Duals. 13 freshman made their debut in Purple & White in Winston-Salem, accounting for two of their team’s seven top-three performances on the day. In all, the Panthers finished the afternoon with a pair of new meet records, in addition to five personal bests.

“By-and-large you want to see where you’re at. You want to give [the athletes] a little taste of competition for the first time,” said Head Track Coach Mike Esposito. “For 20-plus of these kids, this was their first collegiate competition, and everything is measured in our sport. Watching how our women competed in the 4x400m at the end, regardless of the time, I thought that they competed very well. Those are the types of things that you look for.”

Newcomer Daniel Bogle logged an impressive college debut this Sunday, taking third in the 60m dash, in a time of 6.95. The freshman also joined teammates Pablo Romero, Paul Gore and Gabriel Stainback in a third-place finish in the 4x400m (3:28.42) and a seventh place finish in the long jump (6.71m)

Distance runner Hocine Bouchrak set a new meet record with his first-place time of 8:39.39 in the men’s 3000m, while junior Zane Griffith did the same with his 4.60m pole vault. Carter Clasper came in second in the vault clearing the same height as his teammate, while Romero claimed fourth in the event (4.30m).

Back on the track, Jake Dunn and Gore both posted top-three finishes in their respective events. Dunn ran an impressive 1:58.56 to cross the finish line a full 15 seconds ahead of the field in the 800m, as Gore ran a third-place pace in the 200m (22.60) during his first meet as a Panther.

HPU record-holder Britton Mann tossed a 14.75m in the shot put, to take third in the event, on the way to recording a 13.98m in the weight throw as well.

WOMEN’S TOP PERFORMERS
One Mile
3. Keaton Case (5:07.87)

60m Hurdles
21. Emmy Geis (9.93) – PR
27. Charlotte Morrow (10.67) – PR

60m Dash
2. Leah Bolden (7.73)

High Jump
T3. Lexi Crompton (1.60m)
13. Rachel Berndsen (1.50m) – PR

Pole Vault
1. Nathalie Elliott (3.65m)
2. Rachel Berndsen (3.50m)
3. Jessica Keys (3.50m) – tied Indoor PR

MEN’S TOP PERFORMERS
60m Hurdles
7. Gabriel Stainback (8.65) – PR

60m Dash
3. Daniel Bogle (6.95)
23. Levi Williams (7.21) – PR

800m
2. Jake Dunn (1:58.56)

200m
3. Paul Gore (22.60)

3000m
1. Hocine Bouchrak (8:39.39) – Meet Record

Shot Put
3. Britton Mann (14.75m)

Pole Vault
1. Zane Griffith (4.60m) – Meet Record & Indoor PR
2. Carter Clasper (4.60m) – Meet Record
4. Pablo Romero (4.30m)
10. Brad Kanney (3.25m) – Indoor PR

Weight Throw
12. Josh Brown (10.98m) – PR