HPU Track & Field Panthers Excel During Final Day of Yellow Jacket Invite

Men’s & Women’s recaps included

Heinst & Geis Lead The Way During Final Day In Atlanta

HIGH POINT, N.C. – High Point University women’s track and field put up top performances on the track this Saturday, as the Panthers’ time at the Yellow Jacket Invitational comes to an end.

With only a few Panthers competing in the field this weekend, Anika Weisbrod and Nathalie Elliott would both put up top-five finishes in the long jump and pole vault respectively. With a leap of 5.45m, Weisbrod not only took fifth in this week’s meet, but set a new PR for the junior combined athlete. Over in the vault, Elliott cleared 3.70m in her team’s first competition of the outdoor season, coming in fourth among college-attached athletes in the event.

The Purple & White excelled on the track most of all in day two, with sophomore Famke Heinst posting a pair of top-five performances. The first results of the day would come across in the 1500m, where Heinst’s time of 4:31.48 garnered second in a field containing nearly 30 ACC athletes. The Netherlander was followed by teammate Franzi Jakobs, whose personal record of 4:44.89 came in sixth, as Heinst went on to clinch fourth over in the 800m later in the day (2:12.90).

Freshman standout Leah Bolden continued an already impressive first year in Purple & White, after earning ninth in the 200m with her time of 25.28. The young Panther athlete already owns two HPU records after the previous indoor season, running a 7.60 60m and 24.87 200m at Big South Indoor Championships back in February.

After emerging victorious in the 5000m the day prior, Zoe Geis tallied a 7:07.96 in the 2000m steeple on Saturday, coming in at fourth among collegiate athletes.

High Point would complete their time in Atlanta competing in the 4x400m, where Bolden accompanied freshmen Nyile Facey and Taylor Arthur, along with senior Keaton Case, for a 4:00.73 seventh-place finish.

COMING UP NEXT
• The Panthers will host their lone track events of the year with the Bill Webb Combined and VertKlasse Meeting scheduled to take place at Vert Stadium March 21-23rd
• This is the 11th straight year HPU has hosted the VertKlasse and the third straight year the school has hosted the Bill Webb, as the two meets take place on the same weekend for the first time in program history

Top Performers

Long Jump
5. Anika Weisbrod (5.45m) – PR

Pole Vault
5. Nathalie Elliott (3.70m)

1500m
2. Famke Heinst (4:31.48)
12. Franzi Jakobs (4:44.89) – PR

100m
10. Leah Bolden (12.14)

800m
4. Famke Heinst (2:12.90)

200m
9. Leah Bolden (25.28)

2000m Steeple
4. Zoe Geis (7:07.96)

4x400m Relay
7. Arthur/Facey/Bolden/Case (4:00.73)


Panther Men Excel In Final Day of Yellow Jacket Invite

ATLANTA, Ga. – High Point University men’s track and field rounded out its time at the Yellow Jacket Invitational this Saturday, securing a handful of personal records and top-10 finishes.

After setting a pair of program records this past indoor season, senior Britton Mann lead off competition for the Panthers in day two, tossing a 13.96m for an 11th-place finish over in the shot put.

The Purple & White would have a big day in the throws overall with junior Josh Brown and freshman Rob Greer each having career days over in the javelin. Brown’s 52.30m marker set a new personal record for the Massachusetts-native, while Greer’s 49.96m was good for 16th overall in his first-ever collegiate meet.

Carter Clasper and Pablo Romero completed their team’s successful day in the field, taking third in the pole vault and seventh in the long jump respectively. Clasper cleared 4.55m in his first appearance of the outdoor season, while Romero’s 6.84m set a new PR for the reigning Big South indoor heptathlon champion.

Bobby Dupell III and Paul Gore recorded top performances for HPU over on the track. Dupell’s 50.77 in the 400m was good for a top-20 finish, edging out the personal best he collected in the indoor season, while Gore went seventh in the 100m (10.89) and sixth in the 200m (21.60)

The Panthers’ day would end in the 4x400m relay, where the combination of Dupell, Gore, Jake Dunn and Patrick Van Der Cruyssen completed a time of 3:28.78 for seventh.

COMING UP NEXT
• The Panthers will host their lone track events of the year with the Bill Webb Combined and VertKlasse Meeting scheduled to take place at Vert Stadium March 21-23rd
• This is the 11th straight year HPU has hosted the VertKlasse and the third straight year the school has hosted the Bill Webb, as the two meets take place on the same weekend for the first time in program history

Top Performers

Javelin
13. Josh Brown (52.30m) – PR
16. Rob Greer (49.96m) – Debut

Pole Vault
3. Carter Clasper (4.55m)

Long Jump
7. Pablo Romero (6.84m) – PR

400m
20. Bobby Dupell III (50.77) – PR

100m
7. Paul Gore (10.89)

200m
6. Paul Gore (21.60) – PR

4x400m Relay
7. Gore/Dupell/Dunn/Van Der Cruyssen (3:28.78)