UNCG Track & Field Has Record Breaking Weekend at Dennis Craddock Coaches Classic
LYNCHBURG, Va. – The UNC Greensboro (UNCG) men’s and women’s track & field teams had a record-breaking weekend after competing at the two-day Dennis Craddock Coaches Classic, hosted by the University of Lynchburg.
Both teams shined as graduate student Joe Thoma and junior Elijah Jones broke school records. Thoma broke UNCG’s mile record time running the event in 4:05.91. He broke Colin Alexander’s record that was set exactly one year to the day on April 15, 2022 at the same meet. Alexander’s 4:07.15 broke a nine-year-old record from two-time Olympic medalist Paul Chelimo on March 22, 2013.
Thoma finished second out of 24 competitors in the event.
Jones’ 200-meter time of 22.99-seconds broke a four-year old record of 23.26-seconds that was set by Daniel Rust on March 14, 2019 at the Charlotte 49er Classic. Jones placed 32nd out of 87 competitors in the 200-meter sprint.
Also on the men’s side, freshman Evan Pena broke into the UNCG top-10 times with a 14:45.54 five-kilometer race time in his event debut.
Overall, there were 10 personal best times on the men’s side and 18 personal bests on the women’s side. There was four top-10 finishes from the women’s team and six top-10 finishes from the men’s team.
Graduate student Chandler McCaslin was one of the women’s 18 personal bests. She ran a time of 5:01.87 and was the first collegiate athlete to cross the finish line, taking home third out of 19 competitors in the mile. Her time is currently second on the UNCG all-time list of mile performances.
Freshman Reagan O’Quinn ran two personal best times, competing in the 400-meter and 1500-meter runs. O’Quinn’s time of 59.96-seconds is now second all-time in the record book. Her time placed her eighth in the event out of 34 competitors.
O’Quinn also was the individual champion in the 1500-meter run, clocking in a time of 4:48.75. She finished first out of a field of 52 competitors.
Up Next
UNCG will split up with some student-athletes competing at the Wake Forest Invitational on Friday, April 21 and some racing at the two-day Aggie Classic hosted by NC A&T from April 21-22.
Women
100m –
8. Monique Clement – 13.52 PR
9. Kaliyah Hargrove – 13.53 PR
15. Naomi Pridgen – 14.25 PR
100m – Invitational
12. Leah Baizar – 12.70 PR
200m –
18. Leah Baizar – 26.41 PR
30. Chelsea Valdivia- Rizo – 28.10 PR
36. Kaliyah Hargrove – 28.36 PR
39. Monique Clement – 28.51 PR
43. Naomi Pridgen – 30.32 PR
45. Madison McMasters – 30.54
400m –
8. Reagan O’Quinn – 59.96 PR
25. Chelsea Valdivia- Rizo – 1:03.94 PR
800m –
16. Laila Burk – 2:24.48 PR
21. Serena Henderson – 2:25.30 PR
50. Kaitlyn Harrison – 2:38.37
1500m –
1. Reagan O’Quinn – 4:48.75 PR
6. Bella Manfre – 4:56.66 PR
24. Emma Berrier – 5:20.14 PR
Mile –
3. Chandler McCaslin – 5:01.87 PR
19. Shay Soukup – 5:29.24
5000m invitational
11. Victoria Sosa – 18:28.94 Debut
16. Camille Carlson – 18:51.31 PR
Results – Men
100m –
14. Elijah Jones – 11.40
31. Zin Maung – 11.81 PR
35. Owen McArthur – 11.99 PR
200m –
32. Elijah Jones – 22.99 PR
61. Owen McArthur – 23.98 PR
63. Zin Maung – 24.11 PR
800m –
8. Andrew Hamilton – 1:55.96 PR
15. Jonathan Kennedy – 1:57.05
33. Charlie Bennett – 2:00.38
44. Jack Burgener – 2:03.48 PR
77. Spencer Connick – 2:12.26
1500m –
2. Lane Prochaska – 4:04.41
3. Andrew Hamilton – 4:05.21 debut
12. Grant Barbour – 4:07.45
13. Luke Ward – 4:07.72
29. Jack Burgener – 4:15.61
41. Charlie Bennett – 4:29.71
Mile –
2. Joseph Thoma – 4:05.91 PR
11. Dylan Christopher – 4:15.05
21. Colin Keck – 4:20.18
5000m invitational
2. Evan Pena – 14:45.54 debut
4. Ethan Long – 14:46.75 PR
26. Zachary Taylor – 15.44.65 PR
Courtesy of Denise Archetto
Assistant Athletic Director For Strategic Communications
UNC Greensboro