AU track and field’s Ward hopes to continue progress at next meet

By Shelbie Summerlin | Sports writer 

Augusta University’s track and field teams competed in two different meets on March 18-19. Several Jaguars had outstanding performances at the CIU Rams Invitational and The Trojan Opener. 

CIU Rams Invitational 

For the men, Kai Brickey had a time of 1:55:23 in the 800-meter race and place third. Amir Dayal placed in the top-10 in the race. 

In the 400-meter hurdles, AU had three runners place in the top 10 in Xavier Allen with a time of 57.52 for fourth place; Terrel Stokes (1:00:05 for sixth); and Sawyer Whatley (1:04:02 for ninth).

The 4x400m relay team finished yet again in the top five. Allen, Daniel Forester, Stokes, and Imo Sunday finished with a time of 43.23. AU had two separate 4x400m teams competing. Jason Cruise, Matthew Mires, Stokes and Talman placed eighth with a time of 3:37:97, and Caleb Caririlo de Albornoz, Ben Mattson, Rickey and Dayal placed ninth with a time of 3:39:23. 

Sunday (52.57) and Forrester (52.97) both placed in the top 10 in the 400-meter race. Tremond Hatten placed 11th.

Cruise led AU runners in the 200 race with a time of 23.17. 

Jackson Brumfield, the only AU field performer, placed sixth in the pole vault wwith a 3.35-meter mark. 

Jared Talman won his heat in the 100-meter race with a time of 11.82 and was 20th in the final. In the heat, Xavier Allen ran right behind him with a time of 11.85 and finished 21st.

For the women, the AU sprinters commanded the day. 

Priscilla Ajala ran a personal best with a time of 25.21 in the 200-meter race, good for third place. Jayla Ferris placed sixth in the event with a time of 25.71. Parmelie Andris placed ninth for AU. 

Andris placed second in the 400 with a time of 59.86. She was the only AU runner to run sub-minute on the day. Ferris placed third with a time of 1:00:44. Ajala and Skylar Ackerman placed in the top-10. 

Haley Gilbert was the top AU performer in the 800-meter race with a time of 2:26:76 for fourth place. Ackerman placed eight with a time of 2:30:87. 

Priya Giddens placed in the top-10 in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, and Rachel Lovell placed fifth in the triple jump with a mark of 9.85 meters. 

Trojan Opener 

AU’s men’s distance runners dominated the Trojan Opener. 

Patrick Motes won the 1,500 with a time of 3:58:12. Grant Crabtree placed fifth (4:00:91) and Andrew Todd placed eighth (4:04:77). 

In the men’s 5,000, AU placed in six of the top-10 spots. Hans Troyer won the race with a time of 14:48:72 that set a new personal best. Avery Jaynes placed second with a time of 14:51:07. Thomas Rischar placed fourth with a time of 14:52:34. Cameron Watson, Carlos Rodriguez and Matthew Moore claimed the eighth, ninth and 10th spots, respectively. 

The women had two top-10 runners in the 5,000. Hannah Beach placed fourth 18:18:90, and Cassie Lagan placed tenth with a time of 19:00:22. 

“Our folks competed well in our second meet of the season,” said AU Coach Adam Ward. “Since we don’t do indoor, it takes some folks a meet or two to catch up with the racing skills and instincts that can only really develop from racing experience. That said, our student athletes made great progress from the first meet to the second. Lots of PRs over the weekend and we now have several athletes leading the conference or at least top five in many events.” 

On what he is looking for out of this weekend’s meet, Ward said:

“As for this weekend we hope to continue the progress we have made see some more folks qualify for conference and maybe break a school record or two.” 

Both the men and women teams will be running at the Emory Thrills in the Hills. The meet is being held in Atlanta on March 25-26.

Contact Shelbie Summerlin at ssummerlin@augusta.edu.

Augusta’s Parmalie Andris shows her sprinting form in the 400-meter run, in which she finished second at the CIU Rams Invitational. At the top of the page, the Jaguars’ Xavier Allen finished fourth in the 400 hurdles. (photos by Paula Toole, AU Athletics)

AU’s Haley Gilbert (1) finished fourth in the 800-meter run at the CIU Rams Invitational. (photo by Paula Toole, AU Athletics)