VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – The EMU Track & Field team headed to the beach not for a day in the sun, but to compete in the Richard Drake Invitational, hosted by Virginia Wesleyan at the Virginia Beach Sports Center. Three Royals finished in the top-three in their events on Sunday, with Angel David taking second in the triple jump,
Bryson Hunter placing third in the long jump, and
Damon Morgan crossing the line third in the 200-meter dash.
For the Royals, the highlight of the weekend came courtesy of first-year sprinter
Jowell Gonzalez-Santiago. Competing separately at the Liberty Open in Lynchburg, Va., on Saturday, Gonzalez-Santiago set the EMU school in the 500-meter dash, sprinting two-and-a-half laps of the track in an impressive time of 1:04.86 to finish second overall. In addition to the school record, that time puts Gonzalez-Santiago 18th on the all-time NCAA Division III list for the 500m.
MEET RESULTS
Highlights – Men
- DISTANCE/MID-DISTANCE
- Ben Huyard represented the distance squad this weekend, achieving a personal record of 4:57.58 in the mile run.
- SPRINTS
- Damon Morgan's ran an indoor PR of 22.26 on his way to the bronze in the 200m. Additionally, Morgan set a new personal best of 7.04 in the semifinals of the 60-meter dash to qualify for the final, ultimately finishing seventh.
- JUMPS
- Hunter went 6.83m (21'-9") on his best attempt in the long jump, a personal best by 3.5 inches, to secure his third-place showing.
- Da'Shawn Winters also placed in the top 10 in the long jump, winding up 10th with a jump of 6.13m (20'-1.5").
- THROWS
- Christian Schmidt slotted into 12th place in the shot put with a heave of 12.86m (42'-2.25").
Highlights – Women
- SPRINTS
- Sha'Dymon Blanton and Faith Schultz both advanced to the final of the 60-meter hurdles, finishing in fourth and seventh place, respectively.
- JUMPS
- David continued her mastery of the triple jump this season, leaping 10.65m (34'-11.25") to claim the runner-up spot. This marks the third meet this season that David has finished either first or second in the triple jump. She won the triple jump at both the Holiday Kickoff and the Kaye and J.J. Smith Invite at Shenandoah.
- Schultz finished sixth overall in the high jump, clearing the bar at 1.37m (4'-6").
- THROWS
- Senior Kate Landis led the Royal women's throwers for the fourth meet in a row, as her best throw of the day landed at 8.31m (27'-3.25").
What's Next
The EMU Track & Field team will split up to compete at two meets in two states next weekend. One group will fly north to the David Hemery Valentine Invitational in Boston, Mass., taking place on Friday and Saturday, Feb. 9-10. Other athletes will stay in Virginia for the Joe LaRacco Invitational at Roanoke College in Salem, Va., on Saturday, Feb. 10.
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