BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Baylor track and field opened up the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships on Friday afternoon at the Birmingham Crossplex. Johnny Brackins was the lone Bear to win hardware on Day One of the meet.
 
Brackins found a spot on the NCAA All-American list by recording a 24-11 ¼ jump on his final attempt in the long jump. The freshman, who entered as the No. 14 seed, earned the honors in his first-ever championship meet and finished in seventh-place.
 
Mariah Ayers fell just short of qualifying to the finals in the 200 meters by only three-hundreths of a second. Her 23.35-second race earned her the 10^th-place finish. Ackera Nugent also found the 10^th-place spot in the 60-meter hurdles, running an 8.05-second race.
 
Howard Fields III recorded a DNF in his 400-meter race after agitating a brief injury. He is still expected to compete in the men's 4x400-meter relay on Saturday.
 
Baylor brings in both men's and women's 4x400 squads for competition on Saturday, with men running at 5:20 p.m., followed by the women at 8:20 p.m. to close the meet.
 
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