CLEMSON, S.C. – Baylor track and field wrapped up the regular season on Saturday evening with the conclusion of the Tiger Paw Invitational at the Rock Norman Track and Field Complex. A handful of Bears recorded season-best marks, while Koi Johnson (triple jump), Makayla Long (shot put) and Gary Moore Jr. (shot put) each qualified to the final three attempts in their respective field events.
 
THE RUNDOWN
The women's 4x400-meter relay squad of Imaobong Uko, Mariah Ayers, Gontse Morake and Tiriah Kelley improved their season-best time to 3:36.18 to close the meet on Saturday, finishing ninth overall. The 'B' team of Summer Sergeant, Jasmine Gryne, Sima Lucero and Kourtney Kennard easily won their heat at 3:48.08 for 24^th.
 
Leading the Baylor women throughout the 20-section 200 meters, Kelley clocked her best time of the season in 23.44 seconds for 12^th place. One heat later, Ayers took 32^nd place with a 23.90. Kayla Hunt finished 41^st with a personal best in front of Bria Bullard in 45^th.
 
In another 20-section 200-meter race for the men, Demar Francis led the Bears competing in eighth place with a 20.88 for eighth. De'montray Callis ran a 21.20 for 17^th and Kamden Jackson crossed the finish in 40^th place.
 
Johnson got a shot in the women's invitational triple jump finals, where she finished in fourth place. Her third attempt landed at 43-0 ¼, her second-best mark this year.
 
After qualifying for the women's shot put finals, Long hit a 50-3½ throw to take fourth in the event. With another finalist in the men's competition, Moore Jr. added another fourth-place finish for the Bears. Cooper Mack hit his best mark of the season at 52-5 ½ to finish 16^th.
 
In the high jump, Aïcha Moumin crossed one bar to take 15^th place in 5-3, while Ukurugenzi Kojo took 16^th at 6-6 ¾.
 
The 800-meter crew opened up the day on the track at noon ET with Jackie Addy as the lead Bear in 16^th place. Hayden Gold and Rosanna Pugh finished 20^th and 22^nd, respectively. Nicholi Brown recorded an indoor personal-best 1:54.82 in the event to finish 15^th.
 
In other field events, freshman Parker Brannon cleared one bar at 15-10 in the pole vault invitational section to finish 10^th. Bella Copeland, another freshman in her first collegiate indoor season, jumped to 39-2 ½ in the women's open triple jump for 14^th place.
 
QUOTABLE
Head coach Michael Ford
On the meet…
"There's a lot of great things to say about this meet. Great competition, a really high-caliber track meet heading into the Big 12 Championship. I was particularly proud of our 400 men and how they competed, with both Nate [Ezekiel] and Demar [Francis] getting PRs. I think the 200 women ran really well, too. I think Koi Johnson had a great series in the triple jump, and then there's Cooper [Mack] who had a season-best in the shot put. The lady's relay is still putting things together and ran a little faster to another new season best. Alexis Brown has had such a great season so far, and I am so proud of her and Coach Stacey [Smith] with another program record to go up more on the NCAA list. We just need to continue getting mentally and physically ready to go to the Big 12s and then to nationals after that. Overall, I am very pleased with the team going into the conference meet."

UP NEXT
The Bears have a week off before the 2024 Big 12 Indoor Track and Field Championships held at Texas Tech's Sports Performance Center in Lubbock, Texas, on Feb. 23-24.