GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Baylor track and field closed out the Tom Jones Memorial Invitational on the Percy Beard Track at the James G. Pressly Stadium on Saturday.
 
While members of the sprint and hurdles squads found success with career-best marks, Molly Haywood brought home the Bears' win of the day in the invitational division of the women's pole vault with a new outdoor best.
 
THE RUNDOWN
The win of the day came from Haywood in the women's invitational pole vault competition. With a new outdoor personal best, the freshman was the only competitor to go up and over 14-4 ¾, a height she cleared on her second attempt. As always, Alencia Lentz was not too far off, taking the third-place spot at 14-0 ¾.
 
Michaela Francois improved her personal best by nearly two-tenths of a second in the women's 100-meter dash to clock an 11.39-second race in 11^th place. Alexis Brown was next for the Bears in 21^st at 11.49, with Kayla Hunt's PR of 11.52 in 24^th.
 
A day after a PB in the 400-meter hurdles, Nathaniel Ezekiel put up the fastest 400 meters of his outdoor collegiate career, clocking a 45.83-second race to take the 12^th spot in the event. Just behind him, Demar Francis was 14^th after 46-flat.
 
There was another outdoor PB run by Jasmine Gryne on Saturday, as she took 10^th in the open 400 meters with a 55.28-second race.
 
Makayla Long had another finals showing in the women's discus throw, going 166-1 for third place in the event. Entering the finals off a 161-0 on her third attempt, Long held the silver-medal spot until the final attempt, where she was bumped down by Mensi Stiff of Ole Miss. Back in the shot put, Long took another bronze medal, this time at 51-4 ½.
 
Another Bear in Tenly Kuhn earned another open division bronze medal, but in the pole vault. The sophomore crossed two bars to 12-9.
 
Both Baylor student-athletes in the women's high jump ended their day in a tie for eighth, as Sydney Smith and Aïcha Moumin both passed over 5-4 ¼ successfully, their only clearance of the day. The tie for eighth went six additional ways.
 
The women's 4x100-meter relay of Tiriah Kelley, Imaobong Uko, Brown and Francois were 15^th in the track-opening field for the day with a 44.41, the group's third-quickest mark of the season. Up next, the men's relay of Ricquan Graham, Laurenz Colbert, Kamden Jackson and De'montray Callis went 39.33 for seventh, just behind the Texas Tech team in sixth.
 
Back in the men's 100 meters, Graham was the highest-finishing Bears at 21^st place with a 10.43, followed by Colbert in 27^th and Callis in 28^th.
 
Koi Johnson took 12^th place in the invite section of the triple jump with a 40-3 ¼ jump on her second attempt, after fouling the first and third tries.
 
QUOTABLE
Head coach Michael Ford
On the weekend…
"I thought we had a sold weekend at the Tom Jones meet. Yesterday, opening up with Nathaniel's [Ezekiel] school record in the 400 hurdles, probably third in the nation right now. I am looking forward to seeing him continue to improve and get under that 48-second barrier. He also got the PR in the 400, so a great performance from him. Molly Haywood also got the PR and won the pole vault today. Our sprint groups had several best marks, especially from Michaela Francois and Kayla Hunt. The guys were solid in the 100, too. Jasmine [Gryne] had a great solid PB in the 400 hurdles and then again in the open 400 The throwers did well, with Zaza Prosper Nnamdi's first meet back in the college scene, and it only took three throws. Vicki [Adu] and Makayla [Long] both had good meets, both trending in the right direction. Parker Brannon also did a great job in the pole vault. We had a lot of PRs and season's bests heading into the Michael Johnson Invitational, looking for another great weekend back at home to run some good times and get some good performances in before we head to Arizona as a final meet before the Big 12 Championships. I am just overall very pleased with how our team performed this weekend."
 
UP NEXT
The Bears head back home to host the Michael Johnson Invitational on Friday and Saturday, April 19-20, at the Clyde Hart Track and Field Stadium.