Friday, April 19
Waco, Texas
Baylor
vs
Michael Johnson Invitational
T&F Closes Michael Johnson Invitational
4/20/2024 5:45:00 PM | Track & Field
Severe weather puts early end to second day of competition
By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider
Michael Ford had a "come to Jesus" meeting with junior sprinter Michaela Francois a few weeks ago because "she hadn't been running really well."
Apparently, it worked.
After running a personal-best 23.75 in the 200 meters Friday night and finishing third among collegiate athletes, Francois came back on Saturday to win the 100 meters in 11.42 seconds in a weather-shortened Michael Johnson Invitational at Clyde Hart Track and Field Stadium.
"I told her, 'Hey, we need you to step up, you're an All-American,''' Ford said. "And the last two weeks, she's been on it. I've been very happy."
Francois had one of the six wins by the 25th-ranked Baylor women at the two-day home meet, while De'montray Callis and Demar Francis took home titles in the 100 and 400 meters, respectively, for the 20th-ranked Baylor men.
"I thought overall, our kids competed really well, considering," Ford said, "because it could be like this at Big 12s; it could be like this especially at nationals, in Oregon. It could be this kind of weather. But I thought overall, our kids did well."
While the rain held off for the most part, the meet was suspended and ultimately shut down by lightning, with the final heat of the men's 800 meters, along with the men's and women's 4x400 relays and men's shot put competition not able to finish.
"I don't play around with the lightning," Ford said. "I don't like delays, honestly, with the kids warming up, then cooling down, then warming back up. I worry about that. We just said we were going to call it. I think there's going to be a pocket where the weather should be getting a little better, but it's late in the season, we don't need any injuries."
The anchor leg when Baylor ran a season-best time of 43.93 in winning the 4x100 relay at last month's Clyde Hart Classic, Francois was left off the relay in a switch that put North Carolina transfer Kayla Hunt in as the anchor. The foursome of Tiriah Kelley, Imaobong Nse Uko, Alexis Brown and Hunt clicked around the track in 44.29 to beat out TCU for the top spot.
Hunt also gave the Bears a 1-2 finish in the 100 meters, placing second in 11.43, while Kelley was the silver medalist in Friday's 200 meters in 23.43.
Brown, a second-year transfer from Florida, broke her own school record in the long jump on Friday with a mark of 21 feet, 11 ½ inches that sits third nationally behind only UTSA's Ida Breigan (22-1 ½) and Tacoria Humphrey of Illinois (22-1).
"She's a student of her sport and just wants to be good," Ford said of Brown, an indoor All-American with a fifth-place finish at this year's NCAA Indoor Championship. "I think those two years where she wasn't competing really hard, or at all, has made her more hungry. For her, it's, 'What can I do to go 22?' Because 22 is that magical number for the ladies."
That magical number in the women's pole vault is 15, but Baylor freshman Molly Haywood set her all-time personal best on Friday with a winning mark of 14 feet, 7 ½ inches before missing on three tries at 14-9 ½.
"It's been over a year since I (had a PR), and I've been working super hard all indoor season, training up for this," Haywood said. "I think it's super exciting to see it all start to come together. I love outdoor season, so to be able to do it outdoors and at home is even better."
Fellow freshman Alencia Lentz had the same mark as former Louisville All-American Aliyah Welter at 14-3 ¼, finishing third with more misses. She cleared her last two heights on her third and final attempts.
Haywood said she "practiced mainly with the guys" at Tomball Memorial High School, where she had a personal best of 14-6, "so coming here and having someone that I'm actually competing with is pretty cool."
Both Haywood and Lentz qualified for the NCAA Indoor Championship, placing ninth and 10th, respectively, and are both ranked in the top 10 nationally.
"In practice, we're always trying to beat each other. It's a neck-and-neck thing," Haywood said. "And I think we feed off each other. It's not like a negative thing. I'm happy for her when she does well, she's happy for me when I do well. So, I think we're able to use that to fuel each other and be able to go into it, each doing our best."
The women also got a win from Koi Johnson in the triple jump with a mark of 42 feet, 2 inches, while Hayden Gold won her second-straight 3,000-meter steeplechase race in 10:59.91.
Francis gave the men their first event victory, posting a top collegiate time of 46.59 that ranked only behind pro Nic Baker of AthleticsTx. Former Baylor All-American and Olympian Wil London III won his heat and placed fourth overall in 47.09.
Edged by TCU anchor Gregory Sholars by two-hundredths of a second in the 4x100 relay, Callis came back to finish third overall and first among collegiate athletes with a time of 10.25 seconds in the 100.
Baylor will wrap up its regular season with the Desert Heat Classic next Saturday in Tucson, Ariz., before hosting the Big 12 Outdoor Championship on May 9-11 at Clyde Hart Track and Field Stadium.
WACO, Texas – Inclement weather put an early end to the Baylor track and field team's regular-season home finale at the Clyde Hart Track and Field Stadium on Saturday afternoon. On the day, the Bears collected four event wins, with one additional collegiate title in the men's 400 before the weather.
With severe weather moving into the area, the meet was paused before the final 800-meter heat at approximately 4:17 p.m., and then head coach Michael Ford canceled the remainder of the meet at 4:30. The Bears will return to the Clyde Hart Track and Field Stadium for the 2024 Big 12 Outdoor Track and Field Championships on May 9-11.
THE RUNDOWN
Bears took the first two positions in the women's 100 meters, as Michaela Francois burst out to a 11.42-second mark with a 2.0 m/s wind. Taking the No. 2 spot, Kayla Hunt's 11.43 (w4.0 m/s) completed the top-2 sweep for BU.
Koi Johnson was the winner of the women's triple jump competition with a mark of 42-2, backed by a legal wind of 1.8 m/s. Nebraska's Rhianna Phipps had an identical mark with a 2.6 m/s wind reading for second place. Bella Copeland also competed in the event, crossing with a 38-7 ½ to find the lucky 13th position.
It was the second-straight victory for Hayden Gold in the women's 3,000-meter steeplechase, as she defeated the rest of the field behind a 10:59.91, about 15 seconds faster than the silver medalist, Peyton Bornstein of ACU.
The women's 4x100 meters opened the day strong on the track, giving the Bears their first win of the day. Tiriah Kelley, Imaobong Uko, Alexis Brown and Hunt put down a 44.29-second race to beat the second-place finishing Horned Frogs' time of 44.44.
Finishing second only to Nic Baker, Tokyo Olympian in the mixed 4x400-meter relay, Demar Francis claimed the collegiate win in the men's 400 meters with a time of 46.59, ahead of former Bear Wil London III.
De'montray Callis was third overall in the men's 100 meters, but also took the top collegiate finishing spot. Great Britain's Romell Glave and AthleticsTX's Josephus Lyles took the Nos. 1 and 2 spots ahead of Callis' 10.25 (w3.3 m/s). Laurenz Colert also stayed near the top at No. 12 with a 10.54-second race.
Ricquan Graham, Laurenz Colbert, Kamden Jackson and Callis to the second-overall spot in the men's 4x100-meter relay at 40.31 seconds. TCU's 40.29 claimed the top spot for the first men's race of the day.
After his senior day recognition, Ukurugenzi Kojo jumped to 6-9 in the men's high jump for fourth place, crossing three Bears. His clearances at 6-7 and 6-9 were both on the third and final attempt.
Ellie Hodge was third in the last completed race of the 2024 Michael Johnson Invitational, crossing at 2:14.06 behind conference foes from TCU and Texas Tech. From what was completed in the men's race, Ethan Wrase had the top spot for a Bear at 25th.
In a shot put that was only completed in five attempts, Makayla Long was the fifth-place finisher at 50-11. The finals field of nine had one attempt remaining before the storm called the meet. The men's competition that was scheduled to follow the women's event did not begin.
Junior Summer Sergeant was 23rd in the very first open 400-meter race of her college career at 56.70, leading Kourtney Kennard in 39th and Audrey Williamson in 42nd.
QUOTABLE
Head Coach Michael Ford
On canceling the meet
"We thought [the weather] would come in around 4:30 or 5 o'clock, I wasn't sure about the lightning. I don't play around with the lightning. I don't like delays, honestly, with the kids warming up, then cooling down, then warming back up. I worry about that. We just said we were going to go ahead and call it. I think there's going to be a pocket where the weather should be getting a little better, but it's late in the season, we don't need any injuries."
On the Saturday's meet…
"Well, the women's 4x1, we made a switch, we took Michaela Francois off and put Kayla Hunt on there, just to see a little difference. We might make a little change next week again on that relay. But I thought Demar Francis ran well in the quarter, he didn't really have anybody with him. Koi [Johnson] did well in the triple jump, and that was probably the event I was most concerned about, with the board being wet, but she handled it really well. Overall, our kids competed really well. It could be like this at Big 12s, it could be like this especially at nationals, in Oregon. I thought the 100s went well, too. Overall, I just thought we competed really well today."
UP NEXT
The Bears have one final meet in Arizona, the Desert Heat Classic on April 27, before the 2024 championship season begins at home with the Big 12 Outdoor Track and Field Championships.
Baylor Bear Insider
Michael Ford had a "come to Jesus" meeting with junior sprinter Michaela Francois a few weeks ago because "she hadn't been running really well."
Apparently, it worked.
After running a personal-best 23.75 in the 200 meters Friday night and finishing third among collegiate athletes, Francois came back on Saturday to win the 100 meters in 11.42 seconds in a weather-shortened Michael Johnson Invitational at Clyde Hart Track and Field Stadium.
"I told her, 'Hey, we need you to step up, you're an All-American,''' Ford said. "And the last two weeks, she's been on it. I've been very happy."
Francois had one of the six wins by the 25th-ranked Baylor women at the two-day home meet, while De'montray Callis and Demar Francis took home titles in the 100 and 400 meters, respectively, for the 20th-ranked Baylor men.
"I thought overall, our kids competed really well, considering," Ford said, "because it could be like this at Big 12s; it could be like this especially at nationals, in Oregon. It could be this kind of weather. But I thought overall, our kids did well."
While the rain held off for the most part, the meet was suspended and ultimately shut down by lightning, with the final heat of the men's 800 meters, along with the men's and women's 4x400 relays and men's shot put competition not able to finish.
"I don't play around with the lightning," Ford said. "I don't like delays, honestly, with the kids warming up, then cooling down, then warming back up. I worry about that. We just said we were going to call it. I think there's going to be a pocket where the weather should be getting a little better, but it's late in the season, we don't need any injuries."
The anchor leg when Baylor ran a season-best time of 43.93 in winning the 4x100 relay at last month's Clyde Hart Classic, Francois was left off the relay in a switch that put North Carolina transfer Kayla Hunt in as the anchor. The foursome of Tiriah Kelley, Imaobong Nse Uko, Alexis Brown and Hunt clicked around the track in 44.29 to beat out TCU for the top spot.
Hunt also gave the Bears a 1-2 finish in the 100 meters, placing second in 11.43, while Kelley was the silver medalist in Friday's 200 meters in 23.43.
Brown, a second-year transfer from Florida, broke her own school record in the long jump on Friday with a mark of 21 feet, 11 ½ inches that sits third nationally behind only UTSA's Ida Breigan (22-1 ½) and Tacoria Humphrey of Illinois (22-1).
"She's a student of her sport and just wants to be good," Ford said of Brown, an indoor All-American with a fifth-place finish at this year's NCAA Indoor Championship. "I think those two years where she wasn't competing really hard, or at all, has made her more hungry. For her, it's, 'What can I do to go 22?' Because 22 is that magical number for the ladies."
That magical number in the women's pole vault is 15, but Baylor freshman Molly Haywood set her all-time personal best on Friday with a winning mark of 14 feet, 7 ½ inches before missing on three tries at 14-9 ½.
"It's been over a year since I (had a PR), and I've been working super hard all indoor season, training up for this," Haywood said. "I think it's super exciting to see it all start to come together. I love outdoor season, so to be able to do it outdoors and at home is even better."
Fellow freshman Alencia Lentz had the same mark as former Louisville All-American Aliyah Welter at 14-3 ¼, finishing third with more misses. She cleared her last two heights on her third and final attempts.
Haywood said she "practiced mainly with the guys" at Tomball Memorial High School, where she had a personal best of 14-6, "so coming here and having someone that I'm actually competing with is pretty cool."
Both Haywood and Lentz qualified for the NCAA Indoor Championship, placing ninth and 10th, respectively, and are both ranked in the top 10 nationally.
"In practice, we're always trying to beat each other. It's a neck-and-neck thing," Haywood said. "And I think we feed off each other. It's not like a negative thing. I'm happy for her when she does well, she's happy for me when I do well. So, I think we're able to use that to fuel each other and be able to go into it, each doing our best."
The women also got a win from Koi Johnson in the triple jump with a mark of 42 feet, 2 inches, while Hayden Gold won her second-straight 3,000-meter steeplechase race in 10:59.91.
Francis gave the men their first event victory, posting a top collegiate time of 46.59 that ranked only behind pro Nic Baker of AthleticsTx. Former Baylor All-American and Olympian Wil London III won his heat and placed fourth overall in 47.09.
Edged by TCU anchor Gregory Sholars by two-hundredths of a second in the 4x100 relay, Callis came back to finish third overall and first among collegiate athletes with a time of 10.25 seconds in the 100.
Baylor will wrap up its regular season with the Desert Heat Classic next Saturday in Tucson, Ariz., before hosting the Big 12 Outdoor Championship on May 9-11 at Clyde Hart Track and Field Stadium.
WACO, Texas – Inclement weather put an early end to the Baylor track and field team's regular-season home finale at the Clyde Hart Track and Field Stadium on Saturday afternoon. On the day, the Bears collected four event wins, with one additional collegiate title in the men's 400 before the weather.
With severe weather moving into the area, the meet was paused before the final 800-meter heat at approximately 4:17 p.m., and then head coach Michael Ford canceled the remainder of the meet at 4:30. The Bears will return to the Clyde Hart Track and Field Stadium for the 2024 Big 12 Outdoor Track and Field Championships on May 9-11.
THE RUNDOWN
Bears took the first two positions in the women's 100 meters, as Michaela Francois burst out to a 11.42-second mark with a 2.0 m/s wind. Taking the No. 2 spot, Kayla Hunt's 11.43 (w4.0 m/s) completed the top-2 sweep for BU.
Koi Johnson was the winner of the women's triple jump competition with a mark of 42-2, backed by a legal wind of 1.8 m/s. Nebraska's Rhianna Phipps had an identical mark with a 2.6 m/s wind reading for second place. Bella Copeland also competed in the event, crossing with a 38-7 ½ to find the lucky 13th position.
It was the second-straight victory for Hayden Gold in the women's 3,000-meter steeplechase, as she defeated the rest of the field behind a 10:59.91, about 15 seconds faster than the silver medalist, Peyton Bornstein of ACU.
The women's 4x100 meters opened the day strong on the track, giving the Bears their first win of the day. Tiriah Kelley, Imaobong Uko, Alexis Brown and Hunt put down a 44.29-second race to beat the second-place finishing Horned Frogs' time of 44.44.
Finishing second only to Nic Baker, Tokyo Olympian in the mixed 4x400-meter relay, Demar Francis claimed the collegiate win in the men's 400 meters with a time of 46.59, ahead of former Bear Wil London III.
De'montray Callis was third overall in the men's 100 meters, but also took the top collegiate finishing spot. Great Britain's Romell Glave and AthleticsTX's Josephus Lyles took the Nos. 1 and 2 spots ahead of Callis' 10.25 (w3.3 m/s). Laurenz Colert also stayed near the top at No. 12 with a 10.54-second race.
Ricquan Graham, Laurenz Colbert, Kamden Jackson and Callis to the second-overall spot in the men's 4x100-meter relay at 40.31 seconds. TCU's 40.29 claimed the top spot for the first men's race of the day.
After his senior day recognition, Ukurugenzi Kojo jumped to 6-9 in the men's high jump for fourth place, crossing three Bears. His clearances at 6-7 and 6-9 were both on the third and final attempt.
Ellie Hodge was third in the last completed race of the 2024 Michael Johnson Invitational, crossing at 2:14.06 behind conference foes from TCU and Texas Tech. From what was completed in the men's race, Ethan Wrase had the top spot for a Bear at 25th.
In a shot put that was only completed in five attempts, Makayla Long was the fifth-place finisher at 50-11. The finals field of nine had one attempt remaining before the storm called the meet. The men's competition that was scheduled to follow the women's event did not begin.
Junior Summer Sergeant was 23rd in the very first open 400-meter race of her college career at 56.70, leading Kourtney Kennard in 39th and Audrey Williamson in 42nd.
QUOTABLE
Head Coach Michael Ford
On canceling the meet
"We thought [the weather] would come in around 4:30 or 5 o'clock, I wasn't sure about the lightning. I don't play around with the lightning. I don't like delays, honestly, with the kids warming up, then cooling down, then warming back up. I worry about that. We just said we were going to go ahead and call it. I think there's going to be a pocket where the weather should be getting a little better, but it's late in the season, we don't need any injuries."
On the Saturday's meet…
"Well, the women's 4x1, we made a switch, we took Michaela Francois off and put Kayla Hunt on there, just to see a little difference. We might make a little change next week again on that relay. But I thought Demar Francis ran well in the quarter, he didn't really have anybody with him. Koi [Johnson] did well in the triple jump, and that was probably the event I was most concerned about, with the board being wet, but she handled it really well. Overall, our kids competed really well. It could be like this at Big 12s, it could be like this especially at nationals, in Oregon. I thought the 100s went well, too. Overall, I just thought we competed really well today."
UP NEXT
The Bears have one final meet in Arizona, the Desert Heat Classic on April 27, before the 2024 championship season begins at home with the Big 12 Outdoor Track and Field Championships.
- BaylorBears.com -
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