NC State
Duke Invitational
Sprinters, Mid-distance Runners Finish Strong at Duke Invitational
4/11/2015 12:00:00 AM | Track
Durham, N.C. -- The NC State track and field team concluded the Duke Invitational with a strong showing from its sprinters and mid-distance runners. The groups combined to earn six conference qualifying marks and eight top-three finishes.
Sprints and Hurdles:
Dorian Williams kicked off the day for the Pack in the 100m hurdles. The freshman ran to a third-place finish with a time of 14.67.
In the 100m dash, Quashawn Cunningham ran to his best time of the season as he picked up first place and an ACC qualifying mark, finishing first in 10.55. Cunningham's mark currently ranks third in the conference.
On the women's side, Paisley Simmons took first in the 200m with a time of 23.64. Simmons has qualified for the conference championships for both the 100m and 200m dashes. The sophomore also holds the top marks for the women's team in both events.
Mid-distance:
The Pack continued its successful outing in the mid-distance events as the team took a top-three spot in five of the six mid-distance events and picked up four ACC qualifying marks.
Megan Rempel kicked off her outdoor season, taking third in the mile run with a mark of 4:52.25, and Jacob Thomson took second on the men's side with time of 4:08.06. Two other Wolfpack student athletes also tabbed top-five finishes in the event as Kaitlyn Kramer took fifth in the women's race and Sebastian Hanson finished fourth in the men's race.
Kenyetta Iyevbele led the NC State women in the 800m run, finishing second with a mark of 2:06.17. Samantha George came in fourth with a time of 2:07.30, while Megan Moye was right behind George to round out the top five. Iyevbele and George both picked up ACC qualifying marks, while Moye earned her qualifying mark at the Carolina Relays. All three are currently ranked among the top-20 in East qualifying lists.
On the men's side, Graham Crawford secured an ACC qualifying mark in the 800m with half a second to spare. The junior finished fourth with a time of 1:51.00.
Olivia Enright took first and earned an ACC qualifying mark in the steeplechase with a time of 10:42.66. Bakri Abushouk took third in the men's race with a mark of 9:20.43 to conclude a very successful day for the mid-distance runners.
Throws:
After a strong performance in the hammer throw on Friday, SeQouia Watkins once again paced the female throwers. The junior finished second with a throw of 161'5.00". Tremanisha Taylor continued her outdoor season with a fourth-place finish with mark of 156'2.00".
On the men's side, Jule Rich grabbed a pair of fourth-place finishes. The senior finished with a mark of 50'8.00" in the shot put and 168'0.00" in the discus.
Jumps:
Javonne Antoine took third in the triple jump, and Amara Bell paced the team in the high jump as both finished the day with top-five performances. Antoine finished with a mark of 39'8.75", leading all in-state competitors. Bell's mark of 18'0.25" is a season-high and just inches away from an ACC qualifying mark.
Up Next:
Next weekend NC State heads to Charlottesville, Va. for the Virginia Challenge. The meet begins Friday, April 17th and concludes Saturday, April, 18th.
