Track and field runs in VertKlasse Meeting

ETSU’s men’s and women’s track and field teams traveled to High Point North Carolina on Friday, March 31, and Saturday, April 1 to compete in the VertKlasse Meeting.  

Day one promised multiple Buccaneers their personal best times. First, in field events, sophomore Abbey King (Greeneville, Tennessee) earned a personal best with a distance of 28.97m on the javelin. Freshman Ethan Fulford (Knoxville, Tennessee) earned a personal best on the pole vault with a height of 4.42m, earning him ninth place. Junior Marcus Evans (Snellville, Georgia) also earned a personal best after jumping 6.47m in the long jump. 

In the track events, two athletes raced in the women’s 1500m, both earning personal bests. Freshman Camryn Johnson (Knoxville, Tennessee) earned a time of 4:59.50, and junior Alex Benson (Franklin, Tennessee) earned a time of 4:59.70. Benson beat her record by 25 seconds, the best of the Bucs this weekend. 

Freshman Nolan Pedota (Tuscaloosa, Alabama) ran the 1500m with a personal best time of 4:05.00. 

During the women’s 5000m, freshman Sophie Beach (Boone, North Carolina) ran 18:48.52 and freshman Kari Townsell (Statesville, North Carolina) ran 18:57.03, both earning a personal best. 

Sophomore William Hartig (Radford, Virginia) ended the 5000m with a time of 14:56.62 earning him 11^th place and another personal best. In the same event, freshman Nate Hills (Knoxville, Tennessee) placed 12^th with a time of 14:58.14 and freshman Xian Campbell (Chattanooga, Tennessee) placed 14^th running a 15:01.73. 

Day two of the VertKlasse Meeting continued on both track and field events. 

Freshman Meg Lance (Woodstock, Georgia) placed eighth in the 800m with a time of 2:24.98. For the 800m, Pedota ran a time of 2:01.43. 

Freshman D’Shawn Fletcher (Locust Grove, Georgia) ran the 100m with a time of 10.86. 

Sophomore Ant’wonike Jennings (Chattanooga, Tennessee) competed in the 100m hurdles with a time of 16.10. 

Sophomore Ansley Archuletta (Fort Mill, South Carolina) earned ninth place in the 400m hurdles with a personal best time of 1:06.66. In the same event, freshman Treven McGhee (Crossville, Tennessee) finished in 12^th place with a personal best time of 59.28. 

For the field events, two Bucs competed in the women’s hammer: junior Alyssa Ceja-Pena (Salinas, California) threw 44.47m, and sophomore Anna Moore (Knoxville, Tennessee) threw 43.82, earning herself a personal best. 

Sophomore Tya Blake (Lynchburg, Virginia) jumped a distance of 11.68m in the triple jump, earning her 13^th place. 

The Buccaneers will travel to Knoxville to compete in the Tennessee Relays from April 7-8.