The Catamount Classic at Western Carolina University kicked off with a bang as junior Diana Romero-Barba (Tepatitlan de Morelos, Jalisco, Mexico) shattered the ETSU pole vault record with a leap of 3.96m, securing the meet title.
Her remarkable performance not only surpassed the previous record set by Ashley Kessler but also established Romero-Barba as the top-ranked athlete in the SoCon heading into the championship season. Junior Rebekah Howard (Ashland, Ky.) also shone on the track, claiming her first collegiate win in the 1500m with a time of 4:39.78.
Other podium finishes included junior Bonita Gray (Ogden, Utah) and freshman Luke Young (Cary, N.C.) in the 1500m, sophomore Sophie Beach (Boone, N.C), sophomore Xian Campbell (Chattanooga, Tenn.), and Abdul Jaber in the 5000m, and Malgorzata Andersohn in the javelin. Frania Romero-Barba and junior Anna Moore (Knoxville, Tenn.) secured fourth-place finishes in their events, while sophomore Brent Bell (Johnson City, Tenn.) led the men’s side with a sixth-place finish in the hammer throw.
Meanwhile, at the Wake Forest Invite in Winston-Salem, senior Myles Stoots (Mobile, Ala.) and senior Miguel Parrilla (Knoxville, Tenn.) delivered season-best performances in the steeplechase and the 800m, respectively. Looking ahead to day 2 of the competition, anticipation is high with events like the Discus Throw featuring Freshman Ijeoma Chukwu-Amaechi (Nigeria), junior Anna Moore (Knoxville, Tenn.) and Tyla Nicholson (Douglasville, Ga.), along with Gabby Walker (Maryville, Tenn.) competing in the women’s 100m finals. Malachi Thomas (Chilhowie, Va.) is set to dominate the high jump event as the top seed.
Overall, the opening day of the Catamount Classic showcased exceptional talent and promising performances from ETSU athletes across various disciplines. The Buccaneers will begin championship season May 6 when they head to Birmingham, Alabama for the Southern Conference Championships hosted by Samford University.
