Track and field sets new personal records at UNC Open

In just the second track and field meet of the season, Troy collected its first win at the UNC Open in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, on Saturday, Jan. 17.

Freshman Niata Alexander continues to impress by picking up her first win in her college career in the women’s 400-meter dash with a time of 56.71. At her first meet, Alexander made it into the top five twice.

Junior Julia Ostendorf was able to leave the meet with a second place finish in the women’s 3000-meter run. She was just three seconds short of the leader with a time of 10:23.11.

Freshman Mikayla Hodges finished seventh and both she and Ostendorf set new personal records for the 3,000-meter run.

Several other Trojans toppled their previous personal bests, including freshman Sydney Wright, freshman Sierra King, and junior Cameia Alexander. Wright, King, and Alexander all broke their records in the 60-meter dash.

Wright finished in 7.77 seconds for qualifying and in the final race she took home third place and a new best time of 7.74. King and Alexander wrapped up the race in 7.92 seconds and 8.13 seconds, respectively.

In the women’s 4×400 relay, Niata Alexander, freshman Dallas Worthy, and juniors Alexus Cobbs and Paige McMillian finished in fifth, with a time of 4:08.35.

Cobbs and Cameia Alexander both set season bests, finishing fifth in their individual events. Alexander was in the 200-meter dash, finishing in 26.04 seconds, and Cobbs completed 5.36-meter long jump.

Other Trojans who competed in the field events were freshmen Corina Cox, Allison Taylor and Jaevyn Wortham, who all participated in the shot put, while Taylor and Wortham also contested in the weight throw. Cox took third place in the shot put, thanks to a 13.30-meter throw.

Taylor placed seventh in the weight throw and eighth in shot put. Wortham was one place behind Taylor in both the weight throw and shot put.

Troy will travel to Birmingham for the UAB Vulcan Invitational on Friday, Jan. 23, and Saturday, Jan. 24.