Track dominates at home meet

Troy’s Track and Field team absolutely dominated during their home meet, the Doc Anderson Multi and Invitational, on Friday and Saturday. While competing, the Trojans had over 18 first-place finishes, as well as multiple sweeps; podium finishes and broken records. 

The wins started early for the Trojans as Friday morning’s men’s hammer throw was won by Tayjo Oppong, who threw the hammer 53.95m, earning him first place.  

The domination of field events didn’t stop there for the Trojans. Malik Humphrey broke a meet record and finished first for the men’s long jump, jumping 7.10m. Leshawn Clifford earned second place in the women’s long jump, leaping 5.44m. 

The Trojans hit the track running immediately on Friday as well, with Aaliyah Murphy earning a blazing win in the first track event of the day, with a 59.43 in the women’s 400m hurdles . Murphy also broke the meet record for the event in the process. Macada McDonald debuted as a Trojan in fourth place during the event with a time of 1:05.13. 

The 400m hurdles was also won on the men’s side, with Jasai Taylor not only winning first place but breaking a meet record and earning a personal best with his time of 51.84. 

Both women and men got first and second place during their separate 200m events. On the women’s side, Shanayah Washington and Rachel Whyte ran times of 23.99 and 24.15, respectively, with Washington earning a season’s best in the process. For the men, Michael Eady took first with a time of 21.11 and Milos Nisic grabbed second with a time of 21.62. 

Wrapping up the field events for the day, Tyler McKinnell not only won the men’s javelin event but also broke his personal best, throwing the javelin 61.07m. 

The meet finished on the track with the men’s 5000m -- Patterson Graham won with a time of 15:33.98, with Gavan Baxley not too far behind in third place with a time of 15:58.82. 

After recognizing their seniors, the Trojans came back ready to dominate on Saturday. The men’s triple jump event had the top three Trojans beating the meet record. Amir Mersal won the event overall, jumping 14.81m, with Kavon Hill and Malik Humphrey earning second and third place with scores of 14.62m and 14.38m, respectively. 

Rachel Whyte, Jasmine Jimenez, Aaliyah Murphy and Shanayah Washington won the Women’s 4x100m shortly after with a time of 45.83. 

The men absolutely obliterated the competition during their 1500m, with seven out of the top 10 finishes being Trojans. Pierre Boerkey won the event overall with a time of 4:01.63, earning a meet record in the process. Jonas Koturenka was not far behind in second with a personal best time of 4:03.61.  

Keith Warner, Lane Watson, Caden Blackman and Ethan Newsome ran times of 4:12.04, 4:14.59, 4:15.42 and 4:16.11, earning third, fourth, fifth and sixth places, respectively. The last Trojan to finish in the top 10 was Gavan Baxley, running a 4:20.89, earning eighth place. 

Faith Jones continued to show her superiority over the women’s 100m hurdles with a time of 13.47, not only getting first place but also earning a personal best time in the process. Similarly, Zamarie Kier won the men’s 110m hurdles with a time of 14.37, also earning a personal best.