WICHITA, Kan. – The Oral Roberts track and field teams made a solid showing on Wednesday and Thursday at Wichita State as they kick-started their spring indoor schedule in the Herm Wilson Invitational.
The Golden Eagle teams left Shocker country with five wins in the meet, including victories by Jeffery Gibson in the 400 meter dash and Jack Whitt in the pole vault. Whitt’s performance was his eighth straight collegiate meet in which he came out on top.
On Thursday, Whitt cleared the bar at 5.53 meters, nearly a foot more than teammate Dustin Gehrke who finished in second at 5.21 meters.
In the 400 meter, Gibson finished more than a second ahead of Oklahoma Baptist’s Jywayne Allen, crossing the finish line in 48.07 seconds, for his second straight victory in the event. The senior Gibson, along with John Bradford, Mulando Njeleka and Tyler Banks, was also a part of the ORU men’s 4×400 meter relay team that finish ahead of the field for a meet victory with a time of 3:20.78.
After finishing third in the season opener in Dec., Tim Jones moved up the medal stand in the triple jump, leaping to a distance of 14.12 meters (46-4.00).
Banks success on the relay team that finished first wasn’t his only medal, closing the 800 meter with a time of 1:57.66 for a third place finish.
Following a fourth best qualifying time of 6.96 in the 60 meter dash, freshman Joseph Reis-Herron improved his time to 6.88 to earn his first collegiate medal with a second place finish in the event. However, he was the top collegiate finisher.
In the women’s 400 meter, Madison Reynolds crossed the line with a win, posting the top time of 57.23, her second medal of the indoor season, at placing third at the Kansas’ Bob Timmons Classic in Dec.
Reynolds, along with Maisha Mitchell, Cornesha Wilkerson and Marrisa Thomas, as a team, earned their second medal of the season as they finished second in the 4×400 meter relay just .01 second behind Wichita State who entered a time of 3:53.87 to win the event.
Junior jumper Lauren McFarland was the top collegiate participant in the women’s pole vault, topping 3.80 meters (12-5.50 feet), behind the winner Sarah Pappas who was participating unattached.
Erin Roberson was a fraction away from a second place finish, crossing the finish line in the 800 meter run at the 2:24.98 mark to take third, just ahead of her teammate Thomas.
Rounding out the top three finishes at the Herm Wilson Invitational is 2012 All-Southland cross country performer Samantha Watson. Competing in the 3000 meter run, Watson finished second with a time of 10:23.17.
The Golden Eagle track and field squads continue their indoor schedule next weekend as they head to Lincoln, Neb., for the Adidas Classic, hosted by Nebraska.
From: http://www.orugoldeneagles.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=17000&ATCLID=205926760
