Cross Country & Track & Field | 3/19/2022 9:22:00 PM
CLEVELAND, Tenn. --- The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga women's track and field team opened the 2022 outdoor season Saturday close to home at the Lee Invitational at the Ray Conn Athletic Complex in Cleveland, Tenn.
Justine Glass hung off the pace in fourth place and with 300 meters to go made a hard moved and finished second overall with a time of 4:36.48, just 2.10 seconds off the lead.
"Justine ran very well," Mocs head coach
Andy Meyer said. "Allie [Potter] led her heat right from the start and won by 26 meters."
Potter finished 16
th overall and posted a PR in the race at 5:11.50.
In the women's 5000 meter,
Lesley Green and
Emma Russum went out conservative and pushed the pace, according to Meyer. "Leslie was able to bridge to the lead pack and eased in for third,"
Green posted a personal-best in the race with a time of 17:26.71 and Russum was just off her top pace at 18:09.73.
Kimbra Dunning continued her improvement into her second season. The Chattanooga native placed fourth in the long jump, just missing her career-long jump by 0.01 meters at 5.44 after posting a PR in the 100 meter dash. She placed 12
th overall with a time of 12.78.
Imani Bryant finished eighth in both the 100 meter (12.71) and the 200 meter (26.50) and McKenzie Williams was ninth with a time of 12.72 in the 100 meter.
"Our sprinters in the 100 did great this early in the season," Meyer said. "Imani carried her indoor form to the outdoor and McKenzie, coming off injury and only running 80 percent, finished right behind her."
Sydney Cansler hit her PR in the 800 meter with a time of 2:44.69 and came from behind for a strong finish in her heat.
"Sydney, in her heat, got out well and caught several girls in the last 400 to get fourth."
In the men's races, this was the first outdoor race for most of UTC's runners.
Jonathan Boyd, however, topped his previous best time in the 5000 meter with a time of 15:25.47 with
Ryan Phillips (15:39.88) and
Eric Mitchell (15:43.23) crossing the line shortly after.
Kaigen Mulkey finished 12
th in the 1500 meter with a time of 4:01.04 and
Eammon O'Bryant was 15
th at 4:04. 84.
"Kaigen and Eammon ran very well finishing 1-2 in their heat," Meyer said. "Both hung back and with 700 meters to go made a move and gradually ran away from the field. In the 5k the men went out a little slow but negative split the race and finished strong. Eric had a huge improvement.
"Overall it was a great start to the outdoor season," Meyer said "We got results in the sprints, jumps, mid and long distances. Several kids hit PRs and raced well."
The Mocs won't have long to rest as they will head to Atlanta next weekend for the Emory Spring Break Classic. Check the track and field schedule on GoMocs.com for live scoring.
