TicketsCINCINNATI - The final day of competition at the Kentucky Invitational came to an end Saturday afternoon inside the Nutter Field House in Lexington, Ky., with the University of Cincinnati track and field program once again walking away with plenty to be proud of as well as to build upon. On the final day, the Bearcats combined to record 21 personal bests, break one school record and add four more all-time Top 10 marks while also posting a pair of marks that currently rank among the Top 10 in the nation.
Bryana Robinson took care of several of those categories in one race as she ran 53.70 in the 400m dash to break the school record and post a time that should be in the national Top 10 at the end of the weekend. All told, the first weekend back in action for the Bearcats set the stage for the next five weeks of competition, all of which will be geared toward preparing for the American Athletic Conference Championships at the end of February in Birmingham, Ala.
#Bearcats Bryana Robinson blisters the 400m for a school record 53.70! #Congrats Bryana! #SuperFast #BreakingRecords #KYInvite pic.twitter.com/TtQQORHl8C
— Cincinnati TF & XC (@GoBearcatsTFXC) January 14, 2017
// WOMEN'S RESULTS
- One of the biggest highlights of the meet came on the track as Robinson took down the school record in the 400m dash in a time of 53.70, bettering the previous mark held by Kenya Woodall of 53.73. Robinson placed third overall in the race and was the top collegiate entry behind two unattached post-collegiate competitors while lowering her lifetime best from 54.99. With her current time, Robinson will end the weekend ranked among the Top 5 nationally so far this year. Robinson also took part in the 60m dash, running a PR 7.74 to finish 15th.
- Haisha Bisiolu also pieced together a solid afternoon on the track as the sophomore posted fast times in the 60m dash and the 400m dash. In the opening short sprint, Bisiolu finished fourth in the preliminaries of the 60m dash, running 7.60 to earn a berth into the finals, where she finished eighth overall. In the quarter, she finished seventh overall at 55.66 to not only lower her PR, but also record the sixth-best time in program history.
- Kellsa Mbah got into the record books in a pair of events, including the 60m dash and the long jump. On the track, Mbah ran a time of 7.65 to finish 10th in the event while recording the eighth-fastest time in UC history. In her top event, she placed fourth overall in the long jump as she posted a mark of 5.97m (19-07.00) to move up to third on the all-time list. In that same event, Irati Mitxelena also moved up the Top 10 list as her mark of 5.88m (19-03.50) not only placed her sixth in the event, but pushed her to fifth all-time in just her second meet with the Bearcats.
- Maggie Loeffler opened the day for the Bearcats by recording a PR in the high jump as the multi-eventer cleared an indoor-best 1.66m (5-05.25) to finish eighth overall. Loeffler nearly cleared the next height, which would have placed her on the all-time Top 10 (1.67m).
- Annette Echikunwoke was the top throws finisher on the day as she placed sixth in the shot put with a best of 14.87m (48-09.50). In the same event, Alexis Gray tossed the ball to 13.04m (42-09.50) to earn a PR and post her first toss of 13m or better. Ashley Williams made her UC debut this weekend and placed 14th in the shot put at 13.26m (43-06.00).
- The 3,000m run was the final event of the day for the Bearcats with five women racing and four earning PRs. Juliana Madzia led the charge as she finished 15th overall in 10:13.68 to post her fastest time with the next three finishers also adding to the PR list: Cassidy Care in 10:39.29, Tessa Ward in 10:39.88 and Samantha Simms in 10:53.18.
// MEN'S RESULTS
- Valles had a solid day in the .pole vault as he not only won the event, but did so by clearing a season-best 5.43m (17-09.75), the second-best mark in program history behind his school record 5.47m from last season. Valles' mark, preliminarily, ranks him in the national Top 5 and sets him up nicely to be the favorite for his third indoor conference title and fifth in a row later this season. Alex Bloom also competed in the event, placing 12th overall at 4.43m (14-06.25).
- Staying the field, Valles' fellow countryman Sergio Acera also found success in his top event as he placed second overall in the long jump with a top mark of 7.35m (24-01.50), which was just one centimeter off his indoor personal best and the fifth-best in program history. Both multi-event men also took part in the same event with both walking away with personal bests. Bloom hit a jump of 6.97m (22-10.50) while Ben Wollenslegel posted a best of 6.59m (21-07.50). The PR for Bloom was his first of three on the day as he also posted bests in the 60m hurdles (8.64) and the 200m dash (23.32).
- Jimmy Brooks made his season debut and record two Top 5 finishes in the sprints as placed fourth in the 400m dash in 47.96 and fifth in the 200m dash in 21.77. Halen Witcher also recorded a Top 10 finish in the open quarter as he raced to a PR of 48.66 while Jaashir Morris recorded two Top 15 showings, placing 13th in the 200m dash in 22.17 and 15th in 400m in 49.27.
- Rookie Logan Baker to the track for the first time and recorded a personal-best time of 1:56.62 to finish 12th overall in the 800m run while Jarrod Hart was just behind him in 13th place at 1:57.13. Also in the distances, Nick Grismer raced in the 3,000m event, finishing 12th overall in 8:49.99, also a PR.
- Back in the field, Macklin Tudor recorded a Top 5 finish of his own as he placed fourth in the shot put with a toss of 17.66m (57-11.25) while John Zedella finished 14th in 14.94m (49-00.25).
The Bearcats will return to action next week at the Gladstein Invitational in Bloomington, Ind. The meet, hosted by Indiana inside the Gladstein Fieldhouse, will run Friday and Saturday with events distributed across both days.
2017 Kentucky Invitational - Day 2 (1/14/17)
Women's Results
60m Dash
Prelims
4. Haisha Bisiolu - 7.60 - advances
10. Kellsa Mbah - 7.65 - PR & UC #8
15. Bryana Robinson - 7.74 - PR
21. Alanna Hendricks - 7.82
46. Angelica Lightfoot - 8.27 - PR
FINAL
8. Haisha Bisiolu - 7.74
60m Hurdles
Prelims
27. Juliana Puopolo - 9.15
28. Angelica Lightfoot - 9.15
31. Katie Straus - 9.21
52. Naomi Urbano - 9.64
200m Dash
33. Deanna Gesicki - 26.14
34. Juliana Puopolo - 26.18
38. Alanna Hendricks - 26.67
45. Sylvana Ross - 26.98
400m Dash
3. Bryana Robinson - 53.70 - PR & UC RECORD
7. Haisha Bisiolu - 55.66 - PR & UC #6
33. Sylvana Ross - 1:00.10
40. Katie Straus - 1:01.05
43. Grace Winckowski - 1:02.92
800m Run
27. Sammy Hentz - 2:24.28
28. Tes Corea - 2:25.25
3,000m Run
15. Juliana Madzia - 10:13.68 - PR
33. Cassidy Carey - 10:39.29 - PR
34. Tessa Ward - 10:39.88 - PR
44. Samantha Simms - 10:53.18 - PR
53. Erin Kennedy - 11:10.78
Long Jump
4. Kellsa Mbah - 5.97m (19-07.00) - PR & UC #3
6. Irati Mitxelena - 5.88m (19-03.50) - PR & UC #5
34. Naomi Urbano - 4.85m (15-11.00)
48. Angelica Lightfoot - 2.36m (7-09.00)
High Jump
8. Maggie Loeffler - 1.66m (5-05.25) - PR
11. Naomi Urbano - 1.56m (5-01.25)
13. Katie Straus - 1.56m (5-01.25)
Pole Vault
6. Brooke Catherine - 3.65m (11-11.75)
14. Sadie Brass - 3.50m (11-05.75)
-- Lily Bunse - no height
Shot Put
6. Annette Echikunwoke - 14.87m (48-09.50)
14. Ashley Williams - 13.26m (43-06.00)
18. Alexis Gray - 13.04m (42-09.50) - PR
Men's Results
60m Dash
Prelims
21. Sergio Acera - 7.21
60m Hurdles
Prelims
16. Alex Bloom - 8.64 - PR
25. Ben Wollenslegel - 9.04
200m Dash
5. Jimmy Brooks - 21.77
13. Jaashir Morris - 22.17 - PR
24. Kevin Konkoly - 22.59
26. Ryan Greene - 23.04 - PR
28. Alex Bloom - 23.32 - PR
400m Dash
4. Jimmy Brooks - 47.96
9. Halen Witcher - 48.66 - PR
15. Jaashir Morris - 49.27
22. Kevin Konkoly - 50.30
23. Ryan Greene - 50.42
800m Run
12. Logan Baker - 1:56.62 - PR
13. Jarrod Hart - 1:57.13
3,000m Run
12. Nick Grismer - 8:49.99 - PR
Long Jump
2. Sergio Acera - 7.35m (24-01.50)
10. Alex Bloom - 6.97 (22-10.50) - PR
18. Ben Wollenslegel - 6.59m (21-07.50) - PR
High Jump
13. Jordan Hardiman - 1.98m (6-06.00)
22. Mike Wood - 1.86m (6-01.25)
Pole Vault
1. Adrian Valles - 5.43m (17-09.75)
12. Alex Bloom - 4.43m (14-06.25)
Shot Put
4. Macklin Tudor - 17.66m (57-11.25)
14. John Zedella - 14.94m (49-00.25)