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CINCINNATI - The first day of action at the 2017 adidas Raleigh Relays came to a close Friday afternoon for the University of Cincinnati track and field program with Loretta Blaut leading the charge as the champion of the invitational section of the women's high jump in a meet hosted by NC State in Raleigh, N.C. Five women, including two true freshmen, added their names to the program's all-time Top 10 lists with junior Alexis Gray recording personal-best marks twice in the discus to record two all-time Top 10 marks of her own. All told, the Bearcats combined to record 19 personal-best marks on the day with the women recording 12 and the men seven.
// TAKING THE WIN
Loretta Blaut took the top spot in the invitational section of the women's high jump for the lone victory on the day for UC. The returning All-American cleared 1.75m (5-08.75) to win the event before nearly clearing 1.78m on two separate attempts. Her mark is the early leader in the conference, giving her a nearly three-inch cushion on the next closest competitor in the American Athletic Conference.
// IN THE RECORD BOOK
Five women added their names to the all-time Top 10 ledger Friday, led by a solid performance in the field by Gray's showing in the discus. Gray, after fouling her first two attempts, would put a mark on the board in the third round before posting a best of 48.67m (159-08) in the finals to record the fourth-best toss in program history. Staying in the throws, junior transfer Ashley Williams tossed the shot put out to 14.35m (47-01.00), which is the seventh-best in UC history. On the track, rookie Tiona Lattimore raced to a time of 11.94 in the 100m dash for the eighth-fastest time in UC history before Haisha Bisiolu ran 55.03 in the 400m dash, also the #8 time in program history. The final Top 10 mark came in the long jump as rookie Irati Mitxelena took runner-up honors with her leap of 5.81m (19-00.75), the ninth-best mark in UC history.
// MORE ON GRAY
Not only did Gray record a pair of personal-best marks in the discus, she also saw both of those marks move her up the all-time Top 10 ledger. Entering the meet, Gray carried a PR of 46.64m, which ranked sixth all-time at UC and came back in the 2015 season. Between that meet and today's results, she threw over 45 meters just once, hitting a season-best 45.84m last year in Louisville. Then, today, her first throw of 47.85m pushed her up to #5 on the all-time list before her fifth-round throw of 48.67m bumped her up one more slot to #4 as just the fifth Bearcat woman to surpass the 48 meter mark in competition.
// MORE WOMEN'S RESULTS
• Along with her Top 10 mark in the long jump that earned her a second-place finish, Mitxelena was one of four women to earn personal-best times in the 100m dash as well. Along with Lattimore's fast time, Kellsa Mbah (12.17), Mitxelena (12.73) and Aliya Barnes (12.77) all posted PRs.
• The women's 1,500m run saw a trio of Bearcats toe the line with one personal best being recorded and one more nearly equalled. Madison Dunlap finished in 4:46.56 to lower her all-time best by nearly 3.5 seconds (3.44) while Meg Westerheide ran 4:37.92, which is just 0.77 off her lifetime best, which also ranks as the fourth-fastest in UC history. Vanessa Robinson also took part in the event, running 4:45.52.
• Two mutli-event specialists competed in the open high jump with Naomi Urbano and Maggie Loeffler each clearing 1.60m (5-03.00). That clearance gave the duo a share of fourth-place overall on the day.
// MEN'S RESULTS
• Jimmy Brooks made his 100m dash debut and sprinted to a fifth-place finish overall as he clocked a time of 10.69. That mark currently ranks him among the Top 10 in the American Athletic Conference in the early stages of the season. In the same event, both Mykel Chambers (11.05) and Sergio Acera (11.33) recorded personal-best times.
• Staying on the track, Michael Vitucci also posted a personal-best as he ran 3:58.27 in the 1,500m run.
• The high jump produced a pair of Top 10 finishes on the day as Mike Wood placed sixth overall in the regular event while Jordan Hardiman was ninth in the invitational section. Wood cleared 1.95m (6-04.75) while Hardiman's top clearance was 2.00m (6-06.75), a height that Wood nearly cleared in his competition as well.
• Aaron Deaton, after sitting out the indoor season, made his Bearcats debut in a pair of throwing events. He placed 13th overall in the shot put with a best of 14.67m (48-01.75) before placing 28th in the discus at 36.69m (120-04). Fellow rookie Chris Province also competed in the discus, taking 26th at 37.78m (123-11).
// IN THE BLOCKS
The adidas Raleigh Relays concludes Saturday. UC will have several athletes running in relay events with others competing in field events. ESPN3 will carry a live web cast of the day's races with action from 12 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. slated to be shown live online.
2017 adidas Raleigh Relays - Day 1 (3/24/17)
Women's Results
100m Dash
6. Tiona Lattimore - 11.94 (-0.1) - PR & UC #8
17. Kellsa Mbah - 12.17 (-0.8) - PR
37. Alanna Hendricks - 12.54 (-0.1)
47. Juliana Puopolo - 12.70 (+0.2)
48. Irati Mitxelena - 12.73 (-0.5) - PR
50. Aliya Barnes - 12.77 (-0.5) - PR
100m Hurdles
12. Aliya Barnes - 14.45 (-0.6)
26. Juliana Puopolo - 14.83 (+0.7)
32. Angelica Lightfoot - 15.07 (-1.1) - PR
47. Maggie Loeffler - 15.90 (+0.2)
50. Naomi Urbano - 16.17 (+0.2)
400m Dash
4. Haisha Bisiolu - 55.03 - PR & UC #8
21. Deanna Gesicki - 57.31
1,500m Run
63. Meg Westerheide - 4:37.92
96. Vanessa Robinson - 4:45.52
97. Madison Dunlap - 4:46.56 - PR
Sprint Medley Relay (200m/200m/400m/800m)
7. Cincinnati - 4:17.77
Puopolo (24.77), Hendricks (26.29), Loeffler (62.62), Urbano (2:24.09)
Long Jump
2. Irati Mitxelena - 5.81m (19-00.75)(+1.1) - PR & UC #9
6. Kellsa Mbah - 5.60m (18-04.25)(+0.4)
High Jump - Invitational
1. Loretta Blaut - 1.75m (5-08.75)
High Jump
t4. Naomi Urbano - 1.60m (5-03.00)
t4. Maggie Loeffler - 1.60m (5-03.00) - =PR
Shot Put
12. Ashley Williams - 14.35m (47-01.00) - UC PR & UC #7
23. Alexis Gray - 12.82m (42-00.75) - PR
Discus
4. Alexis Gray - 48.67m (159-08) - PR & UC #4
29. Nicole Breeden - 39.36m (131-01)
30. Ashley Williams - 38.63m (126-09)
Men's Results
100m Dash
5. Jimmy Brooks - 10.69 (+1.2) - PR
34. Mykel Chambers - 11.05 (+1.0) - PR
44. Khalid Fuller - 11.16 (+0.0)
48. Sergio Acera - 11.33 (-1.4) - PR
Tevin Thompson - DNF
110m Hurdles
24. Kelvin Williams - 15.18 (-1.2)
400m Dash
10. Halen Witcher - 48.70
28. Nathan Alexander - 50.03
1,500m Run
77. Michael Vitucci - 3:58.27 - PR
Sprint Medley Relay (200m/200m/400m/800m)
8. Cincinnati - 3:33.55
Chambers (22.76), Fuller (21.80), Morris (48.81), Barnes (2:00.18)
Long Jump
Austin Edwards - FOUL
High Jump - Invitational
9. Jordan Hardiman - 2.00m (6-06.75)
High Jump
6. Mike Wood - 1.95m (6-04.75)
Pole Vault - Invitational
Nathan Alexander - NH
Shot Put
13. Aaron Deaton - 14.67m (48-01.75) - PR
Discus
26. Chris Province - 37.78m (123-11) - PR
28. Aaron Deaton - 36.69m (120-04) - PR