Sea Ray Relays Results I Univ. of the Cumberlands Invite Results

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The Eastern Kentucky University track and field team competed at the University of Tennessee Sea Ray Relays and the University of the Cumberlands Invitational this weekend. Junior Jazzmin Jeter highlighted the weekend by tying the school record in the women’s long jump with a leap of 19-6 at the Sea Ray Relays on Saturday.

Jeter finished fourth out of 21 competitors in the women’s long jump with a mark of 19-6. The distance tied Teri Seippel’s previous school record, set in 1980. The Louisville, Ky. native already held the school record in the indoor women’s long jump with leap of 19-2.5, which she recorded at the 2011 Ohio Valley Conference Indoor Championships.

Jeter was not the only Colonel who had a big weekend. Junior Bianca Forbes ran a personal and OVC-best time in the women’s 400 meters on Saturday at the Sea Relays, finishing third out of 48 runners with a time of 54.41. The time is the third-fastest women’s 400 meters time in school history.

Sophomore Shiyana Mahendra, meanwhile, finished 8th out of 21 runners in the women’s 400-meter hurdles with a personal-best time of 1:03.69. The time is the third-fastest in the OVC so far this spring.

In the women’s relays, EKU’s 4x100 meter relay team – composed of Jeter, Mahendra, senior Diamond Benjamin and sophomore Rashelle Florence – won with a time of 47.46, EKU’s 4x1500 meter relay team – composed of senior Danielle Mason, junior Picoty Leitich, sophomore Hannah Miller and freshman Erica Wesstrom – won with a time of 19:08.92 and EKU’s distance medley relay team – composed of Forbes, Wesstrom and freshmen Ann Eason and Erica Reaser – finished second with a time of 12:05.70.

On the men’s side, junior Soufiane Bouchikhi was the top collegiate finisher in the men’s 1,500 meters with a time of 3:48.64. The time is the fifth-fastest in school history.

Other winners from the men’s team included junior Yosi Goasdoue, who won the men’s 5,000 meters, narrowly edging teammate senior Alex Dreyer with a time of 14:39.77, senior Simon Holzapfel, who won the men’s 10,000 meters with an OVC-best time of 30:31.68 and sophomore Ben Tortoitich, who won the men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase with an OVC-best time of 9:02.41.

The men’s relays also fared well, as EKU’s 4x1500 meter relay team – composed of Bouchikhi, Tortoitich, senior Ben Cheruiyot and freshman Thijs Nijhuis – won with a time of 16:59.99 and EKU’s distance medley relay team – composed of Cheruiyot, Goasdoue, Tortoitich and senior Gerry Cooper – won with a time of 10:14.38.

At the Cumberlands Invitational, senior Morgan Thacker provided the highlight of the weekend as she won the women’s long jump with a leap of 17-8 and the women’s triple jump with a leap of 36-0.

On the men’s side, freshman Tanner Kendall was the top collegiate finisher in the men’s high jump with a mark of 6-2 and the top collegiate finisher in the men’s long jump with a distance of 20-8.

The Colonel track and field team returns to action next Friday, April 20, at its host meet, the EKU Open at Tom Samuels Track.