Rod McCravy Results I Camel City Elite Results

RICHMOND, Ky. – Freshman James Sugira and senior Jaime Romo both raced to Ohio Valley Conference-best times over the weekend as the Eastern Kentucky University track and field teams split the weekend between the Camel City Elite and Rod McCravy Memorial.
 
Sugira – a cross country All-American in the fall – delivered a big-time performance in his first significant track race as a Colonel. The native of Rwanda finished fourth overall and was the top collegiate finisher in the loaded men's 3,000 meters at the Camel City Elite on Saturday in Winston Salem, North Carolina. Sugira clocked a time of 7:58.19, which converted to 7:52.7 – the fastest 3,000 meters time in school history.
 
The time also ranks Sugira No. 9 in the country and puts him firmly in NCAA contention territory.
 
Romo, meanwhile, raced the mile for the first time in his life, and responded with an OVC-best time of 4:08.70 on Saturday at Kentucky's Rod McCravy Memorial. Fellow senior David Bascuñana was right behind him at 4:08.77 (No. 2 in the OVC). Freshman Remi Schyns also recorded a personal-best in the mile on Saturday, winning his heat with a time of 4:12.3 (No. 8 in the OVC).
 
The EKU men now own five of the top eight mile times in the OVC. Sugira is No. 4 (4:11.1) and junior Samuel Abascal is No. 5 (4:11.5).
 
Three other Colonels also recorded top-five OVC performances for the men at Rod McCravy: sophomore Ben Thoms in the 60-meter hurdles (8.46 / No. 4), senior Yoshua Reed in the high jump (6-7 / No. 5) and junior Jacob Alleyne in the long jump (21-10.75 / No. 5).
 
On the women's side, freshman Lou Trois and sophomore Ashley Barr highlighted the weekend by running personal-best and OVC top-five times in the 800 meters at Rod McCravy. Trois went 2:16.5 (No. 3 in the OVC), while Barr was right behind her in 2:16.6 (No. 4 in the OVC).

Freshmen Jeanne Reix Charat (5:12.07 / No. 12 in the OVC) and Beighley Ayers (5:14.7 / No. 14 in the OVC) also posted personal-best times in the mile on Saturday.
 
The EKU track and field teams will split next weekend between the Washington Husky Classic, Music City Challenge and Chipotle Marshall Invitational.