DURHAM, N.C. – Eastern Kentucky University junior Emma García-Palencia broke the EKU heptathlon record with 5,016 points this weekend at the Duke Invitational.
 
Garcia-Palencia's score broke the previous record of 4,916 points, set by Alena Galertova in 2016.
 
The native of Benicassim, Spain recorded personal-bests in the 100-meter hurdles (14.84), 200 meters (26.05), and long jump (17-6.75) en route to her record-breaking score. She finished fourth out of a strong field of 17 athletes.
 
Garcia-Palencia won gold in the heptathlon at the 2021 OVC Outdoor Championships. She was the silver medalist in the pentathlon at the 2022 ASUN Indoor Championships.
 
The distance Colonels took the track at Morris Williams Stadium on Friday night. Junior Jackson Siddall highlighted the men's 1,500 meters with a personal-best 3:47.85. Freshman Jan Badia-Celma was right behind him in 3:48.03.
 
Freshman Ahmed Sayf Kadri followed that up by improving his 3,000-meter steeplechase time to 9:00.18. Coming into the week, that time ranks No. 2 in the ASUN and in the top-30 in the NCAA East Region.
 
All-American Ahmed Jaziri made his collegiate debut in the 5,000 meters late on Friday, finishing second overall in a field of 64 runners. He ran sub-14:00 in the debut, clocking a time of 13:58.52. That time currently ranks No. 2 in the ASUN.
 
Sophomore Nikodem Dworczak also ran a big personal best in the 5,000 meters, recording a time of 14:14.88 (currently No. 6 in the conference).
 
On the women's side, Jone Zabaleta Larranaga highlighted the evening by winning the 5,000 meters. She ran away from the field, defeating 51 runners with a time of 16:20.52. That is the fastest time by a Colonel since 2017 and No. 5 on EKU's all-time list.
 
Sophomore Anouk van Gils also had a big night, shattering her personal best in the 3,000-meter steeplechase by 20 seconds. Her time of 10:34.37 currently ranks No. 3 in the ASUN.
 
The women's 4x100 meter relay team got Saturday started on the right foot. Quantasia Perry, Christian "Joy" Scott, Aniya Matthews, and Madison Fleming combined to finish fifth with a season-best and still ASUN-leading time of 45.75.
 
Matthews followed that up by winning her heat of the 100-meter hurdles with a personal-best mark of 14.07. That time puts her at No. 2 in the ASUN.
 
Perry just missed victory in the 100 meters, finishing second in a field of 40 runners with a wind-legal personal best of 11.64.
 
Matthews ran personal-best times in the 100 meters (12.06) and 200 meters (24.23) on the day. Scott also recorded PBs in both events (12.09 / 24.63).
 
Alicia Recio capped the day by running a personal-best time of 2:11.15 in the 800 meters.
 
For the men, Alex Leshan highlighted Saturday by clocking a personal-best time of 1:50.27 in the 800 meters. Coming into this week, that time ranks No. 2 in the ASUN. Badia-Celma clocked a 1:51.04. That currently puts him at No. 5 in the conference.
 
The Colonels return to action April 22-23 at the Virginia Challenge in Charlottesville, Virginia.