Track and Field | 4/17/2021 10:51:00 PM
LYNCHBURG, Va. Methodist's men's and women's track and field athletes participated in one last meet before the upcoming conference championship meet, and Saturday's showing at the Dennis Craddock Coaches Classic was the right medicine as several Monarchs put on a good showing at the University of Lynchburg's oval.
Along with numerous personal records (PRs), Methodist athletes moved up the USA South Athletic Conference's performance lists, including a few taking over the top spots in their events.
On the oval,
Makayla Lawler posted a collegiate-best time in the women's 10,000-meter run to win the event in a time of 37 minutes, 33.12 seconds, the fastest time run among conference competitors this spring.
At half that distance,
Drew Topoly and
Connor Ayers posted conference performance-list noteworthy times. Topoly placed 12th in the men's 5,000 with a time, 15:27.07, that takes over the top spot on the USA South list. Teammate
Connor Ayers posted a time of 15:50.89 in the event, elevating to the No. 3 spot on the USA South performance list for the event.
Cameron Schwartz was 14th in the 110 hurdles, posting a new PR of 17.70 seconds, and moving up to No. 1 on the conference list. He finished 17th in the 400 hurdles at Lynchburg, but his time, 1:01.65, is the fifth fastest in the league this spring.
Setting anew PR in the men's 800 was
Stephen Dukes with a time, 1:57.74, that ranks fourth on the conference list for the event. Teammate
Austin Ezzell also set a PR with his 17th-place time of 1:59.32.
Chakaylyn Patterson posted a PR in the women's 200, 29.32 seconds, that is 15th on the league's listing. Her best throw in the javelin, 27.06 meters, was a new PR and the fifth best heave in the conference.
Already the leader on the list in the men's discus throw,
Jake Patterson bettered his previous best with a new PR of 41.09 meters on Saturday.
Methodist will seek to multiply its new PRs on April 28 at the USA South Outdoor Track & Field Championship Meet, hosted by Berea College in Berea, Kentucky.
