NC State track and field continued its indoor season in Blacksburg, Virginia at the Virginia Tech Invitational on Friday, Jan. 12, and Saturday, Jan. 13. After not competing for a month, the team came ready to compete at its best, and many athletes posted new personal records throughout the two days of competition.
Day one: Friday, Jan. 12
The red-and-white competed in 13 events throughout the first day of the meet, including two finals. In the women’s 60-meter hurdles preliminary race, graduate student Ally Henson cranked out her first of two impressive performances. With a time of 8.45 seconds in the prelims, she finished second and qualified to move into the finals. Henson finished first overall in the finals and posted a time of 8.29, the fifth-best time in program history.
Two NC State men competed in the 60 hurdles as well, with junior Alex Nunley and freshman Xavier Branker finishing high up in both the preliminary and final races. Nunley scored first overall in the prelims with a time of 7.91, while Branker finished fifth with a time of 8.15. In the finals, Nunley recorded a second-place finish, and Branker followed close behind at fourth.
In the middle-distance track events, the Pack placed in the top ten in two events — the men’s 500-meter and the men’s 300-meter. Freshman Quentin Clarke finished fifth overall in the 500 with a time of 1 minute, 5.78 seconds, while Branker and freshman Kyron Parker finished fourth and eighth, respectively, in the 300.
The field events saw multiple athletes reach personal bests throughout the first day. Freshman Jayda Hunter competed in the women’s long jump and tallied a new best at 5.28 meters. Freshman Tyson Adams placed second in the men’s long jump with a leap of 7.24.
In the throwing events, senior Makala Wright placed third in the weighted throw with a mark of 19.22 meters. This throw is a new personal best and moves her into fifth all-time in NC State history. Sophomore Nathan Lau placed fourth in the men’s weighted throw with a mark of 17.18.
Day two: Saturday, Jan. 13
The final day of the meet saw more field events and even more personal bests for the Wolfpack. Six NC State athletes placed in the top ten during their respective jumping events.
Hunter placed second overall and established a new personal best in the women’s triple jump with a leap of 12.59 meters. Graduate student Jirah Sidberry placed fifth in the same event with a mark of 12.22.
Freshman McKenna Moritz and junior Jakerra Covington placed ninth and 10th, respectively, in women’s high jump. Covington’s height of 1.55 meters is a new personal best. Sophomore Kyzaiah Stone placed sixth in men’s high jump with a height of 2.06.
The throwing events saw another athlete etch their name in NC State history books, with sophomore Ta’Honny Exum launching a 13.79 meter throw in women’s shot put. This throw pushed Exum into seventh-best in Wolfpack history. Lau competed in the men’s shot put and posted a new personal best with a launch of 15.09.
NC State track and field will head back to Virginia Tech next week to compete in the Hokie Invitational on Friday, Jan. 19, and Saturday, Jan. 20.
