LIVINGSTON, Ala. – The University of West Alabama track and field team is set to compete at the Georgia Tech Invitational, scheduled for April 18 (Fri) – 19 (Sat) at the George C. Griffin Track (Atlanta, Ga.). The meet will feature a strong field of athletes, including five programs from the Gulf South Conference—among them, UWA—offering an early look at potential conference championship matchups.
The Tigers enter the weekend on the heels of a remarkable performance at the Berry Field Day Invitational, where multiple athletes delivered top finishes.
Antonio Young led the way for the men's team, setting a new personal best and breaking the UWA program record in the 100-meter dash with a time of 10.54 seconds to earn a second-place finish. Moreover, Lawrence Walker followed with a solid showing in the 200 meters, placing seventh in 21.69 seconds.
Furthermore,
Balikis Yakubu continued her dominance in the sprints, winning both the women's 100-meter dash (11.92) and 200-meter dash (24.90).
Mikia Hutchings also contributed a fifth-place finish in the 100 meters, crossing the line at 12.20 seconds.
In the field events,
Dedric Hicks placed second in the shot put with a mark of 15.21 meters, while Caleb Van claimed third in the triple jump at 13.70 meters. Freshman
Jaxson Lovelace placed sixth in the javelin throwing 52.57 meters, continuing his strong debut season.
Distance events also saw strong performances.
Mercy Lomuria secured second place in the women's 1500-meter run with a time of 4:47.65. On the men's side,
Sha'Kenye Darden and
Gary Mata placed sixth and seventh in the 800-meter run, both clocking sub-2:00 finishes.
With momentum on their side, the Tigers head into the Georgia Tech Invitational aiming to sharpen their performances against top-tier NCAA Division I programs and familiar Gulf South Conference foes, including Mississippi College, Christian Brothers, Lee University, and Alabama Huntsville. As the regular season winds down, each result becomes more critical, and UWA looks to build on standout efforts like Balikis Yabuku's sprint sweep,
Mercy Lomuria's impressive 1500-meter finish, and Antonio Walker's record-setting 100-meter dash finish. Backed by a mix of veteran leadership and emerging talent, the Tigers are focused on peaking at the right time with the conference championships arriving in two weeks.
