LIVINGSTON, Ala. - The University of West Alabama men's and women's track and field teams are set to compete on Saturday in the Samford Bulldog Open at the Birmingham CrossPlex, with competition beginning at 8:00 a.m.
The Tigers are riding momentum of their strong showing at the UAB Green and White Invite, where they achieved four top-five finishes. Dedric Hicks led the way with a runner-up performance in the Shot Put (16.59m), while J'Da Williams put up the 19th fastest 60m time in the nation with an eye-opening 7.52 seconds. Gary Mata also posted a solid performance with a pair of fourth-place finishes in the one mile (4:20.75) and 3000m (8:44.40).
Beyond the podium performances, UWA showed impressive depth with 14 athletes setting new personal records across various events while Williams, Jalen Green, Kilaya Lucien, Tyrese Pitts, Dylan Payne, Jamar Bankhead all set new School Indoor Records. Also, the 4x400m team of Lucien, Adria Burrall, Jamaya Dancy, and Jocelyn Randle broke the School Record with a 4:09.56 time along with the Men's Quartet of Pitts, Michael Harris, Sha'Kenye Darden, and Landon Laphand with a 3:24.02 time. The Tigers showed strength in the sprints, distance races, and field events last week.
With confidence building, West Alabama will look to carry this positive drive into Saturday's competition at the Samford Bulldog Open.
