CLINTON, Miss. – The University of West Alabama men's and women's track & field teams opened the outdoor season with a strong performance at the Mississippi College Spring Classic, posting multiple podium finishes, several top-10 results, and with Men's T&F finishing seventh in overall points and Women's T&F finishing in eighth throughout the meet.
The Tigers were highlighted by a series of runner-up performances in the field and relay events. Dedric Hicks led the way in the men's shot put, placing second with a throw of 16.01 meters. In the men's javelin throw, Jaxson Lovelace also earned a second-place finish with a mark of 54.53 meters while later adding a third-place finish in the men's high jump with a personal-best clearance of 1.85 meters.
In the men's hammer throw, Avery Peterson secured another runner-up finish for West Alabama with a throw of 28.98 meters.
UWA's relay teams also delivered strong performances on the track. The men's 4x100-meter relay team of Nicholas Nash, Tyrie Payne, Tyrese Pitts, and Braxton Williams placed third with a time of 41.68. The women's 4x100-meter relay squad of J'Da Williams, Adria Burrell, Jocelyn Randle, and D'Kota Hudson also finished third, crossing the line in 46.83.
The Tigers added two more podium finishes in the 4x400-meter relays. The men's team of Tyrese Pitts, ShaKenye Darden, Tyrie Payne, and Landon Laphand took second with a time of 3:20.93, while the women's quartet of Kilaya Lucien, Adria Burrell, Hayley Cook-Graham, and Jocelyn Randle placed second in 3:55.86.
West Alabama also posted several top-10 finishes across both the track and field events. In the field events, Bailey Keef finished ninth in the women's long jump with a leap of 5.01 meters. The Tigers had a strong showing in the men's javelin throw behind Lovelace, with Ethan Michael placing fourth (51.20m) and Sammie Jordan finishing fifth (50.73m). On the women's side, Autumn Sansing placed fifth in the javelin throw with a mark of 31.25 meters.
Peterson added another top finish in the men's shot put, placing sixth with a throw of 13.85 meters.
In distance events, Lorenzo Pelusi finished ninth in the men's 5000-meter run with a time of 15:45.08, while Mercy Lomuria placed sixth in the women's 5000 meters with a time of 19:02.12. In the 1500 meters, Ray Englebert finished seventh on the men's side (4:15.35), while Rita Walker placed seventh in the women's race (5:06.63).
On the track, Jalen Green earned a fourth-place finish in the men's 110-meter hurdles with a time of 15.16. In the men's 800 meters, ShaKenye Darden placed seventh in 1:57.43, while Kiona McCallister (2:35.08) and Abigail Vega (2:35.75) finished seventh and eighth, respectively, in the women's 800 meters.
Landon Laphand added a top-10 finish in the men's 200 meters, placing 10th with a time of 22.07.
UWA also recorded additional relay finishes, with the men's 4x400-meter relay team of Jalen Green, Braxton Williams, Nicholas Nash, and Dylan Payne placing seventh in 3:37.10, while the women's 4x400-meter relay team of Jamaya Dancy, J'Da Williams, D'Kota Hudson, and Kacey Green finished fourth with a time of 4:13.64.
The Tigers will return to action March 20–21 as they split squads for two meets, competing at the Ole Miss Relays on March 20 and the Belhaven Invitational on March 21.
