The UMKC men’s and women’s track and field teams wrapped the regular season the Ward Haylett Invitational in Manhattan, Kansas on Saturday, May 7, where four ‘Roos took home first-place finishes.
Freshman Darrien Case won the men’s 1,500-meter run with a time of 3:57.83, just a second off his personal best, while Hanna Miller won the women’s 800-meter run with a new personal record time of 2:14.80, and Jason Shaw won the men’s 400-meter dash, coming up just shy of a personal record with a time of 53.82 seconds.
Senior Kelsey Benoit was the fourth UMKC athlete to win an event, taking first in the women’s hammer throw with a personal record toss of 53.78 meters, while teammate Dahlia Dyson placed second with a throw of 49.78 meters, and freshman Matia Finley placed third at 39.93 meters.
Senior thrower Martin Williams enjoyed a career day in the Little Apple, where he recorded two personal records, taking third place in the men’s hammer at 54.45 meters, and finishing fourth in the discus at 49.22 meters.
A troop of ‘Roos occupied places second through fourth in the 100-meter hurdles, with junior Mallory Short leading the way with a time personal best time of 13.83 seconds, while senior Sydia Darker placed third with a time of 14.42, and Daiwa Emmert placed fourth with a PR time of 15.34 seconds.
Other notable performances from the day included Jackson Barbour, who took fifth on the men’s 400-meter dash with a personal-record time of 49.06 seconds, freshman Christopher Bryan, who took second in the men’s 110-meter hurdles prelims, clocking a new personal best of 14.72 seconds, and placed fourth in the finals with a time of 14.88 seconds, Genel Rollins who notched a new PR in the 100-meter dash with a time of 12.07 seconds taking second, and freshman Jamarice Preston placing second in the 200-meter dash with a time of 21.84 seconds, a new personal record.
The ‘Roos will compete in the Western Athletic Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships, May 11-14 at Rock Chalk Park in Lawrence, Kansas.