COLUMBUS, Ohio – Competing on their home track for the first time in more than a year, the Capital University track and field program got their 2022-23 season underway on Saturday, December 3rd.
The Comets got solid performances from several student-athletes, but the highlights included several Capital Top-10 performances notably in the women's 60m dash, women's 200m dash and men's 3,000m run.
MEN
3,000m Run:
Donovan Slattery won the race with a time of 9:17.71 which improves upon his previous best and 9th best in program history time of 9:21.52. His performance today moves him up to sixth all-time in Capital history, beating Emeron Rhoad's 9:17.95 ran in 2008.
Zach Glotzbecker (9:55.27) and
Zach Brown (10:33.58) also competed in the event.
Pole Vault:
Zion Park won the event with a leap of 4.30m which was right near his PR of 4.33m.
Andy Fullmer's jump of 4.00m was a new personal best for him and sits just .03 meters off the program top-10 list.
Wesley Triplett debuted with a top vault of 3.85m.
Long Jump:
Daniel McCormack finished first with a top jump of 6.33m.
Kaden Lowe marked 5.64m and
Aiden Edwards leaped 5.52m.
Shot Put:
Jesse Foster threw the furthest for Capital with a top throw of 11.95m.
Toren Smith registered 11.90m and
Andy Fullmer tossed a best of 9.47m.
Weight Throw:
Toren Smith tossed the weight 10.91m.
60m Dash: In the finals, the Comets finished in order of
Ben Char (7.28 seconds),
Xavier Jennings (7.32),
Andy Fullmer (7.32),
Jonathan Brown II (7.41), Kelly Wilson (7.46),
Aiden Edwards (7.60),
Brandon Rex (7.69).
Ishmael Young finished tops of the prelims with a run of 7.20 seconds but did not compete in the finals. Char's 7.28 second time sits just .02 seconds off the program's top-10 list.
400m Dash:
Daniel McCormack finished tops with a time of 52.52 seconds, followed by
Kaden Lowe (53.89),
Jeremiah Smith (55.30) and
Nick Stuck (55.32).
One Mile Run:
Max Kramer finished second with a time of 4:50.81.
200m Dash:
Ben Char finished tops with a time of 23.66 seconds. He was followed by
Kaden Lowe (23.87),
Xavier Jennings (24.07),
Aiden Edwards (24.91), Kelly Wilson (25.07),
Nick Stuck (25.25),
Jeremiah Smith (25.66), and
Brandon Rex (26.21).
WOMEN
60m Dash:
Cece Samuels finished first with a time of 8.11 seconds, good to put them fifth all-time in program history, beating out recent hall of fame inductee Lizzy Stanton.
Larissa Agbor-Nkongho was just behind with a time of 8.16, also beating out Stanton's 8.21. Agbor-Nkongho will set seventh all-time in program history now.
Maria Da Cunha clocked in at 8.38 seconds, which beats out the previous 10th best program time of 8.39 seconds ran by Kasey Parkhurst in 2015. Da Cunha will have to wait a little longer to see her name officially in the top-10 as Samuels and Agbor-Nkongho's times knock her to 11th overall.
200m Dash: Agbor-Nkongho won the 200m dash in dominating fashion with a time of 26.78 seconds. That time moves her up from 9th to 6th on the all-time list in the event. Samuels was second in the event with a time of 27.38 seconds which sits just .07 seconds off the 10th best time in the event. Da Cunha was next with a time of 28.06, followed by
Olivia Humes (29.46),
Erniesha Guerrier (29.68) and
Claire Larger (30.41).
400m Dash: Guerrier led the way with a time of 1:08.15, followed by Humes and Larger who both clocked in at 1:08.21.
One Mile:
Eva Bernhardt ran the fastest time in the fashion of 5:55.48. She was followed by
Alexa Daley (5:58.40) and
Elizabeth Mak (6:09.51).
Pole Vault:
Bella McCarty had a top vault of 2.81m.
Long Jump:
Claire Larger jumped 4.72m, while
Olivia Humes leaped 4.69m.
Shot Put: Freshman
Lily Purdon topped the bunch, throwing the shot 10.53m.
Alexa Poling's best mark registered 10.33m, followed by
Grace Heckenlively (10.29m) and Deivon McCullough (9.96m).
Weight Throw:
Alexa Poling topped the four competitors with a throw of 13.90m. She was followed by
Lily Purdon (11.45m),
Grace Heckenlively (9.79m) and Deivon McCullough (9.52m).
UP NEXT
Capital's team will take the next month and some to train, celebrate the holidays and prepare for their next competition on Saturday, January 14th at the Comets Opener hosted at The Capital Center. Field events are scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. that day.
