Track impresses in Tampa to start outdoor season

Troy track and field saw a successful outing in Tampa, Florida, as five Trojans finished in the top 10 with multiple others setting new personal bests. The showing was highlighted by Cadi Rowe, who nabbed a personal best and a second-place finish in the women’s 5000 meter with a time of 16:53.48, putting her second in the Troy history books.

Rowe wasn’t the only Trojan to secure high placement in the track events as Shanyah Washington dashed to a 11.64s in the women’s 100m to take eighth place while also tabbing a personal best of 23.80s in the 200m to give her the fourth fastest time in Troy history in the event.

Tydreke Thomas would join Washington and Rowe in the top 10 in individual track events as he secured a 10th place finish in the men’s 100m with a windy time of 10.37s.

The group of Imari Johnson, Catherine Forbes, Aaliyah Murphy and Washington picked up eighth place in the women’s 4x100m and also cemented their names in the Troy record book with the second fastest time in school history, a mark of 45.37s. On the men’s side the collective of Thomas, Evan Brown, Keylan Hicks and Micheal Eady placed ninth overall with a 40.69s in the men’s 4x100m.

The field and jump events saw a couple standout performances as Jordan Bailey secured eighth overall in the women’s triple jump with a jump of 11.88m while Whitney Clark and Tyler McKinnell both placed top eight in the javelin throws. Clark threw 38.37m to secure sixth on the women’s side while McKinnell reached 57.52m on the men’s side to claim eighth place.

The invitational also saw a number of Trojans secure personal best performances. On the women’s side, freshman standout Haley Wilson continued to impress as she ran a 2:11.63 to move to fourth all-time in the women’s 800m.

Forbes also improved on her personal bests as she clocked a time of 24.62s in the 200m. Johnson joined Forbes with a personal best as she ran the 100m in a time of 11.91s.

Brown led a quartet of men’s sprinters who set personal bests in the 200m. Brown recorded a time of 21.58s while Jermaine Nelson ran 21.83s and Sylvester Smith and Noah Putnam ran for times of 22.29s and 22.41s in the event, respectively.

Brown and Putnam also recorded personal bests in the 100ms as Brown ran to a time of 10.55s and Putnam followed close behind with a time of 10.78s.

The Troy track and field team gets a quick break before heading back to the track for the Southern Miss Invitational on Friday, Mar. 28 and Saturday, Mar. 29.