Raiders Claim Four Champion Titles in Auburn on Saturday

Friday, April 19

Auburn, AL / Hutsell-Rosen Track

All Day

Middle Tennessee

War Eagle Invitational

4/20/2019 5:48:00 PM | Men's Cross Country and Track & Field, Women's Cross Country and Track & Field, Track & Field/Cross Country

AUBURN, Ala. – Middle Tennessee rounded off the second day of the War Eagle Invitational, notching 14 top-finishes, including four first-place finishes from Abike Egbeniyi, Eusila Chepkemei, Tre'Von Sanders and the men's relay team.

Egbeniyi earned the War Eagle Invitational champion title in the women's 400-meter race on Saturday. The senior finished with a time of 52.92, finishing a second faster than the second-place finisher.

Meanwhile, in the women's 800-meter event, sophomore Chepkemei notched the second champion title for the Blue Raiders on Saturday. Chepkemei crossed the line first, with a time of 2:08.31, a new career-best. On the men's side, Sanders notched gold in the 800-meter event. The junior claimed first-place with a time of 1:50.52.

As a team, Lamarco Petty, Jaquez Torian, Tre'Von Sanders and Willington Wright claimed first-place in the men's 4x400-meter relay on Saturday. The team claimed first, crossing the line with a time of 3:07.83.

Blue Raiders Among the Top-10

Akera Benton started the day for the Blue Raiders on the field, competing in the women's long jump event. The freshman notched her best distance of the afternoon on her third pass, recording a distance of 5.61m to place ninth overall. Meanwhile on the men's side, freshman Willington Wright claimed sixth in the men's long jump event. Wright claimed his best distance of the afternoon on his third pass, 7.09m.

From the field, Isaac Odugbesan notched silver in the men's shot-put event. The sophomore claimed his best distance of the afternoon on his final throw, throwing a distance of 18.08m.

On the track, Dennis Kipkorir inked a third-place finish in the 1,500-meter event on Saturday afternoon. Kipkorir finished the event with a time of 4:09.06. Likewise, Alan Bowers finished the respective event in ninth-place, crossing with a time of 4:32.05.

Cecilia Francis claimed second-place in Auburn, while competing in the women's 200-meter dash. Francis posted a time of 23.72, a career-best for the sophomore. Meanwhile, Egbeniyi posted a 10th place finish, crossing the line with a time of 24.35.

Similarly, Julia Jelagat posted a seventh-place finish in the women's 1,500-meter race. The junior crossed the line with a time of 4:47.03, only three seconds slower than her personal-best time (4:44.31).

Jaquez Torian notched a third-place finish in the men's 400-meter dash, crossing the line with a time of 47.02. Likewise, in the women's 100-meter dash sophomore Cecilia Francis claimed bronze in Auburn, finishing with a time of 11.65.

In the men's 800-meter event, Brian Rono inked a seventh-place finish at the War Eagle Invitational, with a time of 1:54.03.

Cadon Hercules rounded off the day for the Blue Raiders, competing in the men's 5,000-meter event. The freshman claimed seventh-place in the event with a time of 15:52.29.

Other Notable Finishes

Patience Akanwogba | 400-meter, 14th place (56.46)
Lamarco Petty | 100-meter, 11th place (10.63)
Kenneth Mangram | 100-meter, 35th place (11.34) | 200-meter, 25th place (22.69)
Joice Jebor | 800-meter, 17th place (2:18.85)
Nathan Mack | 800-meter, 14th place (1:55.81)
Lebo Mosito | 800-meter, 17th place (1:56.65)
Ida Mensah | 200-meter, 24th place (25.09)