Blue Raiders Fair Well in Outdoor Season Opener

Friday, March 18

Auburn, AL

Middle Tennessee

Tiger Track Classic

3/19/2022 6:09:00 PM | Men's Cross Country and Track & Field, Women's Cross Country and Track & Field, Track & Field/Cross Country

By: Braydin Sik, MT Athletic Communications

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – The Middle Tennessee men's and women's track and field teams faired well on Saturday at the Tiger Track Classic in Auburn, Alabama, hosted by Auburn University. The four Blue Raider All-Americans from the indoor season did not compete this weekend to open up the outdoor season.

Women's Results – 10 Top-5 Finishes (1^st: 3, 2^nd: 4, 3^rd: 1, 4^th: 1, 5^th: 2)
Graduate student Abigail Kwarteng in her first official meet as a Blue Raider took first place with a high-jump height of 1.84m. Her height of 1.84m would rank as the number-one mark in the nation heading into this weekend and is .03m away from her personal best of 1.87m she set with Alabama.

Senior Akera Benton started her outdoor season off with her first outdoor first-place finish with a triple-jump length of 11.99m. Benton's 11.99m would rank top-15 in the nation heading into this weekend.

The Jebor sisters, Joice and Francisca, finished in the top two for the women's 1500m with times of 4:42.81 and 4:57.95 respectively.

Freshman Naomy Limatukei led the way for Middle Tennessee in the 3000m dash with a second-place time of 9:59.95. Junior Mercy Chepkurui and graduate student Caitlin Cunningham took third and fifth respectively with times of 10:05.13 and 10:13.94 respectively.

Junior Glory Nyenke set a new outdoor personal-best time of 54.80s in the women's 400m. Nyenke's new outdoor personal-best would rank in the top-15 in the nation heading into the weekend.

Junior Lyn'Nikka Vance took fourth in her Blue Raider outdoor season-opener with a time of 11.74s in the women's 100m dash. Vance's time of 11.74s ranks in the top-25 times nationally.

Freshman Johanna Bulow set a new personal best in the 800m on Saturday with a time of 2:15.25. Bulow's new personal best ranks as a top-50 time in the nation.

The four-woman squad of Freshman Anaiya Midget, Nyenke, Benton, and Vance ran a time of 46.69s in the 4x100m dash. Their time is a top-20 time in the nation heading into the weekend.

Men's Results – 3 Top-5 Finishes (1^st: 1, 2^nd: 1, 4^th: 1)
Junior Habtamu Geta ran a time of 3:55.35 in the men's 1500m dash to take first place. Not far behind Geta was the freshman Vincent Yegon in second with a time of 3:57.04. Both times are top 100 in the nation heading into the weekend.

As a squad, Darian Jones, Michael Fuqua, Courtland Jordan, and Jamir Eaton ran a 42.41s 4x100m dash on Saturday.

What's next for the Blue Raiders?
The Middle Tennessee track and field team is scheduled for the Hilltopper Relays Friday, April 1, and Saturday, April 2.

Follow the Middle Tennessee Track & Field Team
Keep up with Blue Raider track & field on Facebook (Middle Tennessee Blue Raider XC/Track & Field), Twitter (@MT_TrackField), and Instagram (@mt_trackfield).