Middle Tennessee Wraps Up the Yellow Jacket Invitational

Friday, March 21

Atlanta, Ga.

Middle Tennessee

Yellow Jacket Invitational

3/22/2025 4:20:00 PM | Track & Field/Cross Country

Day 1 Results

By: Evan Snyder / MTSU Athletic Communications

ATLANTA – The Blue Raiders wrapped up their first outdoor meet of the season at the Yellow Jacket Invitational, with several athletes reaching the podium and setting personal bests to kick off the outdoor season.

Day 1
The first day of competition saw three Blue Raiders earn podium finishes, including setting a personal best in the women's 1,500 meters.

Privillege Chikara set a new personal best in the 1,500 meters, clocking a time of 4:23.71, breaking her previous best by two seconds.

Tamia Waters built on her strong indoor season with a second-place finish in the 100-meter hurdles, running a time of 14.00, she is a Raider to watch as the season progresses.

Middle Tennessee had two athletes reach the podium in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. Hailee Gorham placed third in the women's steeplechase, while Juan Lucas de la Fúente finished third in the men's event.

Day 2
Joel Iheakolam started the second day with a second-place finish in the men's triple jump. His jump of 15.15 meters edged him just ahead of third place, making him the fourth Blue Raider to reach the podium.

Both the men's and women's 4x100-meter relay teams placed third at the Yellow Jacket Invitational. The men's team, consisting of Jamaree Jenkins, Xavier Paris, Christian Johnson, and Eric Young II, finished third for MTSU. The women's team of Laila Rudolph, Tamia Waters, Kennedy Myers, and Sophia Richard also took third place.

Courtney Green delivered a strong performance in the 400 meters, placing third and setting a new personal best with a time of 54.76.

In his first outdoor season as a Blue Raider, Murfreesboro native Elijah Northcross set a new personal best in the 400 meters, shaving 1.5 seconds off his previous time with a mark of 49.45.

In the 800 meters, Chikara continued her impressive meet by winning the event. Teammates Emma Thomas and Lauren Cole also set personal bests, with Thomas finishing in 2:19.59 and Cole in 2:22.12.

Five Blue Raiders recorded personal bests in the men's 800 meters:

Sammy Song – 1:52.61
Ben Jones – 1:56.24
Ross Evans – 1:59.75
Spensir Stec – 2:00.37
Carlos Gonzales – 2:03.35

To cap off the meet, the Blue Raiders won the women's 4x400-meter relay. The team of Waters, Xarya Udoumana, Chikara, and Green closed the Yellow Jacket Invitational on a high note for Middle Tennessee.

Up Next
The Blue Raiders' distance runners will compete in the Raleigh Relays on March 29th, while the rest of the team heads to Bowling Green, Kentucky, for the Brent Chumbley Hilltopper Relays next weekend.

Hosting the Conference USA Outdoor Championships
This season's CUSA Outdoor Championships will be held in Murfreesboro at the Dean A. Hayes Track & Soccer Stadium from May 16-18. For more information about the event, visit the Conference USA website or click here.

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