LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Multiple first-place finishes, podium performances, and Senior Day celebrations highlighted the two-day Little Rock Invitational as the Trojans wrapped up the 13th annual meet.
The Little Rock men's and women's teams each placed second overall behind Central Arkansas, as both programs competed for the Governor's I-40 Showdown trophy presented by Arkansas Blue Cross Blue Shield.
The Trojans opened the meet strong on Friday, highlighted by senior
Brooklyn Marcee, who broke the meet record in the pole vault with a clearance of 3.85 meters, surpassing the previous mark by 0.10 meters.
Additional top finishes on day one included first-place performances from senior
Takia Palmer (200 meters), and freshmen
Jeremiah Patton (200 meters), and
Brianna Brinkley (400-meter hurdles).
Conditions shifted on Saturday, as rain, cold temperatures, and strong winds created challenging competition environments.
Despite the weather, freshman
Zach Morin set the tone early with a first-place finish in the 5,000 meters. He was followed by a strong group of event winners including seniors
Falon Short (high jump),
Ragen Hodge (high jump), and
Jordan Smith (1,500 meters), along with junior
Matthew Tyeskie (110-meter hurdles), and freshmen
Jeremiah Patton (100 meters), and
Colter Maya (400 meters).
The men's 4x100-meter relay team also captured a first-place finish, anchored by senior Neal.
The meet also featured Senior Day recognition for
Cayla Anthony,
Carolin Bielert,
Ragen Hodge,
Brooklyn Marcee,
Takia Palmer,
Talia Palmer,
Jasmine Torres,
JaDerrika Welch-Fields,
Sutton Manatt,
TaVieon Neal,
Deshawn Roberts,
Falon Short,
Jordan Smith, and
Patrick Young.
"It's a bittersweet feeling, but overall I'm super grateful for everything this journey has had to offer," Neal said. "This was a pivotal meet for me this season, and I can't wait to see what's next for both myself and the team."
Head coach
J.P. Behnke praised the team's effort and resilience throughout the meet.
"It's always fun to compete in front of our home crowd," Behnke said. "We had beautiful weather on Friday and saw some great performances in the 200 meters, women's pole vault, and women's 400-meter hurdles. With much cooler temperatures and rain on Saturday, the times were slower than we wanted, but regardless, this group competed hard."
Full results can be viewed
here.
Most of the Trojans will have the upcoming week off, while a select group of distance runners will travel to Iowa to compete in the Drake Relays on Thursday and Friday, April 23–24.
For the latest information on Little Rock Cross Country/Track and Field, check out LRTrojans.com. You can also follow the team on social media at @LittleRockTFXC on Facebook, Instagram, and X.
Get the latest Trojan news, including the weekly Trojan Report, delivered straight to your inbox by signing up for Little Rock Trojan E-News
here..
#LittleRocksTeam | #RockSolid
