Murphy’s Record Performance Keys SFA Track and Field to Big Day at Michael Johnson Invitational

Saturday, April 20

Waco, Texas

ALL DAY

Stephen F. Austin

Michael Johnson Invitational

Murphy’s Record Performance Keys SFA Track and Field to Big Day at Michael Johnson Invitational

4/20/2019 9:06:00 PM | Track & Field

SFA notches three event wins and 16 Top-5 finishes on final day in Waco

By: Kevin Meyer | Assistant Director of Athletic Media Relations

Results link

WACO, Texas – The SFA Track and Field team wrapped up competition at the Michael Johnson Invitational in Waco on Saturday, ending the day with a bevy of highlights and strong performances across the board. Senior Drake Murphy's record setting performance paced the 'Jacks on the day, as they placed many athletes within the top five of their respective events among a competitive field.

SFA PROGRAM RECORDS
• Drake Murphy re-set his own record in the 800m run, cruising to a mark of 1:48.42 and finishing third in the event.

SFA EVENT WINNERS
• Jordan Washington ran 14.66 in the men's 110m hurdles to take first in the event.
• Kevin Steward won the men's shot put open with a distance of 16.83m (55-02.75).
• Erick Rotich won the men's 3000m steeplechase.

SFA TOP FIVE FINISHES AT THE MICHAEL JOHNSON INVITATIONAL
• Kevin Steward's throw of 54.86m (180-00) in the men's discus was good for a second place finish.
• Bellodgia Roberson also placed second in the discus, reaching a mark of 43.72m (143-05).
• Isaiah Pittman's long jump distance of 7.3mm (24-00.75) was good for a second place finish.
• Nastassja Campbell finished third in the women's pole vault invitational, finish top among collegiate competitors and third overall with a mark of 4.32m (14-02.00).
• Justin Garcia took fourth in the men's 800m run, finishing with a time of 1:57.64.
• Muzuri Mattar took fifth in the men's 400m dash with a time of 47.94, a new personal best in the event.
• Kinsey Smith (1:02.88), Jillian Turner (1:02.93) and Caitlin Lennon (1:03.28) took third, fourth and fifth, respectively, in the women's 400m hurdles.
• Pedro Flores took fifth in the men's 1500m with a time of 4:00.72.
• The SFA women's 4x400 relay of Imani Nave, Aaliyah Teel, Dominique Jackson and Cayla Burch ran a time of 3:43.00 to finish fourth in the event. That same relay team also finished fifth in the 4x100 meter relay with a time of 45.36.
• The SFA men's 4x100 relay team of Antonio Ruiz, AJ Bennett, Jacob Thomas and Ashton Callahan ran to a time of 39.87 and a second-place finish while bumping SFA up to third in the Southland Conference rankings in the event.
• Branson Ellis cleared 5.31m (17-05) in the men's pole vault invitational to finish fourth among the field.
• Chris Shirk finished fourth in the men's steeplechase with a time of 10:06.73.

PERSONAL BESTS
• Mahlon Dawson finished sixth in the women's high jump with a personal best mark of 1.70m (5-07).
•  Imani Nave's mark of 54.07 in the 400m dash was a new personal best.
• Aaliyah Teel also set a new personal best in the 400 with a time of 55.64.
• Muzuri Mattar (400m)
• Jacob Thomas (200m)
• Imani Nave finished eighth in the women's 400m dash with a personal best of 54.07.
• Aaliyah Teel set a new personal best in the 400m with a mark of 55.64.
• Kinsey Smith registered big personal bests in both the 110m and 400m hurdles.

UP NEXT
SFA Track and Field will travel to College Station next Saturday for a one-day meet hosted by Texas A&M. The Alumni Muster event will be SFA's final tune-up before the 2019 Southland Conference Outdoor Championship on May 3-5 in Natchitoches, La.

-SFA-