PITTSBURGH – Pitt Track and Field stayed close to home this weekend to compete in the Carnegie Mellon Invitational at Gesling Stadium. The team earned 14 event wins, with many personal bests and stadium records set in the process.
Daniel Amaya opened the Carnegie Mellon Invitational with a victory in the men’s hammer throw. Amaya launched a personal best mark of 63.63-meters on his fourth throw. With his mark, Amaya moved from third to second in the program record book. Ryan Cook took third in the event with his own personal best of 52.17-meters. Previously eighth in the program record book, Cook is now sixth. Freshman Samuell Guzman also collected a personal best of 43.56-meters to take ninth at the meet.
In the other pit, Norrah Lemongo collected the second win of the meet for the throws crew, in the women’s shot put. Lemongo tossed an outdoor personal best, 16.15-meters and is now second all-time at Pitt. Teammate Niya Crawford followed in second place, with an outdoor personal best 15.19-meters. Crawford, a native of Upper Marlboro, Md., is now fifth in Pitt history. Alexa Brown’s mark of 13.70-meters earned fourth place.
In the opening event on the track, Gianna Cagliola captured second place in the women’s 3000-meter steeplechase with a program top-ten time of 10:58.93.
Freshman Sophie Mullins was the fastest Panther in the women’s 1500-meter race, finishing 11th in 4:47.75. To follow, Elizabeth Hunkele and Mia Ingalls won their respective heats with times of 4:50.39 and 4:56.82 to earn 13th and 22nd overall. On the men’s side, Nick Steinfeldt earned 11th place, crossing the finish line in 4:03.77.
Natalie Koncoski (18:02.77), Christina Elliott (18:11.49), and Michaela Schiele (18:34.79) finished 9th, 11th, and 13th, respectively in the women’s 5K. In the same distance event for the men, Cole Casadei placed third and Damian Frausto seventh to conclude the evening on the oval. It was the first collegiate 5K for both Casadei and Frausto. Casadei clocked a time of 14:44.36 while Frausto finished in 14:49.31.
Freshman Emeka Ugwu continued the shot put success, as he won the men’s competition with a 16.75-meter throw. Ryan Cook came in third place with his 15.66-meter toss.
Norrah Lemongo concluded the first day of action with her second win of the day. Lemongo secured the hammer throw title by heaving a 52.04-meters toss. Niya Crawford grabbed fourth place with her 46.37-meter mark. Madisyn Hawkins had a 46.21-meter personal best and followed behind Crawford in fifth place.
On Saturday, the men’s 4×100 relay team of Jaden Shelton, Isaac Kane, James Long and Thomas McDonough connected for a time of 40.82 to finish first. The quartet set a Gesling Stadium record with their pace, besting the previous stadium standard of 41.18.
Back on the field, Madisyn Hawkins and Niya Crawford continued their success from yesterday, finishing 2-3. Both achieved new personal best marks; Hawkins, 45.64-meters and Crawford 45.09-meters. Hawkins now owns the fifth best distance at Pitt, while Crawford’s mark sits eighth in the program record books.
Taylor Forbes claimed seventh in the women’s long jump, leaping 5.23-meters.
In the men’s 110-meter hurdles, Jaden Shelton took the title as he cleared all 10 hurdles in 14.42. Mikhi Anderson was third overall, as he won his heat in 14.81. Antwan James produced a fifth-place effort in 14.91. Jana Bruses followed up on the women’s side to sweep the intermediate hurdles. Bruses ran her 100-meter hurdles race in 14.14.
Malik Ricketts ran a new outdoor personal best in the 400-meter race. His time of 47.03 was the top time in the event.
A personal record propelled Ryan Cook into a sixth-place finish in the men’s discus. On his sixth and final throw, he tallied 44.79-meters. Emeka Ugwu was eighth with his 41.49-meter personal best mark.
Endeyah Lane won the women’s 100-dash in 12.22. Alma Evuna Eki received 4th for her 12.38 clip and Maya Maycock seized sixth in 12.48. For the men, Darren McQueen Jr. prevailed in 10.75. Stephon Brown brought home the bronze with his 10.91 finish.
Freshman Emanuel Gayanilo ran sub-54 seconds in the men’s 400-meter hurdles, a new personal best. Gayanilo finished second at the meet.
In the final event on the track, the Pitt women went 1-2 in the 200-meter run. The Panthers were led by senior Caleia Johnson with a time of 24.03. Endeyah Lane followed closely behind in second in 24.51. Alma Evuna Eki accomplished a personal best of 24.80. Nigel Hussey led the men in the event. Nigel Hussey (21.32), James Long (21.45) and Thomas McDonough (21.51) swept the podium on the men’s side. Long hit a new personal record.
To conclude the meet, the Panthers took two more field event titles. Alesia Rengle jumped 1.78-meters in the women’s high jump, the second-best height in program history. Freshman Samuell Guzman claimed his first collegiate event crown, in the men’s javelin throw, as he connected for a 63.10-meter mark on his first throw of the event. His distance was a personal best and the ninth furthest throw in Pitt history.
