The IUP track team traveled to Edinboro this weekend for the PSAC conference meet.
Among the many successful IUP track stars, Junior Brianna Liebold captured the spotlight. She was the first-place finisher for the triple jump with a jump of 39 feet, 9 and three-fourths inches.
This mark was good enough for an automatic qualifying mark and landed her with the Most Outstanding Field Athlete award. Her jump was also good enough to break a six-year-old conference record. She also placed second in the long jump and fourth in the 60 meters. Joining Liebold in the triple jump was freshman Laurie Ajavon, who took a fifth place, and junior Liz Tepsic, who finished in eighth.
Rounding out the women’s side of the meet was sophomore Tamika Taylor, who finished second in the 60 meters and fourth in the 60-meter hurdles.
Sophomore Venessa Boyd turned in a solid showing with a sixth-place finish in the 800 meters. The IUP women finished in fourth place for the conference meet.
Among the men standing out was junior Kevin Raymond with a first- place finish in the 400 meters. His first-place finish was good enough for a conference record and an NCAA automatic qualifying mark. He also finished in second place in the 200 meters and third place in the 60 meters. Junior Leander Toney tied for first place in the high jump, but was edged out because his opponent had fewer misses. Freshman Hillary Mugun also finished in first place in the 5,000 meters. Senior Matt Celestin finished third and freshman Brandon Ford finished sixth in the triple jump.
Freshman Yoann Godet finished third in the heptathlon, and freshman Kenneth Wallace-Whitfield turned in a fifth-place finish in the 800 meters.
The IUP athletes who have automatically qualified for nationals will next compete at the NCAA indoor championships March 12 and 13 in Albuquerque, N.M.
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