By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
CLEVELAND, Tenn. – It was a successful opening day of the 2023 campaign for the Tennessee Tech outdoor track & field program Saturday, as the Golden Eagles turned in a number of personal records to kick off its newest season.
Distance veteran Helen Pacurariu-Nagy provided a spectacular showing on the day, completing the 5,000-meter run in a personal-best time of 17:26.60. The performance marked the fifth-best in the field.
Rahab Sawe turned in a strong start to her outdoor season, placing fourth in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. She clocked in with a season-best time of 11:51.04.
A trio of Golden Eagles locked down PRs in the 400-meter dash, with Amara Nwajagu leading the way. The sophomore won the race with a Lee Invitational record time of 55.42 for her own career-best performance.
Finishing fifth in the dash, rookie Malika Coutain erupted for a personal-record time of 58.40. Right on her heels, teammate Kategie Casseus finished sixth with a PR of 58.61.
Veteran Jalena Curbeam leaped to a career-long distance of 5.19 meters (17'0.5") in the long jump. She also placed third in the triple jump, smashing a mark of 11.58 meters (38'0"). Samaria Allen put in a good start to the year with a season-best distance of 5.37 meters (17'7.5").
After her spectacular result in the 400, Nwajagu bounced back to place third in the 200-meter dash. The youngster clocked in with a PR of 24.50. Senior Anya Akili narrowly missed her own personal record in the 200, finishing at 25.28. She returned with a spectacular runner-up performance in the 100-meter hurdles, sporting a time of 14.49.
Cayla Johnson also turned in a good start in the 100-meter hurdles, speeding to a time of 15.56. In the long jump, Johnson flew to a distance of 5.42 meters (17'9.5").
Freshman Paris Bowles produced a strong effort in the 800-meter, delivering a runner-up performance of 2:19.54.
Competing as individuals on the men's side, distance runners Carter Bradford and Robert Dawson each produced massive PRs in the 1,500-meter run. Bradford clocked in at 3:55.55 while Dawson turned in a time of 4:03.82.
In the 800-meter dash, Isaac Legault vaulted out to a good start and effort of 2:00.07.
Up Next
The Golden Eagles will compete next at the Tennessee Relays from Apr. 7-8 in Knoxville.
Photo by TTU Track & Field
