By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Tech track and field program kicks off its 2024 outdoor campaign with a two-day event in Cleveland, Tenn., competing at the Lee University Invitational on Friday and Saturday.
Lee Invitational Information
Mar. 22-23, 2024 – Located at the Ray Conn Sports Complex in Cleveland, Tenn. Friday's action will kick off with running events at 12:00 p.m. CT and field events at 1:00 p.m. On Saturday, field events will begin at 9:30 a.m. while the running events are also slated to kick off at 9:30 a.m.
What to Watch For
Tech will look to build off the success of its indoor campaign with its first event of the outdoor season. An impressive 14 Golden Eagles contributed points to the team's fourth-place finish at the Ohio Valley Conference Outdoor Championships in February.
Veterans Cayla Johnson, Amara Nwajagu, and Kategie Casseus all produced 10 points each for the effort, with Johnson producing a third-place showing in the pentathlon and a fifth-place performance in the high jump. Nwajagu delivered a fourth-place finish in the 400-meter dash before joining Casseus on the team's fourth-place 4x400-meter relay squad. Casseus also competed on the fourth-place Golden Eagle distance medley relay team.
Paris Bowles racked up eight points in the two-day event, crossing the finish line in sixth in the 800-meter dash before competing with the 4x400-meter relay squad. Also contributing eight points was Ally Beneke, with the freshman's PR in the high jump good enough for a silver medal.
Long-distance runners Helen Pacurariu-Nagy and Makaleigh Jessee each delivered six points to Tech's total. The veteran Pacurariu-Nagy placed fifth in the 5,000-meter run and seventh in the 3,000-meter run. The rookie Jessee completed the 3,000-meter run eighth overall before anchoring the fourth-place DMR squad.
Madison Johnson (fourth in high jump), Carolina Bannach (fourth in pole vault), Kendall Johnson (fourth in DMR), Hayley Stegall (fourth in DMR), and Bay'Andria Hodges (fourth in 4x400-meter relay) each chipped in five points for the Golden Eagles. Maddie Long secured two points with a seventh-place finish in the 3,000-meter run, Kendall Medders produced two points in the high jump, and Anya Akili locked down a point with an eighth-place showing in the 60-meter hurdles.
Up Next
The Golden Eagles head to Knoxville for the Tennessee Invite, competing Friday, Apr. 5 and Saturday, Apr. 6 at Tom Black Track at LaPorte Stadium.
Photo by Michael Wade
