Full Invitational Results
CENTRAL, S.C. – The Wildcats recorded one of their best team performances to start a spring in recent seasons Saturday. Fort Valley State took a combined dozen first place and another seven runner-up finishes as Southern Wesleyan University's Susan Rouse Invitational.
The top FVSU successes was almost split down the middle between the two teams with the men garnering seven first places and five seconds, while the women's side took away five top places and two more seconds. In their first Wildcat competitions, Cornelius Cooks II, who won three events, Joshua Pearson and Bashan Wesley all won multiple men's events. Both sprinter D'Liyah Austell and thrower Miniya Miller were multi-first placers for the FVSU women.
Starting with the FVSU men's sprinters, Cooks II led the group. The sophomore newcomer led the team and blazed his way to the top effort in both the 100 meters (10.92) and 200 meters (22.23). Right on Cooks tail, teammate Weylon Williams was literally right behind him in both those races with times of 10.93 in the 100 and 22.41 in the 200 races. The two Wildcats saw Marcus Jefferson lead off and Da'Veon Jenkins in the third leg with Cooks and Williams win the 4x100-meter relay in 41.77.
Wesley took care of the Wildcat men's jumps to leap to a pair of first places. The senior won the long jump by 0.38 meters in a distance of 6.93 meters with teammate Larry Turner fourth (6.11m), before he registered a 13.86 meter length in the triple jump.
In the throws, Pearson won a pair of events in his first collegiate competition. The freshman threw 39.52 meters for the top placing of the hammer throw and he followed it up with first in the shot put (13.62m). Solomon Hall was behind Pearson in the shot put with a throw of 13.41m.
For the mid-distance, SIAC-placewinner Terrell Williams ran to a time of 2:00.03 for the 800 meters for second. He also captured fourth in the 1500 meters for his day. Andre Milner broke both his hurdle personal bests with a second-place finish in the 400-meter hurdles (58.85) and he was fourth in the 110-meter hurdles (16.99) with Christian Ector fifth (17.62) in the same event.
Along with his part in the 4x100-meter top placing, Jenkins posted fourth places in both the 100 meters (11.17) and 200 meters (22.53). Jefferson was sixth in the 200 meters (23.16), while Kyshaun Blackshaun took the same place for the 100 meters (11.28). Blackshaun also teamed up with Adetoro Adenuga, Wesley and Jadyn Rudolph for third in the 4x100-meter relay (43.24).
On the strength of her personal best, Miller claimed the women's hammer throw with a distance fo 42.64 meters and she equaled the placing in the discus with the top length of 38.38 meters. Nadejah Batts was second to Miller in the hammer at 40.21 meters and fourth in the discus (29.69m). Batts was also fourth in the shot put at 10.38m with Miller fifth (10.16m) in the event.
Austell sprinted her way to first place in both the 100-meter dash in 12.22 and the 200 meters in 25.11. Bridgette Clarke placed sixth in the 100 meters (13.38) in her first collegiate invite.
Aquila Kerr registered the final women's first place in her day of placing three times. She won the long jump with a leap of 5.13 meters, while the junior was second in the triple jump (10.66m) and third in the high jump (1.55m).
Along with Kerr in the long jump, Ternya Gibson set her new person best of 4.74 meters for third, while Briana Madison and Tania Hall were fourth (4.44m) and fifth (4.40m). Madison was also third in the 100-meter hurdles (16.95), while Azaniah White grabbed fifth in the event (18.58) and fifth, as well, in the 400-meter hurdles (1:21.48)
Other Personal Bests:
Men
Emarion Johnson-5000m- 23:23.42
Jaden Rudolph-400m- 51.83"
FVSU returns to action next Saturday, March 9, at the Clark Atlanta Panther Invitational.
-Wildcats-
