By Katherine Jamtgaard for App State Sports. AUSTIN, Tex/GREENVILLE, N.C./WILLIAMSBURG, Va. — The App State track and field team had a busy Friday as it split to compete at the Texas Relays in Austin, Texas, Bill Carson Invitational in Greenville, N.C., and Colonial Relays in Williamsburg, Va. The Mountaineers recorded two first-place finishes and totaled 19 top-15 finishes on the day. After the first day of competition, App State stands third in the men’s and women’s team standings at the Bill Carson Invitational.
Texas Relays | Austin, Texas
Seniors Jada Branch and Taylor Smith represented App State at the Texas Relays, one of the most prestigious American track and field meets, for the first time in program history. Branch recorded a leap of 12.89m (42′ 3.5″) to place seventh in section B of the women’s triple jump. Branch’s first triple jump of the 2023 outdoor campaign is a mere 0.01m from her personal best of 12.90m (42′ 4″), which was recorded at the 2022 NCAA East Prelims and moved her to fourth in the App State all-time list.
Smith recorded a mark of 5.65m (18′ 6.5″) in section B of the women’s long jump, placing 15th overall. In the women’s 100-meter timed finals, Smith stopped the clock at 11.77 for a personal best, taking second in her heat and finishing 32nd out of 127 competitors. In the 100-meters category, Smith is now tied for eighth with LaBria King in the App State all-time list.
Bill Carson Invitational | Greenville, N.C.
Junior Chris Wainscott placed first in the men’s hammer throw with a toss of 53.96m (177′ 0″) and took third in the men’s discus with a toss of 48.81m (160′ 1″). Fellow junior Nathan Karl placed fourth in the men’s discus with a mark of 47.46m (55′ 8″). Sophomore Daiyanna Cooper took second in the women’s hammer throw with a personal best toss of 54.29m (178′ 11″). Cooper’s toss moved her to third in the App State all-time list. Junior Megan Plummer rounded out the top-five in the women’s discus with a toss of 37.58m (123′ 3″).
Colonial Relays | Williamsburg, Va.
Senior Oliver Wilson-Cook clinched first with a personal best time of 29:53.08 in the men’s 10,000-meter invitational. His time moves him to third in the App State all-time list for the event. Junior Ryan Teuscher stopped the clock at 30:58.62 for a personal best of his own and to place 14th overall. In the women’s 10,000-meter invitational, senior Madison Christy finished 10th with a personal best of 36:49.51 and sophomore Linnea Maynard took 13th with a personal best of 37:15.38.
Up Next Action continues for the Mountaineers at the Bill Carson Invitational in Greenville, N.C. on Saturday. The meet resumes at 8 a.m. with events on the track and field events will follow at 9 a.m.
Sophomores Catherine Breault and Abby Granberg will compete in the women’s unseeded 10,000 meters at 10 a.m. at the Colonial Relays in Williamsburg, Va. The men’s unseeded 10,000 meters will follow at 10:45 a.m., which will feature junior Ben Datte.
Team Standings | Day 1 | Bill Carson Invitational
Men’s Teams | 3 events scored
1. Mount Olive – 38 points
2. Citadel – 27 points
3. App State – 22 points
4. UNCW – 16 points
5. East Carolina – 11 points
Women’s Teams | 2 Events Scored
1. East Carolina – 46 points
2. Mount Olive – 18 points
3. App State -14 points
