COLUMBIA, South Carolina – Several members of the Maryland Eastern Shore track and field team had career days at the annual Weems Baskin Invitational held by the University of South Carolina on Friday (March 25) and Saturday (March 26).
“Despite the cold, windy weekend out, the Hawks managed to secure many personal records and top MEAC rankings,” head coach Damion Drummond said. “I’m especially proud of the throwers and multies units in the way they adjusted to the elements.”
Janoi Brown was the star for the Shore, dominating the 400m in his first race since taking fourth place at the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference indoor championships in 2020. The graduate student from Randallstown, Maryland ran a 48.27 in the race, taking first by over a full second.
“The race went smooth from the beginning, although I did not push as hard as usual because the injury was on my mind,” Brown said. “That victory coming off of an injury made me elated and shows that something big is coming soon and this outdoor season is a promising one.”
In the hurdles Zachary Opon had a solid day, setting personal records in both the 110m and the 400m, with a 15.59 and a 56.29 in the races. His 110m performance is good for ninth in the MEAC and his 400m good for fourth.
Freshman Mackenzie Evans finished 19th in the 400m hurdles but was able to set a personal record of 1:07.65 which is also good for sixth in the conference.
In the field the Hawks really shined, in particular, the throwers had phenomenal days despite the wind.
Chincoteague native James Perkins took 12th overall in the javelin with a 48.28m which places him second in the MEAC and gave him his first PR of the day, then followed up with 13th in the hammer throw with a 41.16m personal best, which is good for sixth in the conference. He wasn’t done with those two putting him on the conference watch list, setting another best in the discus with a 36.01m, putting him at 10th and then a 13.96m in the shot for 11th.
One of the Eastern Shore’s finest, Nasir Neal-Watson, threw a 40.17m in the discus placing him sixth in the MEAC, a 36.90m in the javelin for fifth, and then placing 7th in the Invitational with a 14.55m shot, which is also seventh in the conference.
Mackel Pierrilus currently sits second in the conference with his 42.41m personal best javelin throw.
On the women’s side, Indya Hansley placed third in the meet with a 39.14m discus throw, a personal record, which is third-best in the conference, and an 11.64m in the shot for third in the MEAC. She set a personal record in the hammer as well, with a 36.53m – seventh-best in the conference so far.
Others making the MEAC list were Mya Johnson in the discus with a 30.35m, eighth in the conference and a personal record, Sanaa Shakwi in the discus with a 30.11m for a PR, and ninth in the MEAC, as well as a 36.03m hammer for eighth.
Continuing his stellar indoor season, Joshua Goslee placed fourth in the meet with a 4.13m pole vault attempt, which places him currently second overall in the conference.
The Hawks stay in-state this weekend, making the trip across the bridge to Baltimore for the Towson Invitational, which the Shore last competed in during the 2019 outdoor season. During that last meet, the women took sixth out of 18 schools, the men ninth out of 19.
For more information on Eastern Shore Athletics visit http://www.easternshorehawks.com/