Gregory Eclipses Heptathlon Record at 49er Classic to Begin Outdoor Season

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Sasha Gregory’s new program-record in the heptathlon was one of 19 new top 10 all-time marks for Charlotte over three days of competition from Thursday, March 19 to Saturday, March 21 at the Irwin Belk Track and Field Center, as the team officially opened the outdoor season on home turf with the 49er Classic.

HOW IT HAPPENED – WOMEN’S FIELD EVENTS

Gregory led the way for the Niners, posting a school-record score of 5260 in the heptathlon to eclipse the previous high of 5237; she was one point shy of the facility record as well. Placing second overall, Gregory won both the 100H (13.99) and long jump (19’4.25″) while placing as the runner-up in the 200m and 800m.

Chaunesse Barringer took home the long jump win with a leap of 6.03m (19’5.50″) on Friday before following that up with third-place mark of 11.89m (39’0.25) in the triple jump during Saturday’s action; Maleah Tidwell opened the season with a distance of 11.71m (38’0.5″) in the triple jump, which placed her fifth.

Women’s throws enjoyed a strong opener, led by Sarah Pullium’s new PR of 57.92m (190’0) and resulting victory in the hammer throw on Friday. Already third in the Charlotte standings, Pullium’s new best solidifies her standing after a previous best of 57.80m. In Saturday’s shot put, Kayla Davis-Edwards would place as the runner-up thanks to a toss of 14.98m (49’1.75″) and Chin-Loy Raymond entered the outdoor top 10 with an effort of 14.72m (48’3.50″), landing third on the day and fifth all-time in the standings.

Four Niners placed in the top five of the women’s pole vault, with the trio of Rachel Venter, Madisyn Williams, and Allison Shingleton also entering the outdoor top 10 as a result. Venter led the pack with a winning clearance of 3.90m (12’9.5″), good for fourth all-time, while Williams and Shingleton (3.60m, 11’9.75) placed second and third respectively along with eighth all-time. Eleni Fiore rounded out the group in fifth on Friday, coming in at 3.45m (11’3.75″).

Lauryn Gholston (1.63m, 5’4.25″) and Addie Bitsas (1.63m, 5’4.25″) capped off the women’s field events in Group A of the high jump on Saturday, where Gholston placed fourth.

MEN’S FIELD EVENTS

Men’s throws dominated the week, led by Junior Payton-Kimble’s pair of wins on Saturday. He opened the morning by posting the new fifth-best mark in outdoor program history of 17.46m (57’3.50″) in the shot put and ended the day with a toss of 49.77m (163’3) in discus; Jahnaul Ritzie placed third in both events as well, coming it an 17.20m (56’5.25″) in the shot put and 48.93m (160’6) in discus, which sits No. 8 all-time among the Niner ranks. Prior to that, Gates Hinton posted the new eighth-best effort in the hammer throw on Friday morning of 55.54m (183’3) to win the first of the three golds among the group during the meet.

Josh Horstmann shot up the ranks to third all-time in the decathlon after two days of competition, posting a total of 7088 points after winning each of the 100m, long jump, shot put, high jump, discus, and javelin across Thursday and Friday for the gold. Nathan Shaffer competed for Charlotte in the standalone javelin, notching a distance of 46.35m (152’0) during competition on Friday.

In the pole vault, Jonathan Hopkins debuted in the outdoor top 10 with a winning clearance of 4.98m (16’4″) for the win, joined in the top three by Graham Gutknecht and the new No. 9 mark of 4.88m (16’0″) during Saturday’s action.

Over in jumps, London Myles (7.24m, 23’9″) and Amir El-Amin (7.12m, 23’4.25″) occupied the top two spots in the long jump; Myles went on the place third in the triple jump on Saturday, coming in at 14.75m (48’4.75″). Gianni Vines finished as the runner-up in Friday’s high jump with a clearance of 2.00m (6’6.75).

WOMEN’S TRACK EVENTS

Four Niners placed in the top six of Saturday’s 200m heat, led by Joyasia Smith’s winning time of 23.53; she just barely beat out Noel Evans (also 23.53), while Nia Grose took fourth at 23.76 and Ella Escobar sixth after clocking in at 24.07. Evans and Grose ended the event at eighth and 10^th all-time, respectively. Ayani Patterson (24.58), Jordan Henderson (24.66), and Alinah Sarratt (24.85) placed within the top 17.

Smith (11.57), Grose (11.60), Escobar (11.77), and Chloe Trevant (11.93) all occupied top-11 spots in Friday’s 100m race, Smith and Grose placing third and fourth respectively. The pair, along with Escobar and Evans, would go on to combined for Charlotte’s new fifth-best 4x100m relay time of 44.39 on Saturday morning, winning gold in the process. The Niners’ 4x400m team wrapped up competition on Saturday with a time of 3:46.20.

Five members of the Green and White took top 10 spots the 5000, with Sophia Semo (17:18.99) and Hilaree Vega (17:26.06) occupying top-five spots; Lily Nasta (17:27.34), Ellis Vaughan (17:40.33), and Emily Myers (17:40.68) were the other three. Aislynn Reagle (4:40.41) and Katie McFerrin (4:41.36) competed in the 1500m as well on Friday night.

Sarratt climbed to eighth in the 400H ranks with a third-place time of 1:01.03, with Henderson coming in at 1:03.25. Elsewhere, Lauryn Djaouga logged a time of 14.71 in the 100H and Patterson a mark of 55.41 in the 400m.

MEN’S TRACK EVENTS

Sprints were strong for Charlotte’s men to open the year, particularly in the 400m heats. Tal Hamel (46.48) posted the new third-best time in the 400m as he placed as the runner-up on Friday, while Tajauni Elliot finished sixth at 48.01; in the 400H, Charles Foote clocked the 10^th best time in program history of 52.91 (also the runner-up) and Brandon Benitez logged a time of 53.34, good for fifth on Friday.

Both Hamel and Elliott were key pieces in the men’s 4x100m relay team joining the women in taking gold on Saturday, combining with James Harris and Jayden Smith for a golden time of 39.97 that ranks third all-time in the Charlotte books. Charlotte’s 4x400m relay unit would take second to close out Saturday’s action but came just shy of a top 10 berth.

Competing in the 5000m Invitational heat on Friday night, Andrew Harding (14:21.67) and Alex Fernandez (14:27.01) took top-five places, joined in the top 10 by fellow Niners Connor Tyrrell (14:28.47) and Tyrese Cone (14:37.61). Six members of the Green and White occupied top 14 spots, and former All-American and Charlotte alum Nick Scudder took the win with a time of 14:21.37 while running unattached.

Harris had previously led the Niners in the 100m, clocking a time of 10.61 to place fifth; elsewhere, Michael Rice Jr. finished as the runner-up in the 800m at 1:51.89 and both Bryson Lomick (21.67) and Jordan Polk-Webb (21.68) logged new PRs in the 200m on Saturday. Running in Friday’s 110H, Foote (14.65) and Nikyan Hodge (14.67) also posted new bests.

UP NEXT

Charlotte will remain in-state for the rest of the month, traveling to both Raleigh and Davidson next week to compete in the Raleigh Relays (March 26-28) and Davidson Relays (March 27-28).