HIGH POINT, N.C. (Apr. 6, 2025) - Senior Tya Blake and junior Jason Bowers earned top honors as a number Buccaneers set personal bests at the VertKlasse Meeting in High Point, North Carolina, on Friday and Saturday.
Blake's season best 12.40m mark in the triple jump was a decisive winner in the event, the senior's first competition in the 2025 outdoor season. Bowers continued his success in the distance events, winning the men's one-mile invitational race with a 4:03.58, nearly five seconds clear of the field. Bowers also ran the 800m and came home second with a personal best of 1:52.65, less than one-tenth of a second off of UNCG's Sam Barnard.
On the track, junior Meg Lance earned a podium finish in the women's 1500m participate PR 4:39.07 and set another personal best in the 800m invitational race on Saturday with a 2:12.68, good for fourth. Junior Bonita Gray snagged a top 10 finish in the 1500m participate with a 4:43.95. Junior Izelle Kruger posted a personal best in the 800m participate with a 2:20.11, the 13th best time out of a field of 69 starters. Senior Ansley Archuleta came home sixth in the 300m steeplechase at 11:49.02, and Sophie Beach finished fifth in the 5000m with a time of 18:37.42.
In the sprints, freshman Renn Herdklotz set a personal best in the women's 400m participate with a time of 58.92 seconds. Fellow freshman Akera Molette set a personal best with a 15.02 second time the 100m hurdles, good for 18th in a field of 55, and sophomore Brianna Baker posted the 22nd best time at 15.11 seconds.
Freshman Jasmine Greenidge set a personal best in the triple jump at 10.36m. In group B in the pole vault on Friday, sophomore Frania Romero-Barba set a personal best by clearing 3.47m, tying her for eighth, and Brianna Baker won group B of the high jump by matching a personal best 1.59m leap. Lexi Carter posted a personal best in the shot put on Saturday with a 13.07m throw, good for sixth in the field overall.
On the men's side, freshman Theo Curling set a personal best in the men's 400m participate 55.16 seconds. Freshman Hayden Waleski finished 14th out of 91 starters in the men's 800m participate with a 1:56.79 time. Sophomore Nathan Hillis and freshman Grayson Cromer both set personal bests in the 800m, with Hillis finishing 21st at 1:57.82 and Cromer 23rd at 1:58.19. Conner Overly came home 8th in the men's 1500m participate with a 3:59.38 time. In group B of the pole vault on Friday, freshman Jake Cannon finished sixth by clearing 4.40m.
Both teams will return to action this Friday in Asheville, North Carolina, at the Asheville Bulldog Invitational on the campus of UNC Asheville.
For more information on ETSU track and field, go to ETSUBucs.com.
