NEWARK, NJ – The Saint Peter's track and field team opened its outdoor season with a home meet at the Senator Ronald L. Rice Sports Complex at Vailsburg Park. The Peacocks dominated the track events, claiming first in five of the six races they competed in across the men's and women's teams. The women's field athletes also had a strong showing, securing the top mark in every event they entered.
The meet featured Saint Peter's, Lehman College, Caldwell University, and the Great Pascack Track Club. Competition began at 11:00 AM with men's discus, men's long jump, and women's high jump, while track events kicked off at 12:30 PM, starting with the 4x100m relay.
FIELD HIGHLIGHTS
Amari Campbell opened the day for Saint Peter's in the long jump, securing first place in a field of nine competitors with a mark of 6.75m. Caldwell's Jonathan Jones (6.72m) and Manny Smith (6.08m) rounded out the top three. Freshman
Tamir Burney-Laberth made his event debut, recording a 5.6m jump to finish sixth overall.
In men's discus, Caldwell claimed the top two spots. Freshman Christopher Francois won with a throw of 37.97m, followed by teammate Kevin Campen (35.31m). Lehman's Brian Cruz finished third with a personal-best 32.67m. Saint Peter's
Adebusuyi Shittu (23.06m, 7th) and
Michael Costa (21.34m, 8th) both made their outdoor discus debuts.
Francois also took first in the shot put (7.26kg), hitting 12.45m. Saint Peter's Shittu finished just behind him with a throw of 11.91m, while
Derek Garcia placed third with a 10.48m mark.
Saint Peter's women's long jumpers dominated, securing the top two spots.
McKenzie Johnson nearly matched her personal best (4.76m) with a 4.65m jump, while
Ana Devries followed at 4.20m. They were the only competitors to surpass the 4-meter mark.
In the women's shot put (4kg),
Kennedy Vaughn topped the field with a throw of 9.97m, nearly a full meter ahead of second place. Caldwell's Jer-Breeah Fogg (8.98m) finished second, followed by teammates Anais Perez-Fabian (7.72m) and Morgan Dolaghan (5.77m).
Vaughn also claimed first in the women's discus, hitting 30.69m—just shy of her personal best (30.79m).
Alyana Meador made her event debut with a 25.06m throw, placing second. Caldwell's Fogg (23.35m) took third, while
Luisana Flores recorded an 18.03m mark.
TRACK HIGHLIGHTS
The men's 4x100m relay featured six teams, with Saint Peter's A-team (
Ameen Zubair, Hensley Jean Baptiste, Omari Owens-Jones, Connor Ziolkowski) taking first in 43.68. SPU B (Zubair, Owens-Jones,
Dylan Williams, Jean Baptiste) followed closely at 44.17. Caldwell A (45.06) finished third, followed by Lehman A (46.74), Caldwell B (48.15), and Caldwell C (50.71).
The women's 4x100m relay saw four teams compete, with Saint Peter's A-team (
Ayanna Paige, Samyah Wilson, Karilynn Jimenez, Shania McDuffie) winning in 49.31. SPU B finished second in 52.41, followed by Caldwell A (54.29) and Caldwell B (59.75).
The men's 4x200m relay saw another Saint Peter's victory, as SPU A (Williams, Zubair, Owens-Jones, Jean Baptiste) clocked 1:30.85, with SPU B right behind at 1:32.53. Caldwell A (1:35.46), Caldwell C (1:38.32), Lehman A (1:39.29), and Caldwell B (1:39.70) completed the standings.
Saint Peter's won the men's distance medley relay (DMR) as well, with
Gerardo Quaglia (1200m),
Solomon Dunham (400m),
Nicholaus Michael (800m), and
Brendan Heaney (1600m) finishing in 11:10.98. SPU B placed third (11:32.82), while Caldwell A took second (11:20.81).
The women's DMR team finished in 11:14.38.
The final event of the day was the women's 4x200m relay, where Saint Peter's A-team (Wilson, McDuffie, Jimenez, McLaughlin) claimed victory in 1:45.13. Caldwell A placed second (1:52.11), followed by SPU B (1:59.46) and Lehman A (2:14.49).
UP NEXT
The Peacocks' throwers will compete at the Monmouth Spring Opener from March 28-29 at Monmouth's Kessler Stadium, while the rest of the team will head to the Maryland Invitational in College Park, Maryland, on March 29.
For continuing coverage of Saint Peter's University Athletics, visit SaintPetersPeacocks.com and follow the Peacocks on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
