KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The Tusculum University men’s and women’s outdoor track and field teams competed on the second day of the Tennessee Invite at Tom Black Track at LaPorte Stadium.
Sophomore Qitarah Castlin won the women’s 100 meters and was part of the winning 4×100-meter relay for the Pioneers, while senior Jesica Mbhamali set a school record in the women’s 800 meters and junior Lansford Cunningham broke his own record in the men’s long jump.
The Pioneers will compete at the Aggie Invitational at North Carolina A&T on Friday-Saturday, April 17-18.
WOMEN’S RECAP
Castlin ran 11.48 seconds in the 100 meters to set a career best and move into a tie for fifth place nationally in the event. Senior Jahzara Hart, who is ranked fourth in Division II, was second to Castlin with a time of 11.50 seconds.
The 4×100 relay of Castlin, senior Shanice Cox, sophomore Kori Moore and Hart ran 44.50 seconds to take first place overall with the second-fastest time of the season and fourth-fastest in program history.
Moore finished second in the 100 hurdles with a career-best time of 13.68 seconds, after qualifying fourth in prelims at 13.97 seconds. Junior Kialia Claiborne posted a season-best time of 56.72 seconds in the 400 meters and was the top Pioneer in 21st place.
Mbhamali ran 2:20.46 in the 800 meters to break the program record of 2:20.50 set by Judy Chellah at the 2024 SAC Championship. Freshman Hannah McLain moved into fifth place on the program performance list in the event with a time of 2:23.51.
MEN’S RECAP
Cunningham waited to compete in the final event of the meet, but made it count as he jumped 7.28 meters (23 feet, 10 3/4 inches) to break his record of 7.14 meters set at the Catamount Classic on April 19, 2024.
Junior Tinotenda Musariri placed 13th in the 100 meters with a time of 10.52 seconds, putting him eighth on the program performance list. Freshman Tomas Ribeiro nearly broke the school record in the 800 meters, running 13th in 1:53.19 that is just behind the mark of 1:52.78 set twice by Antonio Aparicio.
Junior Chazz Alexander was the Pioneers’ top finisher in the 400 meters with a time of 47.79 seconds, the sixth-best time in school history. Alexander was also part of the 4×400 relay with Cunningham, Ribeiro and freshman Lamarkus Dunn that was ninth overall in 3:16.21.
Tennessee Invite – Day 2
Tusculum results
MEN
100: 13. Tinotenda Musariri, 10.52; 60. Kayvon Pickett, 11.21.
110 hurdles: 28. Justin Williams, 15.42; 33. Jamal Cash, 15.73.
400: 14. Chazz Alexander, 47.79; 36. Lamarkus Dunn, 49.34.
800: 13. Tomas Ribeiro, 1:53.19; 42. Albert Ziegler, 1:58.48; 55. Casen Davis, 2:11.34.
4×100: 12. Tusculum (Musariri, Cunningham, Alexander, Dunn), 41.35.
4×400: 9. Tusculum (Alexander, Cunningham, Ribeiro, Dunn), 3:16.21.
Long jump: 9. Lansford Cunningham, 7.28m (23-10 3/4) (school record).
WOMEN
100: 1. Qitarah Castlin, 11.48; 2. Jahzara Hart, 11.50.
100 hurdles prelims: 4. Kori Moore, 13.97 (advances); 42. Kieley Smith, 16.15.
100 hurdles final: 2. Kori Moore, 13.68.
400: 21. Kialia Claiborne, 56.72; 38. Shanice Cox, 58.35; 46. Alonda Shelton, 59.80.
800: 30. Jesica Mbhamali, 2:20.46 (school record); 35. Hannah McLain, 2:23.51.
4×100: 1. Tusculum (Castlin, Cox, Moore, Hart), 44.50.
